| |
| THE GUESTS were loud, the ale was strong, | |
| King Olaf feasted late and long; | |
| The hoary Scalds together sang; | |
| O’erhead the smoky rafters rang. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 5 |
| |
| The door swung wide, with creak and din | |
| A blast of cold night-air came in, | |
| And on the threshold shivering stood | |
| A one-eyed guest, with cloak and hood. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 10 |
| |
| The King exclaimed, “O graybeard pale! | |
| Come warm thee with this cup of ale.” | |
| The foaming draught the old man quaffed, | |
| The noisy guests looked on and laughed. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 15 |
| |
| Then spake the King: “Be not afraid: | |
| Sit here by me.” The guest obeyed, | |
| And, seated at the table, told | |
| Tales of the sea, and Sagas old. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 20 |
| |
| And ever, when the tale was o’er, | |
| The King demanded yet one more; | |
| Till Sigard the Bishop smiling said, | |
| “’T is late, O King, and time for bed.” | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 25 |
| |
| The King retired; the stranger guest | |
| Followed and entered with the rest; | |
| The lights were out, the pages gone, | |
| But still the garrulous guest spake on. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 30 |
| |
| As one who from a volume reads, | |
| He spake of heroes and their deeds, | |
| Of lands and cities he had seen, | |
| And stormy gulfs that tossed between. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 35 |
| |
| Then from his lips in music rolled | |
| The Havamal of Odin old, | |
| With sounds mysterious as the roar | |
| Of billows on a distant shore. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 40 |
| |
| “Do we not learn from runes and rhymes | |
| Made by the gods in elder times, | |
| And do not still the great Scalds teach | |
| That silence better is than speech?” | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 45 |
| |
| Smiling at this, the King replied, | |
| “Thy lore is by thy tongue belied; | |
| For never was I so enthralled | |
| Either by Saga-man or Scald.” | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 50 |
| |
| The Bishop said, “Late hours we keep! | |
| Night wanes, O King! ’t is time for sleep!” | |
| Then slept the King, and when he woke | |
| The guest was gone, the morning broke. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 55 |
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| They found the doors securely barred, | |
| They found the watch-dog in the yard, | |
| There was no footprint in the grass, | |
| And none had seen the stranger pass. | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 60 |
| |
| King Olaf crossed himself and said: | |
| “I know that Odin the Great is dead; | |
| Sure is the triumph of our Faith, | |
| The one-eyed stranger was his wraith.” | |
| Dead rides Sir Morten of Fogelsang. | 65 |
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