Page:The poetical works of Matthew Arnold, 1897.djvu/161

Rh To leave forever Balder in the grave,

An unrecovered prisoner, shade with shades.

But how, ye say, should the fulfilment fail?—

Smooth sound the terms, and light to be fulfilled;

For dear-beloved was Balder while he lived

In heaven and earth, and who would grudge him tears?

But from the traitorous seed of Lok they come,

These terms, and I suspect some hidden fraud.

Bethink ye, gods, is there no other way?

Speak, were not this a way, the way for gods,—

If I, if Odin, clad in radiant arms,

Mounted on Sleipner, with the wairior Thor

Drawn in his car beside me, and my sons,

All the strong brood of heaven, to swell my train,

Should make irruption into Hela's realm,

And set the fields of gloom ablaze with light,

And bring in triumph Balder back to heaven?"

He spake, and his fierce sons applauded loud.

But Frea, mother of the gods, arose,

Daughter and wife of Odin; thus she said:—

"Odin, thou whirlwind, what a threat is this!

Thou threatenest what transcends thy might, even thine

For of all powers the mightiest far art thou,

Lord over men on earth, and gods in heaven;

Yet even from thee thyself hath been withheld

One thing,—to undo what thou thyself hast ruled.

For all which hath been fixed was fixed by thee.

In the beginning, ere the gods were born,

Before the heavens were builded, thou didst slay

The giant Ymir, whom the abyss brought forth,—

Thou and thy brethren fierce, the sons of Bor,—

And cast his trunk to choke the abysmal void.

But of his flesh and members thou didst build

The earth and ocean, and above them heaven.