Poems (Young)/An Old Viking

AN OLD VIKING.

The old, free wind is blowing now,
O rise up and be going now
Across the sea.

I sit in the high-seat all day,
I hear the words the old men say
And children laughing at their play
Through sun and shower.

I know the wind that cannot tire
Blows free outside, my heart's desire,
The wind that blew my blood to fire
When I was young,

O would I had my youth once more,
My good ship and my friends of yore;
The sea behind me and before,
A wind-ridged way.

Would I could hear the war-horn's din
And see the long-ships crowding in,
And leap as warriors leap to win
The weapon-lane.

'Twas good to share the surge of fight,
'Twas good to see the warriors smite,
And good to feel my good sword bite
Through steel to bone.

'Twas good to see strange lands and men,
To brave the sea-worm in his den,
And good to steer for home again
With laden prow;

With slaves and gold from south-lands brought
And gala sails so gaily wrought
Where crimson dragons twined and fought
Through fold on fold,

And war-shields in a double row—
But it was all so long ago;
So long, that I now scarcely know
If it be true

That e'er I put a foe to rout,
Or raised the Baresark battle-shout,
Or saw the dawn come flashing out
Across the sea,

I loved a woman o'er the sea,
Fair as a Valkyr-maid was she,
And, like a Valkyr, cold to me,
Cold as the dawn.

Who knows but she may call my name,
With eyes grown softer yet the same,
Wrapped in white beauty like a flame,
For that last fight

When Lok to Twyr the gage shall throw,
And loud and long the war-horns blow,
And Odin's ships to battle go
With suns for shields.

The old, free wind is blowing now,
I'll rise up and be going now
Across the sea.