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~ Historical & Classical Poetry ~

Fridthjof and Ingeborg

But read he, some cold winter's night,
(The fire-hearth's flaming blaze his light,)
A song of Valhal's brightnesses,
And all its gods and goddesses,

He'd think: "Yes! yellow's Freyja's hair,
A corn-land sea, breeze-waved so fair;
Sure Ing'borg's, that like gold-net trembles
Round rose and lily, hers resembles!

"Rich, white, soft, clear is Idun's breast;
How it heaves beneath her silken vest!
A silk I know, whose heave discloses
Light- fairies two with budding roses.

"And blue are Freyja's eyes to see,
Blue as heav'n's cloudless canopy!
But I know eyes to whose bright beams
The light blue spring-day darksome seems.

"The bards praise Gerd's fair cheeks too high,
Fresh snows which playful north-lights dye!
I cheeks have seen whose day lights clear
Two dawnings blushing in one sphere.

"A heart like Nanna's own I've found
As tender, why not so renown'd?
Ah! happy Balder; ilk breast swelleth
To share the death thy skald o'ertelleth.

"Yes! could my death like Balder's be,
A faithful maid lamenting me,
A maid like Nanna, tender, true,
How glad to stay with Hel the blue!"

From the "Fridthjof´s Saga"by Esaias Tegner,
translation by George Stephens, in: "Viking Tales of the North." pp.159 (1901)