The Poetical Works of John Payne Definitive Edition in Two Volumes |
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| IX. | IX.THE WESTWARD SAILING. |
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 | The Poetical Works of John Payne |  |
112
IX.THE WESTWARD SAILING.
OH, blithe and glad the liege-folk were
In all the Norway strand!
For home the king a bride did bring,
The king of all the land.
In all the Norway strand!
For home the king a bride did bring,
The king of all the land.
With many a gay gold flag they decked
The city of the king;
Loud sang the choirs and from the spires
The bells for joy did ring.
The city of the king;
Loud sang the choirs and from the spires
The bells for joy did ring.
There was no man in all the land
But laid his grief aside,
What time the king with holy ring
Was wedded to his bride.
But laid his grief aside,
What time the king with holy ring
Was wedded to his bride.
Within the royal banquet-hall
The bridal feast was spread;
The cup went round, with garlands crowned,
And eke the wine ran red.
The bridal feast was spread;
The cup went round, with garlands crowned,
And eke the wine ran red.
The harpers smote the silver strings,
The gleemen all did sing
Thereto a song so sweet and strong,
That all the hall did ring.
The gleemen all did sing
Thereto a song so sweet and strong,
That all the hall did ring.
And therein sat upon his throne,
Among his barons all,
The king, beside his trothplight bride,
And ruled the festival.
Among his barons all,
The king, beside his trothplight bride,
And ruled the festival.
He kissed his bride, his bride kissed him,
From the same cup drank they;
And therewithal the minstrels all
Did sing a joyous lay.
From the same cup drank they;
And therewithal the minstrels all
Did sing a joyous lay.
113
Oh, merry, merry went the feast
And fast the red wine ran!
The gates gaped wide and in did stride
An old seafaring man.
And fast the red wine ran!
The gates gaped wide and in did stride
An old seafaring man.
In russet leather was he clad,
As those that use the sea,
And three times rolled, a chain of gold
About his neck had he.
As those that use the sea,
And three times rolled, a chain of gold
About his neck had he.
Gray was his head, his beard was gray
And furrowed was his brow;
But in his eye a might did lie
That made all heads to bow.
And furrowed was his brow;
But in his eye a might did lie
That made all heads to bow.
He gazed upon the crownèd king,
Upon his barons all;
And there befell a sudden spell
Of silence in the hall.
Upon his barons all;
And there befell a sudden spell
Of silence in the hall.
With steel-gray eyes he gazed on them,
Whilst none the hush might break,—
The words to come were stricken dumb,—
And thus to them he spake:
Whilst none the hush might break,—
The words to come were stricken dumb,—
And thus to them he spake:
“The lift is clear, the wind blows free
Toward the sunset land;
Oh, who with me will sail the sea
Unto the Western strand?
Toward the sunset land;
Oh, who with me will sail the sea
Unto the Western strand?
“Now let the courtier leave his feast
And plough the deep with me!
The king his bride let leave, to ride
Over the briny sea!
And plough the deep with me!
The king his bride let leave, to ride
Over the briny sea!
“Now let the baron leave his hall,
The minstrel leave his song!
For in the West is set the quest
Whereafter all men long.
The minstrel leave his song!
For in the West is set the quest
Whereafter all men long.
114
“There are the forests thick with flower
And there the winds breathe balm
And there gold birds sing wonder-words
Under the summer calm.
And there the winds breathe balm
And there gold birds sing wonder-words
Under the summer calm.
“There is the earth thick-strewn with gems,
The sands are golden-shelled
And in the skies the magic lies
That gives new youth to eld.
The sands are golden-shelled
And in the skies the magic lies
That gives new youth to eld.
“Oh, who will sail the seas with me
Unto the shores of gold?
There lieth rest, that is the best
For all men, young or old.”
Unto the shores of gold?
There lieth rest, that is the best
For all men, young or old.”
Then up there leapt the crownèd king,
The king of all the land:
“Oh, I with thee will sail the sea
Unto the Western strand!
The king of all the land:
“Oh, I with thee will sail the sea
Unto the Western strand!
“Whate'er thou art, thy words have wrought
Such yearning in my breast,
That I will sail, come weal or bale,
Unto the golden West!”
Such yearning in my breast,
That I will sail, come weal or bale,
Unto the golden West!”
His bride hath laid upon his arm
Her hand more white than snow;
She kissed him thrice, with tearful eyes
And mouth all white for woe;
Her hand more white than snow;
She kissed him thrice, with tearful eyes
And mouth all white for woe;
And on his finger, for a sign
That he should ne'er forget,
A ring threefold of good red gold
And sapphires hath she set.
That he should ne'er forget,
A ring threefold of good red gold
And sapphires hath she set.
The seaman led them with his eye
Out of the high gold door;
And they are come, for wonder dumb,
Down to the white sea-shore.
Out of the high gold door;
And they are come, for wonder dumb,
Down to the white sea-shore.
115
Before the city, on the sea,
A fair tall ship there lay,
With sails of silk as white as milk
And ropes of seagreen say.
A fair tall ship there lay,
With sails of silk as white as milk
And ropes of seagreen say.
Into the vessel tall and stout
He brought them every one;
And as he bade, all sail they made
Toward the setting sun.
He brought them every one;
And as he bade, all sail they made
Toward the setting sun.
Oh, many a weary day they sailed
Across the silver spray!
And ever due the West wind blew,
But never land saw they:
Across the silver spray!
And ever due the West wind blew,
But never land saw they:
A wild wide waste of emerald sea,
Flecked with the argent foam;
A sun of gold that westward rolled
Over the blue sky-dome;
Flecked with the argent foam;
A sun of gold that westward rolled
Over the blue sky-dome;
The twilight gray, that ends the day,
And then the moon on high;
The purple night, with moonlight white
And stars thick set in sky.
And then the moon on high;
The purple night, with moonlight white
And stars thick set in sky.
So fifty days were wellnigh past,
And on the fiftieth day,
At eventide, the sad wind sighed,
The sapphire lift grew gray.
And on the fiftieth day,
At eventide, the sad wind sighed,
The sapphire lift grew gray.
The icebergs rose about the ship,
All in a death-white ring,
And grimly round with ice they bound
The vessel of the king.
All in a death-white ring,
And grimly round with ice they bound
The vessel of the king.
The helmsman stood beside the helm;
The flesh from off him fell;
And in his stead there reared its head
A grisly Death from Hell.
The flesh from off him fell;
And in his stead there reared its head
A grisly Death from Hell.
116
The Death-King stood upon the deck,
High as the topmost mast,
And thrice among that pallid throng
He blew a deathly blast.
High as the topmost mast,
And thrice among that pallid throng
He blew a deathly blast.
With the first breath the sky turned black,
The sun a red fire grew,
And ghastly pale, the hearts did fail
Of all that luckless crew.
The sun a red fire grew,
And ghastly pale, the hearts did fail
Of all that luckless crew.
A second time he breathed on them
Under the heavens' pall,
And with his breath the sleep of death
Fell down upon them all.
Under the heavens' pall,
And with his breath the sleep of death
Fell down upon them all.
A third time with his mouth he blew—
His mouth without a lip—
And far below the chill tide-flow
Down sank the doomèd ship.
His mouth without a lip—
And far below the chill tide-flow
Down sank the doomèd ship.
Deep in the bosom of the sea
The frozen Norsemen rest;
Each mother's son the prize hath won
That for all men is best.
The frozen Norsemen rest;
Each mother's son the prize hath won
That for all men is best.
All in the trance of that strange sleep,
Upon the deck they stand;
And Death the King, he hath the ring
Upon his bony hand.
Upon the deck they stand;
And Death the King, he hath the ring
Upon his bony hand.
| The Poetical Works of John Payne | |