THE SACRIFICE

From Hakon Jarl'

[A golden horn with runic inscription has been brought to Hakon, who has taken the words

to signify that he must sacrifice what is most dear to him if he would win in the impending battle with Olaf Trygvesön. Acting upon this belief, he takes Erling, his child, at early morn to the sacrificial grove.]

I am so glad that thou didst promise me
That I should see the sun arise to-day;
A sunrise have I never seen before.

Hakon Dost see the golden rays which yonder break
Far in the east?

Erling [clapping his hands]-What lovely roses, father!
Oh, see the lovely roses, how they blush!
But tell me, my dear father, whence do come
Such masses of these lovely pearls, which are
Strewed over all the valley down below?
Oh, how they glitter up towards the roses!
Those are no pearls; it is but morning dew.
That which thou callest roses is the sun.
Dost see it rise?

Hakon

Erling

Hakon

Oh, what a ball of fire!
How crimson red! O father dear, can we
Not travel thither to the morning sun?
Towards the sun our life must ever strive;
For seest thou that lovely ruddy glow
Which glitters yonder?—that is Odin's eye.
The other, which by night thou seest shine
With a far softer and a paler glow,

Has he now left in pledge in Mimer's well,

That there it may obtain the drink which makes
His eye more fresh and more acute.

Erling

And what is Mimer's well?

And where

Hakon

The mighty sea

Erling

Hakon

There, deep below, which dashes 'gainst the rocks,-
That is the deep-dug well of ancient Mimer,
That strengthens Odin's eye; and doubly bright
The sun arises, joyful and refreshed

By the cool morning waves.

Oh, how on high

It rises up! I can no longer bear

To gaze upon it, for it burns my eyes.

The Almighty Father mounts upon his throne,
And soon the whole world will he look upon.
The golden throne doth dazzle earthly eyes;
Who dares presume to gaze upon the king
Of light and day in his full midday glow?

Erling [turning round frightened) —

Hakon

Oh, oh! my father, who are those? such grim
And old white men, who in the shadow stand
Behind the trees there?

Speak not so, my son!

Those are the statues of the mighty gods, Formed in the hard stone by the hands of men. They do not dazzle us with summer flames; To them may Askur's sons kneel down in peace, And gaze with reverence upon their face. Come, let us go and see them closer, come. Erling - Oh no, my father, I do fear! Dost see That old, long-bearded, hoary-headed man? He looks so fierce and grim upon me. Oh, He makes me quite afraid!

Hakon

O Erling, Erling!
That is god Odin- art afraid of Odin?

Erling-No, no; of Odin I am not afraid,—
The real Odin yonder in the sky,

He will not harm me: he is good and bright;
He calls forth flowers from the lap of earth,
And like a flower does he gleam himself.
But that white, pallid sorcerer, he stares
As though he sought to take my life-blood.

Ha!

Hakon
Erling - My father, let me go and fetch my wreath;
I left it hanging yonder on a bush
When thou didst show me when the sun arose:
And let us then go home again, my father,
Away from these grim, ancient statues here;

For thou mayst well believe the grim old man
Has no good-will towards thee, father dear.

Hakon Go fetch thy wreath, child, then come back at once.
[Exit Erling.]

The sacrificial lamb should be adorned.

Ye mighty gods, behold from Valaskjalf

Earl Hakon's faith and truth confirmed by deeds!

Re-enter Erling with a wreath of flowers round his head

Erling - Here am I, my dear father, with my wreath.
Hakon Kneel down, my son, to Odin, ere thou goest;
Stretch out thy little hands towards the sky,
And say,

"Great Father! hear the little Erling's prayer, And mercifully take him in thy charge."

Erling [kneels down, looking towards the sun, stretches out his hands, and says innocently and childlike]

Great Father, hear the little Erling's prayer,

And mercifully take him in thy charge!

