Ultima Thule Sendeth Greeting: Part II - Matthías Jochumsson

Young was I wont —

now four-score years— 

to fashion words
in Odin’s tongue;
and young was I,
when Shakespeare’s arms, 

with eagle’s swoop,
drew me, too bold.

Macbeth first, 

mighty and fateful, 

tempted me onward 

to Odin’s task; 

invok’d I Ithunn, 

invok’d I Bragi, 

foremost of all
my Father-speech.

For deep a-down,
under its heart-roots, 

hidden I wist
dark runes enow,—
the prowess and craft
of Egil and Wormtongue, 

the swart-elves’ guile,
the light-elves’ song.

Minded me Macbeth
of twain of grim might,— 

Hakon the Earl,
Helgi’s weird bride,

of the deadly Rhine-gold, 

Regin’s deceit, 

Brynhild’s hell-journey, 

dead Helgi’s return.

The dice were cast
—the double six! 

Gripp’d I the chieftain, 

grimmest of Scots,— 

with two hands gripp’d I 

the vowing cup ;
and thrice I ventured, 

and thrice I wrought.

Next found I Norns
—the breath of the North— 

in the dreamy depths
of Denmark’s Prince;
saw I foreshadow’d
the sicken’d souls
of the later age,
and the wasted lives.

Compact are there 

close mysteries
of heav’nly harmony 

and direst dooms; 

yea, Hamlet dreamt 

this day of wrath, 

these cries of death 

that crush the world.

 

Then on Othello’s

awesome plot
plied I my skill,— 

no petty sport!
Set I these scenes

supreme, above

all themes of woe
mine eyes have met. 

 

Romeo and Juliet

reach’d I last,
in Saga-land
— to shape anew,—
the song of fire
that melteth ice
in Iceland

as in Italy;
where the twain lovers

so their love did sing, 

that all the world

was moved and wept; 

 

When Romeo

from death arose,

crown’d Emperor
by maiden’s kiss,
and yet his dream

foreboded death,

bolder doomsday

drew not Angelo !

---

Matthías Jochumsson (1835–1920) Iceland
Translated by Israel Gollanz
Source: 1616—1916 On the Tercentenary Commemoration of Shakespeare. Ultima Thule
Sendeth Greeting. An Icelandic poem by Matthías Jochumsson with translation into English by Israel Gollanz, Humphrey Milford, 1916
 
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