The Collected Works of William Morris :: :: University of Virginia Library

[Frithiof.]
“Oft let I swim from Sogn
My tarred ship sooty-sided,
When maids sat o'er the mead-horn
Amidst of Baldur's Meadows;
Now while the storm is wailing
Farewell I bid you maidens,
Still shall ye love us, sweet ones,
Though Ellidi the sea fill.”

[“Now is the sea a-swelling]

[Frithiof.]
“Now is the sea a-swelling,
And sweepeth the rack on ward;
Spells of old days cast o'er us
Make ocean all unquiet;
No more shall we be striving
Mid storm with wash of billows,
But Solundir shall shelter
Our ship with ice-beat rock-walls.”

[“In days foredone]

[Frithiof.]
“In days foredone
From Foreness strand
I rowed to meet
Maid Ingibiorg;
But now I sail
Through chilly storm
And wide away
My long-worm driveth.”

[“The salt waves see we nought]

[Frithiof.]
“The salt waves see we nought
As seaward drive we ever
Before the witch-wrought weather,
We well-famed kings'-defenders:

Here are we all a-standing,
With all Solundir hull-down,
Eighteen brave lads a-baling
Black Ellidi to bring home.”

[“Helgi it is that helpeth]

[Frithiof.]
“Helgi it is that helpeth
The white-head billows' waxing;
Cold time unlike the kissing
In the close of Baldur's Meadow!
So is the hate of Helgi
To that heart's love she giveth.
O would that here I held her,
Gift high above all giving!”

[“So come in the West-sea]

[Frithiof.]
“So come in the West-sea,
Nought see I the billows,
The sea-water seemeth
As sweeping of wild-fire.
Topple the rollers,
Toss the hills swan-white,
Ellidi wallows
O'er steep of the wave-hills.”

[“With love-moved mouth the maiden]

[Frithiof.]
“With love-moved mouth the maiden
Me pledgeth though I founder.
Ah! bright sheets lay a-bleaching,
East there on brents the swan loves.”

[“No widow, methinks]

[Biorn.]
“No widow, methinks,
To thee or me drinks:
No ring-bearer fair
Biddeth draw near;
Salt are our eyne
Soaked in the brine;
Strong our arms are no more,
And our eyelids smart sore.”

[“Sharp work about the sail was]

[Asmund.]
“Sharp work about the sail was
When o'er the ship seas tumbled,
And there was I a-working
Within-board 'gainst eight balers;

Better it was to bower,
Bringing the women breakfast,
Than here to be 'mid billows
Black Ellidi a-baling.”

[“On bolster I sat]

[Frithiof.]
“On bolster I sat
In Baldur's Mead erst,
And all songs that I could
To the king's daughter sang;
Now on Ran's bed belike
Must I soon be a-lying,
And another shall be
By Ingibiorg's side.”

[“Yet one gain have I gotten]

[Biorn.]
“Yet one gain have I gotten
Thou gatst not 'mid thy fortune,
For meet play did I make me
With Ingibiorg's eight maidens;

Red rings we laid together
Aright in Baldur's Meadow,
When far off was the warder
Of the wide land of Halfdan.”

[“Both sheets are bursten]

[Frithiof.]
“Both sheets are bursten
Amid the great billows,
Four swains are sunk
In the fathomless sea.”

[“The red ring here I hew me]

[Frithiof.]
“The red ring here I hew me
Once owned of Halfdan's father,
The wealthy lord of erewhile,
Or the sea waves undo us,
So on the guests shall gold be,
If we have need of guesting;
Meet so for mighty men-folk
Amid Ran's hall to hold them.”

[“See I troll women]

[Frithiof.]
“See I troll women
Twain on the billows,
E'en they whom Helgi
Hither hath sent.
Ellidi now
Or ever her way stop
Shall smite the backs
Of these asunder.”

[“Ellidi, hail!]

[Biorn.]
“Ellidi, hail!
Leap high o'er the billows!
Break of the troll wives
Brow or teeth now!

Break cheek or jaw
Of the cursed woman,
One foot or twain
Of the ogress filthy.”

[“No need, fair fellows]

[Frithiof.]
“No need, fair fellows,
To fear the death-day;
Rather be glad,
Good men of mine:
For if dreams wot aught
All nights they say
I yet shall have
My Ingibiorg.”

[“Fast bare I up]

[Frithiof.]
“Fast bare I up
To the fire-lit house

My men all dazed
With the drift of the storm:
And the sail moreover
To the sand I carried;
With the might of the sea
Is there no more to do.”

CHAPTER VII. FRITHIOF AT THE ORKNEYS.

[Songs extracted from the prose narrative.]

[“Men see I a-baling]

[Frithiof.]
“Men see I a-baling
Amid the storm's might;
Six bale on Ellidi
Seven are a-rowing;
Like is he in the stem,
Straining hard at the oars,
To Frithiof the Bold,
The brisk in the battle.”

