 | Reverberations |  |
48
THOR.
Royal Olaf sails along the shore,
Bravely sails the soldier of the Cross;
Canvas flutters, twinkles oar on oar,
Havens rise, then sink beneath the shore,
White and purple waves round Olaf toss.
Bravely sails the soldier of the Cross;
Canvas flutters, twinkles oar on oar,
Havens rise, then sink beneath the shore,
White and purple waves round Olaf toss.
Sharp and clear the coast of Norland lies.
Dear to royal Olaf is the land;
Its tall cliffs bear up the solid skies,
Far and near the great pine forest lies,
Fast and firm the hills on Norland stand.
Dear to royal Olaf is the land;
Its tall cliffs bear up the solid skies,
Far and near the great pine forest lies,
Fast and firm the hills on Norland stand.
Here of late the Giants of the Snow,
Of the killing Frost, and wandering Fire,
Filled the hearts of all good men with woe,
Whirling wreaths of flame and drifts of snow,
But Thor came and drove them out in ire.
Of the killing Frost, and wandering Fire,
Filled the hearts of all good men with woe,
Whirling wreaths of flame and drifts of snow,
But Thor came and drove them out in ire.
Noble Thor, the brave and earnest God,
Drove the wicked giants all away.
Softly in his summer heat he trod,
Clothed with thunder, brave and earnest God!
Awe with Grace and Goodness dwells for aye.
Drove the wicked giants all away.
Softly in his summer heat he trod,
Clothed with thunder, brave and earnest God!
Awe with Grace and Goodness dwells for aye.
49
All true hearts were glad when Thor appeared,
Glad when all the wicked Frost-kings fled;
In the winter were they born and reared,
In the night these shapeless things appeared,
With no heart, and only half a head.
Glad when all the wicked Frost-kings fled;
In the winter were they born and reared,
In the night these shapeless things appeared,
With no heart, and only half a head.
How they fled when noble Thor drew nigh,
Followed by his band of peasants true!
How they fell down underneath the sky!
How when Thor with thunder-mace drew nigh,
Fled the Frost-king with his phantom crew!
Followed by his band of peasants true!
How they fell down underneath the sky!
How when Thor with thunder-mace drew nigh,
Fled the Frost-king with his phantom crew!
False were they, and falsehood cannot live,
In the searching sunlight it must die;
Noble names no nobleness can give,
If within no nobleness there live;
Can the Godlike blossom from a lie?
In the searching sunlight it must die;
Noble names no nobleness can give,
If within no nobleness there live;
Can the Godlike blossom from a lie?
All the ice-thrones melted—all the kings
Vanished that strong summer heat before,
And again the life-tree freshlier springs,
And again stand forth the true old kings,
Round the God of light and thunder, Thor.
Vanished that strong summer heat before,
And again the life-tree freshlier springs,
And again stand forth the true old kings,
Round the God of light and thunder, Thor.
With a hammer-bolt for sceptre, he
Rules and guides the loyal hearts of men,
Works, nor recks how rude his work may be,
Peasant's king yet peasant's friend is he;
Clear and peaceful are each hill and glen.
Rules and guides the loyal hearts of men,
Works, nor recks how rude his work may be,
Peasant's king yet peasant's friend is he;
Clear and peaceful are each hill and glen.
50
This in old time did the noble Thor,
But the holy to the holier yields;
Royal Olaf sails along the shore,
But the soul of Christ, and not of Thor,
Rests on Norland's groves and Norland's fields.
But the holy to the holier yields;
Royal Olaf sails along the shore,
But the soul of Christ, and not of Thor,
Rests on Norland's groves and Norland's fields.
Olaf knew that last year's leaves were dead,
Olaf thought of living leaves alone,
Loved the new God in the old God's stead,
For the faith of Thor was nearly dead,
And he gave away his crown and throne.
Olaf thought of living leaves alone,
Loved the new God in the old God's stead,
For the faith of Thor was nearly dead,
And he gave away his crown and throne.
Royal Olaf, doing kingly deeds,
Sails along the shore with Christian knights;
Swift from port to port the vessel speeds,
Bears King Olaf doing kingly deeds,
Wrongs redressing, and adjusting rights.
Sails along the shore with Christian knights;
Swift from port to port the vessel speeds,
Bears King Olaf doing kingly deeds,
Wrongs redressing, and adjusting rights.
Who is he that stands upon the deck,
With the still deep eyes and aspect grave,
With strong arms, proud head, and stately neck,
Stands with ruddy beard upon the deck,
Calm as summer splendour, and as brave?
With the still deep eyes and aspect grave,
With strong arms, proud head, and stately neck,
Stands with ruddy beard upon the deck,
Calm as summer splendour, and as brave?
Royal Olaf's courtiers round him stand,
And sharp questions try the stranger's wit:
What the stream that flows round every land?
What all feel but none can understand?
What the first, last word that Odin writ?
And sharp questions try the stranger's wit:
What the stream that flows round every land?
What all feel but none can understand?
What the first, last word that Odin writ?
51
To their questions thus he answer made:
“Ever present is the stream of Time—
Felt, not understood, half light, half shade,
Half unveiled, half veiled, the World is made—
Valour still is Odin's word sublime.”
“Ever present is the stream of Time—
Felt, not understood, half light, half shade,
Half unveiled, half veiled, the World is made—
Valour still is Odin's word sublime.”
Then surprise was wakened in their heart,
And they led the stranger to the king.
Long they spake of power that dwells apart,
Of the Gods and of the human heart,
And the good that dwells in everything.
And they led the stranger to the king.
Long they spake of power that dwells apart,
Of the Gods and of the human heart,
And the good that dwells in everything.
Of the inward peace and outward strife,
Of the eternal music nature plays,
Of the wonder brooding over life,
Of the grace that flowers from peace and strife,
Of deep purple nights and broad blue days.
Of the eternal music nature plays,
Of the wonder brooding over life,
Of the grace that flowers from peace and strife,
Of deep purple nights and broad blue days.
Spake of bravery which the Gods hold dear,
Spake of love and freedom, truth and law,
Spake of song that charms both soul and ear,
Spake of toil, to noble spirits dear,
Spake of holy beauty, heavenly awe.
Spake of love and freedom, truth and law,
Spake of song that charms both soul and ear,
Spake of toil, to noble spirits dear,
Spake of holy beauty, heavenly awe.
Royal Olaf sails along the shore,
Praises much the granite rocks that rise,
Crowned with leaves and blossoms, steep and hoar,
Strong and beautiful along the shore,
Looking up into the true old skies.
Praises much the granite rocks that rise,
Crowned with leaves and blossoms, steep and hoar,
Strong and beautiful along the shore,
Looking up into the true old skies.
52
“Yes! King Olaf,” so the stranger said,
“It is beautiful to heart and eye,
With the royal sunlight on it shed,
With the great blue summer overhead,
Looking up into the true old sky.
“It is beautiful to heart and eye,
With the royal sunlight on it shed,
With the great blue summer overhead,
Looking up into the true old sky.
“Fruitful, green, a right fair home for you;
But full many a day of travail sore,
Many a battle with the giant crew,
Making it a right fair home for you,
Green and fruitful, had the loving Thor.
But full many a day of travail sore,
Many a battle with the giant crew,
Making it a right fair home for you,
Green and fruitful, had the loving Thor.
“You seem minded to put Thor away!
Is it fair, King Olaf, is it fair?
All the heat and burthen of the day
Fell on him whom now you put away!
Have a care, King Olaf, have a care.”
Is it fair, King Olaf, is it fair?
All the heat and burthen of the day
Fell on him whom now you put away!
Have a care, King Olaf, have a care.”
Here the stranger, drawing down his brows,
Looked at him: all turned their heads aside,
Blushed like men that feel their broken vows,
Trembled underneath those dreadful brows,
Quite forgetting all their knightly pride.
Looked at him: all turned their heads aside,
Blushed like men that feel their broken vows,
Trembled underneath those dreadful brows,
Quite forgetting all their knightly pride.
When they looked again, they saw him not.
Here they searched and there they searched in vain,
Called aloud, and sought in every spot;
Searched throughout the ship, but saw him not,—
He was never, never seen again.
Here they searched and there they searched in vain,
Called aloud, and sought in every spot;
Searched throughout the ship, but saw him not,—
He was never, never seen again.
53
Thus the Godlike evermore decays,
Thus the ancient Gods must leave the earth;
None now treads the old and sacred ways,
Old leaves fall and the old fruit decays,
Fades for ever the primeval worth.
Thus the ancient Gods must leave the earth;
None now treads the old and sacred ways,
Old leaves fall and the old fruit decays,
Fades for ever the primeval worth.
Grieve we not for this, but rather find
A new splendour in the actual time.
Ever present is the Eternal Mind,
Ever shall the faithful seeker find,
Ever listen to the starry chime!
A new splendour in the actual time.
Ever present is the Eternal Mind,
Ever shall the faithful seeker find,
Ever listen to the starry chime!
'Tis not Man, 'tis but the Gods are dead;
'Tis not Art, 'tis but the Arts that die;
Ankle-deep in flowers the poets tread,
Neither faith nor loyalty is dead,
Still the ancient sun is in the sky.
'Tis not Art, 'tis but the Arts that die;
Ankle-deep in flowers the poets tread,
Neither faith nor loyalty is dead,
Still the ancient sun is in the sky.
Even the good Thor is with us still,
With his summer heat and hammer-bolt,
With fresh flowerage clothing vale and hill;
Quiet, loving Thor is with us still,
In the forest, and on heath and holt.
With his summer heat and hammer-bolt,
With fresh flowerage clothing vale and hill;
Quiet, loving Thor is with us still,
In the forest, and on heath and holt.
Valour still is Odin's symbol-word,
And among the awakening nations Thor
Speaks of love and freedom long deferred;
Breathes of song, breathes Odin's symbol-word,
While King Olaf sails along the shore.
And among the awakening nations Thor
Speaks of love and freedom long deferred;
Breathes of song, breathes Odin's symbol-word,
While King Olaf sails along the shore.
54
Travelling in the giants' country, still
He subdues the Frost-kings, one by one,
Oversets their thrones with right good will,
Bids the phantom lords of earth lie still,
Melts the winter's snow with summer's sun.
He subdues the Frost-kings, one by one,
Oversets their thrones with right good will,
Bids the phantom lords of earth lie still,
Melts the winter's snow with summer's sun.
Thor, the peasant God, with strenuous hand,
And with noble heart, is in the world.
How have men obeyed his high command!
How has Thor, with his imperial hand,
The old standard of the Gods unfurled!
And with noble heart, is in the world.
How have men obeyed his high command!
How has Thor, with his imperial hand,
The old standard of the Gods unfurled!
Thought shall yet make labour glad and fair,
Labour yet make thought august and strong;
Love's sweet light shall smooth our troubled air,
And the deeds of men be wise and fair,
And great feelings blossom into song.
Labour yet make thought august and strong;
Love's sweet light shall smooth our troubled air,
And the deeds of men be wise and fair,
And great feelings blossom into song.
Out of death shall faith be born again,
From the dead a living world shall rise;
Winter fades before the vernal rain,
Clothed in roses Summer comes again:
Over all are the eternal skies.
From the dead a living world shall rise;
Winter fades before the vernal rain,
Clothed in roses Summer comes again:
Over all are the eternal skies.
| Reverberations | |