Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Scotland: Vols. VI–VIII. 1876–79. | | | | Shetland Islands (Ultima Thule) | | The Lords of Thule | | Anonymous |
| | Anonymous translation
THE LORDS of Thule it did not please | |
| That Willegis their bishop was; | |
| For he was a wagoner’s son. | |
| And they drew, to do him scorn, | |
| Wheels of chalk upon the wall; | 5 |
| He found them in chamber, found them in hall; | |
| But the pious Willegis | |
| Could not be moved to bitterness. | |
| |
| Seeing the wheels upon the wall, | |
| He bade his servants a painter call; | 10 |
| And said, “My friend, paint now for me, | |
| On every wall, that I may see, | |
| A wheel of white in a field of red; | |
| Underneath, in letters plain to be read,— | |
| ‘Willegis, bishop now by name, | 15 |
| Forget not whence you came!’” | |
| |
| The Lords of Thule were full of shame,— | |
| They wiped away their words of blame; | |
| For they saw that scorn and jeer | |
| Cannot wound the wise man’s ear. | 20 |
| And all the bishops that after him came | |
| Quartered the wheel with their arms of fame. | |
| Thus came to pious Willegis | |
| Glory out of bitterness. | | | | |
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