Tegnér's Fridthjof's Saga
Canto XI
Page 1
Fridthjof at the Court of Angantyr.
I.
Now say we, ocean quitting,
How Angantyr was then
Within his fir-hall sitting
At wassail with his men.
Right glad he was, and bended
His eye blue waves upon,
Where evenings sun descended
All like a golden swan.
II.
Outside the window
chances
Old Halvar watch to be;
Right earnest were his glances
The mead, too, guarded
he:
One custom missd he never
To scan the bottom oer,
And then, in silence, ever
The horn thrust in for
more.
III.
Now far
i th hall, loud rattling,
His empty horn he threw,
And cried: Gainst storm-waves battling
A ship at hand I view;
On board half-dead they tarry,
Now come they to the land,
And two tall giants carry
The pale ones to the strand.
IV.
The jarls
keen gazings wander
Where bright waves mirroring
flow:
Ellides sail is yonder,
And Fridthjofs there,
I trow;
His gait and brow discover
Again old Thorsteins
son,
Search all the Northland over,
Yell neer find such
a one!
V.
Then berserk
Atle springeth,
Fierce-grinning, from
his place
(Bood-staind, his black beard flingeth
Brute grimness oer his
face),
And screams, Ill prove the saying
That Fridthjof, all his
days,
Unnerves the sword from slaying,
Nor eer for quarter prays.
VI.
And up
with him all eager
His twelve dread champions
spring;
Impatient th air they dagger
And sword and bill-axe
swing.
Then coastward stormd they, heated,
To where the dragon lay,
And Fridthjof, careless seated,
Full stoutly talkd away.
VII.
Right
well I now could kill thee,
With shouts gan Atle
cry;
Thou yet mayst either will thee
To battle here or fly:
But if for peace thou prayest,
Though champion hard and
bold,
Through me the jarl thou mayest
In friendly guise behold!
VIII.
Said Fridthjof:
With my voyage
Im spent, tis true,
yet may
Our falchions prove our courage
Ere peace from thee I
pray!
Then steel full soon did lighten
In sun-brown champion
hand,
And quick its flame-runes brighten
On Fridthjofs sharp-tongud
brand.
IX.
Fast now are sword-thrusts
given,
And death-blows hail around;
At once fly both shields, riven
In halves, upon the ground.
Their fights uncensurable,
They firm their circle
tread,
But keen bit Angervail
And straight broke Atles
blade.
X.
My sword,
said Fridthjof, never
Gainst swordless man
I wave;
But an thou will, however,
A diffrent sport well
have.
Then storm they, nothing yielded,
Two autumn billows like!
And oft, with steel round shielded,
Their jarring breasts
fierce strike.