Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/320

 312 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vii. place, and then ye will not have to follow the reports of others in what ye afterwards tell or sing concerning it." There were Thormod Kolbrunarscald, Gissur Gulbraascald, a foster-son of Hofgarde Refr, and Thorfin Mudr. Then said Thormod to Gissur, " Let us not stand so close together, brother, that Sigvat the scald should not find room when he comes. He must stand before the king, and the king will not have it otherwise." The king heard this, and said, " Ye need not sneer at Sigvat, because he is not here. Often has he followed me well, and now he is praying for us, and that we greatly need." Thormod replies, " It may be, sire, that ye now require prayers most; but it would be thin around the banner-staff if all thy court- men were now on the way to Rome. True it was what we spoke about, that no man who would speak with you could find room for Sigvat." Thereafter the scalds talked among themselves that it would ,be well to compose a few songs of remem- brance about the events which would soon be taking place. Then Gissur sang : — " From me shall bonder girl ne'er hear A thought of sorrow, care, or fear : I wish my girl knew how gay We arm us for our viking fray. Many and brave they are, we know, Who come against us there below; But, life or death, we, one and all, By Norway's king will stand or fall." And Thorfin Mudr made another song, viz. : — " Dark is the cloud of men and shields, Slow moving up through Vserdal's fields : These Vserdal folks presume to bring Their armed force against their king. On ! let us feed the carrion crow, — Give her a feast in every blow ; And, above all, let Drontheim's hordes Feel the sharp edge of true men's swords." And Thormod sang, —