Scandinavian-Britain

SVEIN AND KNUT 157the glory of the service and the girl he left behindhim. For the text, see Corpus Poeticum Boreale^ ii.,pp.106-108; but the bald abstract there given hardlyrenders the spirit of the original:Marching up the country, on ! before they knowDeeds are doing, shields are shining, roofs are lying low ;Up, heart wave and waft the weapon of Odin's Maid,!And the English throng will hurry along in flight before theblade.There's many a man in the realm where we were bred andbornHas donned his easy old coat and flytes his fellow thismorn ;veryWhile here's a lad in a shirt of steel the smith with his hammerhas sewedGoes singing abroad to feed the crows their fill of Englishblood.There's one in the glad of the gloaming what cares he forthto roam ?He's shy to redden the scathe of shields he kisses a girl athome ;He'll carry no shield to England for glory and gold this year,But bides with Steinvor, North of Stad. inNorway with mydear.'Thought me, when I spied them, Thorkel's folk were fainThe song of the sword they never shirk to tread the battleplain;And awhile aga at Ringmere Heath we pushed into the fray,We stood the storm of iron, with our host in war-array.So the song goes on, with reminiscences of Ulfketil,who gave them a good fight, but " "changed his mindand fled; of Kniit, the trusty leader, sharing thesoldiers'dangerKnut gave the word, he bade us make a stand ;He held a shield among us when we fought by Londonstrand ;the battle at the dyke, the scene of the ships passing