The Earthly Paradise (September-November): The Lovers of Gudrun: Gudrun's deeming of the Men who loved her.
Gudrun's deeming of the Men who loved her.
THUS have I striven to show the troublous life
Of these dead folk, e’en as if mid their strife
I dwelt myself; but now is Kiartan slain;
Bodli's blank yearning, Gudrun's wearying pain,
To ask thee somewhat; thou hast loved me well,
And this perchance is no great thing to tell
To one who loves thee."
With her sightless eyes
Turned on him did she smile in loving wise,
But answered nought; then he went on, and said:
"Which of the men thou knewest—who are dead
Long ago, mother,—didst thou love the best?"
That we can know; this bitter day is cursed,
And no more such our hearts can bear we say.
But yet as time from us falls fast away
There comes a day, son, when all this is fair
And sweet, to what, still living, we must bear—
Bettered is bale by bale that follows it,
The saw saith."
Silent both awhile did sit
Until she spake again: "Easy to tell
About them, son, my memory serves me well:
A great chief Thorkel was, bounteous and wise, -
And ill hap seemed his death in all men's eyes.
Bodli thy sire was mighty of his hands,
Scarce better dwelt in all the northern lands;
Thou wouldst have loved him well. My husband Thord
Was a great man; wise at the council-board,
Well learned in law—for Thorwald, he indeed,
A rash weak heart, like to a stinging weed
Must be pulled up—ah, that was long ago!"
Then Bodli smiled, "Thou wouldst not have me know
Thy thought, O mother—these things know I well;
Old folk about these men e’en such tales tell."
She said, "Alas, O son, thou askst of love! She turned, until her sightless eyes did gaze "I did the worst to him I loved the most."
As though the wall, the hills, must melt away,
And show her Herdholt in the twilight grey;
She cried, with tremulous voice; and eyes grown wet
For the last time, whate’er should happen yet,
With hands stretched out for all that she had lost:
