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The Collected Works of William Morris

With Introductions by his Daughter May Morris
Morris, William (1834-1896)

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VOLUME I THE DEFENCE OF GUENEVERE AND OTHER POEMS
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VOLUME II THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JASON
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VOLUME III, IV, V, VI THE EARTHLY PARADISE
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VOLUME VII THE STORY OF GRETTIR THE STRONG. THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS AND NIBLUNGS
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VOLUME IX LOVE IS ENOUGH. POEMS BY THE WAY
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VOLUME X THREE NORTHERN LOVE STORIES. THE TALE OF BEOWULF
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VOLUME XII THE STORY OF SIGURD THE VOLSUNG AND THE FALL OF THE NIBLUNGS
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INTRODUCTION
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THE STORY OF SIGURD THE VOLSUNG AND THE FALL OF THE NIBLUNGS
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BOOK I. SIGMUND
  
OF THE DWELLING OF KING VOLSUNG, AND THE WEDDING OF SIGNY HIS DAUGHTER.
  
HOW THE VOLSUNGS FARED TO THE LAND OF THE GOTHS, AND OF THE FALL OF KING VOLSUNG.
  
OF THE ENDING OF ALL VOLSUNG'S SONS SAVE SIGMUND ONLY, AND OF HOW HE ABIDETH IN THE WILD WOOD.
  
OF THE BIRTH AND FOSTERING OF SINFIOTLI, SIGNY'S SON.
  
OF THE SLAYING OF SIGGEIR THE GOTH-KING.
  
HOW SIGMUND COMETH TO THE LAND OF THE VOLSUNGS AGAIN, AND OF THE DEATH OF SINFIOTLI HIS SON.
  
OF THE LAST BATTLE OF KING SIGMUND, AND THE DEATH OF HIM.
  
HOW KING SIGMUND THE VOLSUNG WAS LAID IN MOUND ON THE SEA-SIDE OF THE ISLE-REALM.
  
HOW QUEEN HIORDIS IS KNOWN; AND HOW SHE ABIDETH IN THE HOUSE OF ELF THE SON OF THE HELPER.
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BOOK II. REGIN
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BOOK III. BRYNHILD
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BOOK IV. GUDRUN
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VOLUME XIV THE HOUSE OF THE WOLFINGS. THE STORY OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN
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VOLUME XV THE ROOTS OF THE MOUNTAINS
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VOLUME XVI NEWS FROM NOWHERE. A DREAM OF JOHN BALL. A KING'S LESSON
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VOLUME XVII THE WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD. CHILD CHRISTOPHER. OLD FRENCH ROMANCES
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VOLUME XXI THE SUNDERING FLOOD. UNFINISHED ROMANCES
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VOLUME XXIV SCENES FROM THE FALL OF TROY AND OTHER POEMS AND FRAGMENTS

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previous sectionCHAPTER XXVI. THIODOLF TALKETH WITH THE WOOD-SUN. The Collected Works of William Morris
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[“Thou sayest sooth, O daughter: I am no God of might]

[Wood-Sun.]
“Thou sayest sooth, O daughter: I am no God of might,
Yet I am of their race, and I think with their thoughts and see with their sight,
And the threat of the doom did I know of, and yet spared not to lie:
For I thought that the fate foreboded might touch and pass us by,
As the sword that heweth the war-helm and cleaveth a cantle away,
And the cunning smith shall mend it and it goeth again to the fray;
If my hand might have held for a moment, yea, even against his will,
The life of my belovèd! But Weird is the master still:
And this man's love of my body and his love of the ancient kin
Were matters o'er-mighty to deal with and the game withal to win.
Woe's me for the waning of all things, and my hope that needs must fade
As the fruitless sun of summer on the waste where nought is made!
And now farewell, O daughter, thou mayst not see the kiss
Of the hapless and the death-doomed when I have told of this;
Yet once again shalt thou see him, though I no more again,
Fair with the joy that hopeth and dieth not in vain.”

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