Part 4

It thunders--and from midnight's mirky cloud, Comes peal on peal reverberating loud: The froth-clad breakers cast, with sullen roar, A Scottish bark upon the whiten'd shore. Straight to the royal palace hasten then A lovely maid and thirty sea-worn men. Minona, Scotland's princess, Scotland's boast, The storm has driven to the Danish coast.

Oft, while the train hew timber in the groves, Minona, arm in arm, with Harrald roves. Warm from his lip the words of passion flow; Pure in her eyes the flames of passion glow. One summer eve, upon a mossy bank, Mouth join'd to mouth, and breast to breast, they sank: The moon arose in haste to see their love, And wild birds carroll'd from the boughs above.

But now the ship, which seem'd of late a wreck, Floats with a mast set proudly on her deck. Minona kisses Harrald's blooming face, Whilst he attends her to the parting place. His bold young heart beats high against his side-- She sail'd away--and, like one petrified, Full long he stood upon the shore, to view The smooth keel slipping through the waters blue.

Months pass, and Sigrid's sorrow disappears; The wild death-raven's might no more she fears; A gentle red bedecks her cheek again, And briny drops her eye no longer stain. "My Harrald stalks in manly size and strength; Swart bird of darkness, I rejoice at length; If thy curst claw could hurt my gallant son, Long, long, ere this, the deed would have been done."

But Harrald look'd so moody and forlorn, And thus his mother he address'd one morn: "Minona's face is equall'd by her mind; Methinks she calls me from her hills of wind? Give me a ship with men and gold at need, And let me to her father's kingdom speed; I'll soon return, and back across the tide Bring thee a daughter, and myself a bride."

Dame Sigrid promis'd him an answer soon, And went that night, when risen was the moon, Deep through the black recesses of the wood, To where old Bruno's shelter'd cabin stood. She enter'd--there he sat behind his board, His woollen vestment girded by a cord; The little lamp, which hung from overhead, Gleam'd on the Bible-leaves before him spread.

"Hail to thee, Father!--man of hoary age, Thy Queen demands from thee thy counsel sage. Young Harrald to a distant land will go, And I his destiny would gladly know: Thou read'st the stars,--O do the stars portend That he shall come to an untimely end? Take from his mother's heart this one last care, And she will always name thee in her pray'r."

The hermit, rising from his lonely nook, With naked head, and coldly placid look, Went out and gaz'd intently on the sky, Whose lights were letters to his ancient eye. "The stars," said he, "in friendly order stand, One only, flashes like an angry brand:-- Thy Harrald, gentle Queen, will not be slain Upon the Earth, nor yet upon the Main."

While thus the seer prophetically spoke, A flush of joy o'er Sigrid's features broke: "He'll not be slain on ocean or on land," She said, and kiss'd the hermit's wrinkled hand; "Why then, I'm happy, and my son is free To mount his bark, and gallop through the sea: Upon the grey stone he will sit as king, When, in the grave, my bones are mouldering."

The painted galley floats now in the creek-- Flags at her mast, and garlands at her beak; High on the yard-arm hoisted is the sail, Half spread it flutters in the evening gale. The night before he goes, young Harrald stray'd Into the wood where first he saw his maid: Burning impatience fever'd all his blood, He wish'd for wings to bear him o'er the flood.

Then sigh'd the wind among the bushy grounds, Far in the distance rose the yell of hounds: The flame-wisps, starting from the sedge and grass, Hung, 'mid the vapours, over the morass. Up to him came a beldame, wildly drest, Bearing a closely-folded feather-vest: She smil'd upon him with her cheeks so wan, Gave him the robe, and was already gone.

Young Harrald, though astonish'd, has no fears; The mighty garment in his hand he rears: Of wond'rous lovely feathers it was made, Which once the roc and ostrich had array'd. He wishes much to veil in it his form, And speed as rapidly as speeds the storm: He puts it on, then seeks the open plain,-- Takes a short flight, and flutters back again.

"Courage!" he cried, "I will no longer stay; Scotland shall see me, ere the break of day." Then like a dragon in the air he soars, Startled from slumber, in his wake it roars. His wings across the ocean take their flight; Groves, cities, hills, have vanish'd from his sight,-- See! there he goes, lone rider of the sky, Miles underneath him, black the billows lie.

