The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs. William Morris

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       From his mouth grown tuneful and sweet the song of his kindred streamed;

       And no more was he worn and weary, and no more his life seemed spent:

       And with all the hope of his childhood was his wrath of battle blent;

       And he thought: A little further, and the river of strife is passed,

       And I shall sit triumphant the king of the world at last.

      But lo, through the hedge of the war-shafts a mighty man there came,

       One-eyed and seeming ancient, but his visage shone like flame:

       Gleaming-grey was his kirtle, and his hood was cloudy blue;

       And he bore a mighty twi-bill, as he waded the fight-sheaves through,

       And stood face to face with Sigmund, and upheaved the bill to smite.

       Once more round the head of the Volsung fierce glittered the Branstock's light,

       The sword that came from Odin; and Sigmund's cry once more

       Rang out to the very heavens above the din of war.

       Then clashed the meeting edges with Sigmund's latest stroke,

       And in shivering shards fell earthward that fear of worldly folk.

       But changed were the eyes of Sigmund, and the war-wrath left his face;

       For that grey-clad mighty helper was gone, and in his place

       Drave on the unbroken spear-wood 'gainst the Volsung's empty hands:

       And there they smote down Sigmund, the wonder of all lands,

       On the foemen, on the death-heap his deeds had piled that day.

      Ill hour for Sigmund's fellows! they fall like the seeded hay

       Before the brown scythes' sweeping, and there the Isle-king fell

       In the fore-front of his battle, wherein he wrought right well,

       And soon they were nought but foemen who stand upon their feet

       On the isle-strand by the ocean where the grass and the sea-sand meet.

      And now hath the conquering War-king another deed to do,

       And he saith: "Who now gainsayeth King Lyngi come to woo,

       The lord and the overcomer and the bane of the Volsung kin?"

       So he fares to the Isle-king's dwelling a wife of the kings to win;

       And the host is gathered together, and they leave the field of the dead;

       And round as a targe of the Goth-folk the moon ariseth red.

      And so when the last is departed, and she deems they will come not aback,

       Fares Hiordis forth from the thicket to the field of the fateful wrack,

       And half-dead was her heart for sorrow as she waded the swathes of the sword.

       Not far did she search the death-field ere she found her king and lord

       On the heap that his glaive had fashioned: not yet was his spirit past,

       Though his hurts were many and grievous, and his life-blood ebbing fast;

       And glad were his eyes and open as her wan face over him hung,

       And he spake:

       "Thou art sick with sorrow, and I would thou wert not so young;

       Yet as my days passed shall thine pass; and a short while now it seems

       Since my hand first gripped the sword-hilt, and my glory was but in dreams."

      She said: "Thou livest, thou livest! the leeches shall heal thee still."

      "Nay," said he, "my heart hath hearkened to Odin's bidding and will;

       For today have mine eyes beheld him: nay, he needed not to speak:

       Forsooth I knew of his message and the thing he came to seek.

       And now do I live but to tell thee of the days that are yet to come:

       And perchance to solace thy sorrow; and then will I get me home

       To my kin that are gone before me. Lo, yonder where I stood

       The shards of a glaive of battle that was once the best of the good:

       Take them and keep them surely. I have lived no empty days;

       The Norns were my nursing mothers; I have won the people's praise.

       When the Gods for one deed asked me I ever gave them twain;

       Spendthrift of glory I was, and great was my life-days' gain;

       Now these shards have been my fellow in the work the Gods would have,

       But today hath Odin taken the gift that once he gave.

       I have wrought for the Volsungs truly, and yet have I known full well

       That a better one than I am shall bear the tale to tell:

       And for him shall these shards be smithied; and he shall be my son

       To remember what I have forgotten and to do what I left undone.

       Under thy girdle he lieth, and how shall I say unto thee,

       Unto thee, the wise of women, to cherish him heedfully.

       Now, wife, put by thy sorrow for the little day we have had;

       For in sooth I deem thou weepest: The days have been fair and glad:

       And our valour and wisdom have met, and thou knowest they shall not die:

       Sweet and good were the days, nor yet to the Fates did we cry

       For a little longer yet, and a little longer to live:

       But we took, we twain in our meeting, all gifts that they had to give:

       Our wisdom and valour have kissed, and thine eyes shall see the fruit,

       And the joy for his days that shall be hath pierced mine heart to the root.

       Grieve not for me; for thou weepest that thou canst not see my face

       How its beauty is not departed, nor the hope of mine eyes grown base.

       Indeed I am waxen weary; but who heedeth weariness

       That hath been day-long on the mountain in the winter weather's stress,

       And now stands in the lighted doorway and seeth the king draw nigh,

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