Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/174

 And on the snow Lay men alow; And at Yule fared we feasting in war-warded wall, And the helm and the byrny were bright in the hall.

Then changed the year And Spring was dear, But no maid went On mead or bent, For there grew on ground New battle-round, New war-wall ran Round houses of man; There tower to tower oft dark and dim grew At noontide of Summer with rain of the yew.

'Neath point and edge In the battle-hedge We dwelt till wore Late Summer o'er; In the Autumn night We steered aright The wisdom bark Through the steel-thronged dark; The warrior we wafted from out of the fray, And he woke midst the worthy and hearkened their say.

Now peace is won And all strife done, And in our hands The fame of lands Aback we bear To the Dale the dear, And the Fathers lie Made glad thereby. Now blossometh bliss in the howes of the old At our tale growing green from their tale that is told.

Loud was the glee and the shouting at his song, and all men said that every whit thereof was sooth,