Norna's Invocation

Dwellers of the mountain, rise,
Trolld the powerful, Haims the wise !
Ye who taught weak woman's tongue
Words that sway the wise and strong ;
Ye who taught weak woman's hand
How to wield the magic wand,
And wake the gales on Foulah's steep
Or lull wild Sumburgh's waves to sleep !
Still live ye yet ? Not yours the pow'r
Ye knew in Odin's mightier hour.
What are ye now but empty names,
Powerful Trolld, sagacious Haims,
That, lightly spoken, lightly heard,
Float on the air like thistle's beard ?

TROLLD'S REPLY.

A thousand winters dark have flown
Since o'er the threshold of my Stone
A votaress pass'd, my power to own.
Visitor bold
Of the mansion of Trolld,
Maiden, haughty of heart,
Who hast hither presum'd,--
Ungifted, undoom'd,
Thou shalt not depart !
The power thou dost covet
O'er tempest and wave,
Shall be thine, thou proud maiden !
By beach and by cave,
By stack and by skerry, by noup and by voe,
By air and by wick, and by helyer and gio,
And by every wild shore which the northern winds know
And the northern tides lave.
But tho' this shall be given thee, thou desperately brave,
I doom thee that never the gift thou shalt have
Till thou reave thy life's giver of the gift which he gave.

NORNA'S ANSWER.

Dark are thy words, and severe,
Thou Dweller in the Stone ;
But trembling and fear
To her are unknown
Who hath sought thee here,
In thy dwelling lone.

Come what comes soever,
The worst I can endure :
Life is but a short fever,
And Death's the cure.