[Hakon, who stands behind him, draws his dagger while Erling is saying his prayer, and raises it to strike, but it falls from his hand. Erling turns towards him quietly and confidently, picks up the dagger, and says, as he gets up off his knees:-]

My father dear, thou'st let thy dagger drop.
How sharp and bright it is! When I am big
Then I shall also have such weapons, and
Will help thee 'gainst thy enemies, my father.
Hakon-What sorcerer is't that places in thy mouth
Such words as these to scare me, and to make
Me tremble?

Erling

Hakon

O my father! what's the matter?
What has, then, Erling done? Why art thou wroth?
Come, Erling, follow me behind the gods.

Erling - Behind the grim men?

Hakon

Follow, and obey.
Behind the statue do the roses grow;
No pale white roses,- ruddy roses they,
Blood-red and purple roses. Ha! it is

A joy to see how quickly they shoot forth.
Follow, I say,- obey!

Erling [weeping]

My father dear,

I am so frightened at the purple roses. Hakon - Away! already Heimdal's cock does crow,

And now the time is come, the time is come!

[Exeunt.

Translation of Frank C. Lascelles.

SONG

From Correggio'

HE fairy dwells in the rocky hall,

THE

The pilgrim sits by the waterfall;

The waters tumble as white as snow,
From the rocks above to the pool below:
"Sir Pilgrim, plunge in the dashing spray,
And you shall be my own love alway!

"From the bonds of the body thy soul I'll free;
Thou shalt merrily dance in the woods with me.
Sir Pilgrim, into the waters dash,

And ivory white thy bones I'll wash.

Deep, deep shalt thou rest in my oozy home,

And the waterfall o'er thee shall burst in foam."

The pilgrim he thrills, and to rise were fain,
But his limbs are so weary, he strives in vain.
The fairy she comes with her golden hair,
And she hands him a goblet of water fair;
He drinks the cool draught, and he feels amain
The frenzy of fever in heart and brain.

It chills his marrow, it chills his blood,

He has drunken of death's deceitful flood;
Pale, pale he sinks on the roses red,-

There lies the pilgrim, and he is dead.

The whirlpool sweeps him far down, and there

His bones 'mongst the sedges lie blanched and bare.

And now from the body the soul is free,

Now at midnight it comes to the greenwood tree:

In spring, when the mountain stream runs high,

His ghost with the fairy goes dancing by;

Then shines through the forest the wan moon's beam, And through the clear waters his white bones gleam.

Translation of Sir Theodore Martin.

NOUREDDIN READS FROM AN OLD FOLIO

From Aladdin'

IFE'S gladsome child is led by Fortune's hand;

L

And what the sage doth moil to make his prize, When in the sky the pale stars coldly stand,

From his own breast leaps forth in wondrous wise.

Met by boon Fortune midway, he prevails,
Scarce weeting how, in whatsoe'er he tries.
'Tis ever thus that Fortune freely hails

Her favorite, and on him her blessings showers,
Even as to heaven the scented flower exhales.
Unwooed she comes at unexpected hours;
And little it avails to rack thy brain,

And ask where lurk her long-reluctant powers;
Fain wouldst thou grasp-Hope's portal shuts amain,
And all thy fabric vanishes in air;

Unless foredoomed by Fate thy toils are vain,

Thy aspirations doomed to meet despair.

Translation of Sir Theodore Martin.

OEHLENSCHLÄGER'S ONLY HYMN

EACH me, O forest, that I may

TR

Like autumn leaves fade glad away,
A fairer spring forecasting;

There green my tree shall glorious stand,
Deep-rooted in the lovely land
Of summer everlasting.

O little bird of passage, thou
Teach me in faith to hie me now
To shores that are uncharted;
When all is winter here, and ice,
Then shall eternal Paradise

Open to me, departed.

Teach me, thou butterfly so light,
To break from out my prison plight
That is my freedom robbing;
On earth I creep with lowly things,
But soon the golden-purple wings
Shall high in air be throbbing.

O Thou who smilest from yon sky,
Master and Savior, Christ the high,
Teach me to conquer sorrow.
Let Hope's bright flag enhearten me;
Although Good Friday bitter be,

Fair is the Easter morrow.

Translated by Richard Burton for A Library of the World's Best Literature'