Page:The Life of William Morris.djvu/292

ÆT. 38] him of the Icelandic literature, and the feeling of his own kinship as a tale-teller with the authors of the Sagas. Perhaps he never elsewhere set forth so fully what the meaning of poetry was to him; a help in the darkness until the new day should come, not for one person or another, but for all the world.

Lo here an ancient chronicle Recording matters that befell A folk, whose life and death and pain Might touch the great world's loss and gain Full little: yet such might had they They could not wholly pass away: From mouth to mouth they sent a tale, That yet for something may avail; For midst them all a man they wrought, Who all these words together brought, Made shadows breathe, quickened the dead, And knew what silent mouths once said, Till with the life his life might give These lived again, and yet shall live.

Where art thou, O thou nameless one? And dost thou laugh to look upon My eagerness thy tale to read Midst such changed hope and fear and need? Or somewhere near me dost thou stand, And through the dark reach out thine hand? Yea, are we friends? Draw nigher then, Thou tale-teller of vanished men, For we are of one company To link the dull years straggling by, Their lonely hopes and griefs grown cold, Into a chain of tear-washed gold That yet shall cling about the Earth In dawning of her second birth.

Tale-teller, who 'twixt fire and snow Had heart to turn about and show With faint half-smile things great and small That in thy fearful land did fall, Thou and thy brethren sure did gain That thing for which I long in vain,