| |
| WITHIN the unchanging twilight | |
| Of the high land of the gods, | |
| Between the murmuring fountain | |
| And the Ash-tree, tree of trees, | |
| The Norns, the terrible maidens, | 5 |
| For evermore come and go. | |
| |
| Yggdrasill the populous Ash-tree, | |
| Whose leaves embroider heaven, | |
| Fills all the gray air with music— | |
| To Gods and to men sweet sounds, | 10 |
| But speech to the fine-ear’d maidens | |
| Who evermore come and go. | |
| |
| That way to their doomstead thrones | |
| The Aesir ride each day, | |
| And every one bends to the saddle | 15 |
| As they pass beneath the shade; | |
| Even Odin, the strong All-father, | |
| Bends to the beautiful maidens | |
| Who cease not to come and go. | |
| |
| The tempest crosses the high boughs, | 20 |
| The great snakes heave below, | |
| The wolf, the boar, and antler’d harts | |
| Delve at the life-giving roots, | |
| But all of them fear the wise maidens, | |
| The wise-hearted water-bearers | 25 |
| Who evermore come and go. | |
| |
| And men far away, in the night-hours | |
| To the north-wind listening, hear; | |
| They hear the howl of the were-wolf, | |
| And know he hath felt the sting | 30 |
| Of the eyes of the potent maidens | |
| Who sleeplessly come and go. | |
| |
| They hear on the wings of the north-wind | |
| A sound as of three that sing; | |
| And the skald, in the blae mist wandering | 35 |
| High on the midland fell, | |
| Heard the very words of the o’ersong | |
| Of the Norns who come and go. | |
| |
| But alas for the ears of mortals | |
| Chance-hearing that fate-laden song! | 40 |
| The bones of the skald lie there still: | |
| For the speech of the leaves of the Tree | |
| Is the song of the three Queen-maidens | |
| Who evermore come and go. | |
| |
