George Meredith (Джордж Мередит)
King Harald’s Trance
I Sword in length a reaping-hook amain Harald sheared his field, blood up to shank: 'Mid the swathes of slain, First at moonrise drank. II Thereof hunger, as for meats the knife, Pricked his ribs, in one sharp spur to reach Home and his young wife, Nigh the sea-ford beach. III After battle keen to feed was he: Smoking flesh the thresher washed down fast, Like an angry sea Ships from keel to mast. IV Name us glory, singer, name us pride Matching Harald's in his deeds of strength; Chiefs, wife, sword by side, Foemen stretched their length! V Half a winter night the toasts hurrahed, Crowned him, clothed him, trumpeted him high, Till awink he bade Wife to chamber fly. VI Twice the sun had mounted, twice had sunk, Ere his ears took sound; he lay for dead; Mountain on his trunk, Ocean on his head. VII Clamped to couch, his fiery hearing sucked Whispers that at heart made iron-clang: Here fool-women clucked, There men held harangue. VIII Burial to fit their lord of war They decreed him: hailed the kingling: ha! Hateful! but this Thor Failed a weak lamb's baa. IX King they hailed a branchlet, shaped to fare, Weighted so, like quaking shingle spume, When his blood's own heir Ripened in the womb! X Still he heard, and doglike, hoglike, ran Nose of hearing till his blind sight saw: Woman stood with man Mouthing low, at paw. XI Woman, man, they mouthed; they spake a thing Armed to split a mountain, sunder seas: Still the frozen king Lay and felt him freeze. XII Doglike, hoglike, horselike now he raced, Riderless, in ghost across a ground Flint of breast, blank-faced, Past the fleshly bound. XIII Smell of brine his nostrils filled with might: Nostrils quickened eyelids, eyelids hand: Hand for sword at right Groped, the great haft spanned. XIV Wonder struck to ice his people's eyes: Him they saw, the prone upon the bier, Sheer from backbone rise, Sword uplifting peer. XV Sitting did he breathe against the blade, Standing kiss it for that proof of life: Strode, as netters wade, Straightway to his wife. XVI Her he eyed: his judgement was one word, Foulbed! and she fell: the blow clove two. Fearful for the third, All their breath indrew. XVII Morning danced along the waves to beach; Dumb his chiefs fetched breath for what might hap: Glassily on each Stared the iron cap. XVIII Sudden, as it were a monster oak Split to yield a limb by stress of heat, Strained he, staggered, broke Doubled at their feet.
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