Arnold, Matthew: Balder Dead (detail)
Balder Dead (detail) (Angol)Forth from the east, up the ascent of Heaven, Day drove his courser with the shining mane; And in Valhalla, from his gable-perch, The golden-crested cock began to crow. Hereafter, in the blackest dead of night, With shrill and dismal cries that bird shall crow, Warning the Gods that foes draw nigh to Heaven; But now he crew at dawn, a cheerful note, To wake the Gods and Heroes to their tasks. And all the Gods, and all the Heroes, woke. And from their beds the Heroes rose, and donn'd Their arms, and led their horses from the stall, And mounted them, and in Valhalla's court Were ranged; and then the daily fray began. And all day long they there are hack'd and hewn, 'Mid dust, and groans, and limbs lopp'd off, and blood; But all at night return to Odin's hall, Woundless and fresh; such lot is theirs in Heaven. And the Valkyries on their steeds went forth Tow'rd earth and fights of men; and at their side Skulda, the youngest of the Nornies, rode; And over Bifrost, where is Heimdall's watch, Past Midgard fortress, down to earth they came; There through some battle-field, where men fall fast, Their horses fetlock-deep in blood, they ride, And pick the bravest warriors out for death, Whom they bring back with them at night to Heaven To glad the Gods, and feast in Odin's hall. But the Gods went not now, as otherwhile, Into the tilt-yard, where the Heroes fought, To feast their eyes with looking on the fray; Nor did they to their judgment-place repair By the ash Igdrasil, in Ida's plain, Where they hold council, and give laws for men. But they went, Odin first, the rest behind, To the hall Gladheim, which is built of gold; Where are in circle ranged twelve golden chairs, And in the midst one higher, Odin's throne. There all the Gods in silence sate them down; And thus the Father of the ages spake:-- "Go quickly, Gods, bring wood to the seashore, With all, which it beseems the dead to have, And make a funeral-pile on Balder's ship; On the twelfth day the Gods shall burn his corpse. But Hermod, thou, take Sleipner, and ride down To Hela's kingdom, to ask Balder back." So said he; and the Gods arose, and took Axes and ropes, and at their head came Thor, Shouldering his hammer, which the giants know. Forth wended they, and drave their steeds before. And up the dewy mountain-tracks they fared To the dark forests, in the early dawn; And up and down, and side and slant they roam'd. And from the glens all day an echo came Of crashing falls; for with his hammer Thor Smote 'mid the rocks the lichen-bearded pines, And burst their roots, while to their tops the Gods Made fast the woven ropes, and haled them down, And lopp'd their boughs, and clove them on the sward, And bound the logs behind their steeds to draw, And drave them homeward; and the snorting steeds Went straining through the crackling brushwood down, And by the darkling forest-paths the Gods Follow'd, and on their shoulders carried boughs. And they came out upon the plain, and pass'd Asgard, and led their horses to the beach, And loosed them of their loads on the seashore, And ranged the wood in stacks by Balder's ship; And every God went home to his own house.
|
Balder halála (részlet) (Magyar)Kelet felől, föl a menny kaptatóján új nap űzte fénylő, sörényű ménjét; és Vallhallában az oromtetőn az aranytarajú kakas kukorékolt. Ezentúl éjnek évadján, rikoltva és komoran inti majd e madár az isteneket, hogy a menny veszélyben, de most hajnalban serkentette, vígan, az isteneket és héroszokat. És föl is serkent valamennyi isten. S a héroszok fölkeltek, felcsatolták fegyvereik, lovuk elővezették, nyeregbe szálltak, s kezdődött a harc. Ütöttek-vágtak álló nap, gomolygott por és nyögés, vér, levágott tagok; de este megtért Odin csarnokába mind frissen, épen: ez mennyei sorsuk. Indultak lovon a valkűrök is földi csatába, s velük lovagolt Skulda, a legifjabbik norna is; Bifrost fölött, hol Heimdall őrködik, Migdard erődjén túl szálltak a földre, egy harcmezőn, hol sűrűn hull az ember, lovaik lába csüdig vérbe gázol, s a legbátrabb hősöket a halálnak kiszemelik s viszik este a mennybe istenekkel lakmározni Odinnál. De az istenek nem mentek azúttal a bajvivó porondra, szemüket a héroszok harcával jóllakatni, sem ítélőhelyükre Ida síkján, az Idgrasil-fánál, ahol tanácsuk törvényt szokott szabni az embereknek. Hanem elmentek, legelöl Odin, az arany Gladheim-csarnokba, ahol körben tizenkét arany szék s középen egy magasabb áll, Odin trónusa. Ott az istenek csöndben mind leültek, s a Korok Atyja eképpen beszélt: „Hamar, istenek, vigyetek le fát a tengerpartra, s mindent, mi halottnak kell, s rakjatok máglyát Balder hajóján; tizenketted nap elhamvad a teste. Te meg, Hermod, Sleipnerrel lovagolj le Hela országába, s hívd vissza Baldert." Így szólt; és felkeltek az istenek, kötelet, fejszét fogtak, élükön Thor ment, vállán óriás-pörölye. Lovaikat maguk előtt terelték. Föl harmatos hegyi ösvényeken sötét erdőkbe, kora hajnalon, s föl-le, széltében-hosszában bolyongtak. Hullás robaja visszhangzott napestig a sziklás szurdokokból: pörölyével Thor sújtott zuzmószakállas fenyőkre, szaggatta gyökerük, az istenek meg kötéllel koronájukat lehúzták, az ágakat, lenyesvén, a gyepen felhasogatták, a fatönköket vontatni a lovak mögé kötötték, s hajtották őket haza; a lovak fújtatva csörtettek le a bozótban, s az istenek sötét ösvényeken követték őket, vállukon az ágak. Majd kiértek a síkra, elhaladtak Asgard mellett, lovaikat a tenger- partra vezették, terhüket leoldva, s Balder hajóján máglyát építettek; s házába tért meg valamennyi isten.
|