[“Take up from the floor]

[Frithiof.]
“Take up from the floor,
O fair-going woman,
The horn cast adown
Drunk out to the end!
I behold men at sea
Who, storm-beaten, shall need
Help at our hands
Ere the haven they make.”

[“Nay, nay, in nought]

[Frithiof.]
“Nay, nay, in nought
Now shall ye cow us.
Blenching hearts
Isle-abiders!
Alone with you ten
The fight will I try,
Rather than pray
For peace at your hands.”

[“There baled we, wight fellows]

[Biorn.]
“There baled we, wight fellows,
Washed over and over
On both boards
By billows;
For ten days we baled there,
And eight thereunto.”

CHAP. IX. FRITHIOF BRINGS THE TRIBUTE TO THE KINGS.

[Songs extracted from the prose narrative.]

[“Frank and free]

[Frithiof.]
“Frank and free,
With my father dead,
In Foreness old
We drank aforetime.
Now my abode
Behold I burned;
For many ill deeds
The kings must I pay.”

[“All alone go I]

[Frithiof.]
“All alone go I
Unto the stead;
No folk I need
For the finding of kings;
But cast ye the fire
O'er the kings' dwelling,
If I come not again
In the cool of the even.”

[“Have here thy scat]

[Frithiof.]
“Have here thy scat,
High lord of the warriors!
Heed that and thy teeth,
Lest all tumble about thee!
Lo the silver abideth
At the bight of this bag here,
That Biorn and I
Betwixt us have borne thee.”

[“The heavy purse smote Helgi]

[Frithiof.]

“The heavy purse smote Helgi
Hard 'midst his scoundrel's visage:
Lowly bowed Halfdan's brother,
Fell bundling 'mid the high seat:
There Baldur fell a-burning.
But first my bright ring gat I.
Fast from the roaring fire
I dragged the bent crone forward.”

Men say that Frithiof cast a firebrand up on to the roof, so that the hall was all ablaze, and therewith sang a stave:

“Down stride we toward the sea-strand,
And strong deeds set a-going,
For now the blue flame bickers
Amidst of Baldur's Meadow.”

CHAPTER X. FRITHIOF MADE AN OUTLAW.

[Songs extracted from the prose narrative.]

[“Young Ingibiorg]

[Frithiof.]
“Young Ingibiorg
Kissed I aforetime,
Kissed Beli's daughter
In Baldur's Meadow.
So shall the oars
Of Ellidi
Break both together
As Helgi's bow breaks.”

[“Sail we away from Sogn]

[Frithiof.]
“Sail we away from Sogn,
E'en as we sailed aforetime,
When flared the fire all over
The house that was my fathers'.
Now is the bale a-burning
Amidst of Baldur's Meadow:
But wend I as a wild-wolf,
Well wot I they have sworn it.”

CHAPTER XI. FRITHIOF FARETH TO SEE KING RING AND INGIBIORG.

[Songs extracted from the prose narrative.]

[“Peace-thief they called me]

[Cowl-bearer.]
“Peace-thief they called me
On the prow with the Vikings;
But War-thief whenas
I set widows a-weeping;
Spear-thief when I
Sent forth the barbed shafts;
Battle-thief when I
Burst forth on the king;
Hel-thief when I
Tossed up the small babies:
Isle-thief when I
In the outer isles harried;
Slains-thief when I
Sat aloft over men:
Yet since have I drifted
With salt-boiling carls,
Needy of help
Ere hither I came.”

CHAP. XIV. KING RING'S GIFT TO FRITHIOF.

[Songs extracted from the prose narrative.]

[“Have great thanks for the guesting]

[Frithiof.]
“Have great thanks for the guesting
Thou gavest with all bounty;
Dight fully for wayfaring
Is the feeder of the eagle;
But, Ingibiorg, I mind thee
While yet on earth we tarry;
Live gloriously! I give thee
This gift for many kisses.”

[“Oh, live, King Ring]

[Frithiof.]
“Oh, live, King Ring,
Both long and hale!
The highest king

'Neath heaven's skirt!
Ward well, O king,
Thy wife and land,
For Ingibiorg now
Never more shall I meet.”

[“Fare not away]

[King Ring.]

“Fare not away,
O Frithiof, thus,
With downcast heart,
O dearest of chieftains!
For now will I give thee
For all thy good gifts,
Far better things
Than thou wottest thyself.”

And again he sang:

“To Frithiof the famous
My fair wife I give,
And all things therewith
That are unto me.”

[“Nay, how from thine hands]

[Frithiof.]
“Nay, how from thine hands
These gifts may I have,
But if thou hast fared
By the last way of fate?”

AND SO HERE ENDETH THE STORY OF FRITHIOF THE BOLD.