He hears a clapping on the midnight wind: Speed, Harrald, speed! the raven is behind. Flames from his swarthy-rolling eye are cast:-- "Ha! Harrald," scream'd he, "have we met at last?" For the first time, the youth felt terror's force; Pale grew his cheek, as that of clammy corse, Chill was his blood, his nervous arm was faint, While thus he stammer'd forth his lowly plaint:

"I see it is in vain to strive with fate; Thank God, my soul is far above thy hate; But, ere my mortal part thou dost destroy, Let me one moment of sweet bliss enjoy: The fair unmatch'd Minona is my love, For her I travell'd, fool-like, here above: Let me fly to her with my last farewell, And I am thine, ere morning decks the fell."

Firmly the raven holding him in air, Survey'd his prize with fiercely-rabid glare: "Now is the time to wreak on thee my lust; Yet thou shalt own that I am good and just." Then from its socket, Harrald's eye he tore, And drank a full half of the hero's gore:-- "Since I have mark'd thee, thou art free to go; But loiter not when thou art there below."

Young Harrald sinks with many a sob and tear, Down from the sky to nature's lower sphere: He rested long beneath the poplar tall, Which grew up, under the red church's wall. Then, rising slow, he feebly stagger'd on, Till his Minona's bower he had won. Trembling and sad he stood beside the door-- Pale as a spectre, and besprent with gore!

"Minona, come, ere Harrald's youthful heart Is burst by love and complicated smart. Soon will his figure disappear from earth, Yet we shall meet in heaven's halls of mirth: Minona, come and give me one embrace, That I may instantly my path retrace." Thus warbles he in passion's wildest note, While death each moment rattles in his throat.

Minona came: "Almighty God!" she cried, "My Harrald's ghost has wander'd o'er the tide; Red clots of blood his yellow tresses streak, Drops of the same are running down his cheek." "Minona, love, survey me yet more near, It is no shadow which accosts thee here; Place thy warm hand upon my heart, and feel Whether it beats for thee with slacken'd zeal."

At once the current of her tears she stopp'd, His arm upheld her, or the maid had dropp'd; The roses faded from her face away, And on her head the raven locks grew gray. All he had borne, and what he yet must bear, He murmurs to her whilst she trembles there: The hero then with dying ardour press'd, For the last time, his bosom to her breast.

"Farewell! Minona, all my fears are flown, And if I grieve, it is for thee alone: Give me a kiss, and give me too a smile, And let not tears that parting look defile. Now will I drink the bitter draught of death, And yield courageously my forfeit breath:-- Farewell! may heaven take thee in its care," He said, and mounted swiftly in the air.

She gaz'd; but he had vanish'd from her view; She stood forsaken in the damp and dew, Then dark emotion quiver'd in her eye, And thus she pray'd, with hands uplifted high: "Thou who wert vainly tempted in the wild, Thou who wert always charitably mild, Thou who mad'st Peter walk on billows blue, Enable me my Harrald to pursue."

Sunken already was the morning star, The song of nightingales was heard afar, The red sun peep'd above the mountain's brow, And flowers scented all the vale below. There came a youthful maiden, gaily drest, Bearing upon her back a feather-vest; Fondly she kiss'd Minona's features wan, Gave her the robe, and then at once was gone.

And straight Minona clothes in it her limbs, And soaring upward through the ether swims: To moan and sob, her madden'd breast disdains, Too big for such low comfort are its pains. The fowls that meet her in yon airy fields, She clips in pieces with an axe she wields; Each clanging pinion ceaselessly she plies, But cannot meet the raven or his prize.

She hears a faint shriek in the air below, And, swift as eagle pounces on his foe, Down, down, she dropp'd, and lighted on the shore, Which far and wide was wet with Harrald's gore. She smil'd so ruefully, but still was mute-- His good right hand was lying at her foot: That pledge of truth, in love's unclouded day, Was the sole remnant of the demon's prey.

Deep in her breast she hid the bloody hand, And bade adieu, for ever, to the land: Again she scower'd through the airy path, Her eyeballs terrible with madden'd wrath: The raven-sorcerer at length she spied, And soon her steel was with his hot blood dyed: The huge black body, piecemeal, found a grave Amid the bosom of the briny wave.

The ocean billows fret and foam no more, But softly rush towards the pebbled shore, On which the lindens stand, in many a group, With leafy boughs that o'er the waters droop. There floats one single cloudlet in the blue, Close where the pale moon shows her face anew: It is Minona dying there that flies,-- She sinks not!--no--she mounts unto the skies.

FRIDLEIF AND HELGA. FROM THE DANISH OF OEHLENSLAEGER.