| |
| BUT now the sun had pass’d the height of Heaven, | |
| And soon had all that day been spent in wail; | |
| But then the Father of the ages said:— | |
| “Ye Gods, there well may be too much of wail! | |
| Bring now the gather’d wood to Balder’s ship; | 5 |
| Heap on the deck the logs, and build the pyre.” | |
| But when the Gods and Heroes heard, they brought | |
| The wood to Balder’s ship, and built a pile, | |
| Full the deck’s breadth, and lofty; then the corpse | |
| Of Balder on the highest top they laid, | 10 |
| With Nanna on his right, and on his left | |
| Hoder, his brother, whom his own hand slew. | |
| And they sat jars of wine and oil to lean | |
| Against the bodies, and stuck torches near, | |
| Splinters of pine-wood, soak’d with turpentine; | 15 |
| And brought his arms and gold, and all his stuff, | |
| And slew the dogs who at his table fed, | |
| And threw them on the pyre, and Odin threw | |
| A last choice gift thereon, his golden ring. | |
| The mast they fix’d, and hoisted up the sails, | 20 |
| Then they put fire to the wood; and Thor | |
| Set his stout shoulder hard against the stern | |
| To push the ship through the thick sand;—sparks flew | |
| From the deep trench she plough’d, so strong a God | |
| Furrow’d it; and the water gurgled in. | 25 |
| And the ship floated on the waves, and rock’d. | |
| But in the hills a strong east-wind arose, | |
| And came down moaning to the sea; first squalls | |
| Ran black o’er the sea’s face, then steady rush’d | |
| The breeze, and fill’d the sails, and blew the fire; | 30 |
| And wreath’d in smoke the ship stood out to sea. | |
| Soon with a roaring rose the mighty fire, | |
| And the pile crackled; and between the logs | |
| Sharp quivering tongues of flame shot out, and leap’d, | |
| Curling and darting, higher, until they lick’d | 35 |
| The summit of the pile, the dead, the mast, | |
| And ate the shrivelling sails; but still the ship | |
| Drove on, ablaze above her hull with fire. | |
| And the Gods stood upon the beach, and gaz’d. | |
| And while they gaz’d, the sun went lurid down | 40 |
| Into the smoke-wrapp’d seas, and night came on. | |
| Then the wind fell, with night, and there was calm; | |
| But through the dark they watch’d the burning ship | |
| Still carried o’er the distant waters on, | |
| Farther and farther, like an eye of fire. | 45 |
| And long, in the far dark, blaz’d Balder’s pile; | |
| But fainter, as the stars rose high, it flar’d; | |
| The bodies were consum’d, ash chok’d the pile. | |
| And as, in a decaying winter-fire, | |
| A charr’d log, falling, makes a shower of sparks— | 50 |
| So with a shower of sparks the pile fell in, | |
| Reddening the sea around; and all was dark. | |
| But the Gods went by starlight up the shore | |
| To Asgard, and sate down in Odin’s hall | |
| At table, and the funeral-feast began. | 55 |
| All night they ate the boar Serimner’s flesh | |
| And from their horns, with silver rimm’d, drank mead, | |
| Silent, and waited for the sacred morn. | |
| |
