Poems and Songs Part 14

We gathered in _Bergen_ town Of ancient and of new renown.

The horns of our fathers greet us, King Sverre comes forth to meet us; But fresh and full the present spoke In heartfelt song from all its folk.

_Upsala, Copenhagen, Lund,_ In each our song its garland won, Fair fetters of music winding, Harmonious the Northland binding; Our mighty choral theme shall be _The Northern races' unity._

With courage, then, onward roam!

Where echo answers is our home.

Our past that we sing draws nearer, Our future in song grows clearer, E'en while we wander hand in hand And summer sing into our land.

+ MRS. LOUISE BRUN (JANUARY 30, 1866) (See Note 30)

CHORUS _(Behind the scenes)_ Farewell, farewell, From friends, from all, from fatherland!

Your soul's calm power is from us riven, Your words, your song, to spirit's praise In art's glad temple given.

CHORUS OF MEN We thank you that with youthful fire You came the doubting to inspire, Who anxious stood with strength untried!

CHORUS OF WOMEN We thank you that in morning-dawn Your woman's tact and aid were drawn Our boisterous youthful art to guide!

ALL Thanks for the spring of your life's year, Thanks for the tones so sweet and clear, Thanks for the tints of pearly hue, That colored all you touched anew.

For all your n.o.ble life on earth, Thanks, thanks!

And that you gave our calling worth, Thanks, thanks!

EPILOGUE 'T is but a short time since we saw pa.s.s by A picture drawn from life, austere and dark, A soul in servitude to strong desires; And all its life in prison-labor spent.

Although religion prays and sings its hymns, And poetry and art their suns.h.i.+ne spread, That soul in slavery toils, till white the hair.

She, in whose memory we gather here, Was early made to feel by hard conditions, That clouded life and rudely barred her soul,-- How men and women live as toiling slaves!

And she rebelled against this servitude; Great powers have birth to longings for the light; _Freedom she craved, that others she might free!_ With restless spirit outward went her quest To people, books; but thoughtful she became, As one whose search was vain; reserved and shy, As one whose courage fails;--until one day _He_, who from fairy-tale and hero-legend That wondrous bow received of magic might, Stood up and to the vale and mountain played: "Come forth, come from our nation's heart-deep forth, Creative might, that in our nation's morning Didst lift its image up to dread, to greatness, In myths of Asas fair and giants grim!

As mountain-walls lean o'er their own reflection, In that thought-ocean we our life could see, With spring, with winter, and with spring again.

Thou gav'st our image oft in song and story, In times of darkness and in times of light; Our image meets us wheresoe'er we go,-- But yet our nation sees it not, nor looks Up from its toiling thoughts and dull routine!-- Oh, wake it, lift it, _make it see itself!_ Then shall it put to use the powers it owns!"

And living echoes answered! Lo, there swarmed Elves of the Stage about him, as he played!

They made the lamps to burn, and reared the grotto, They brought and brushed the costumes Holberg knew, And in them played their pranks 'neath powdered wigs,-- Roamed on the mountains of a summer night And stole the saeter-maiden while she slept, And filled with mortal fear the aged wooer!

They danced the goblin-dance in dusk of winter, Played hide-and-seek with their own shadows; They snared the hypocrite in his own sighs, In his own web the pettifogger bound; They scattered wide the h.o.a.rd a miser gathered, They tripped and threw the petty parish-pope They saved the tears of innocence seduced And on the altar laid as l.u.s.trous pearls; They melted hatred in the ice-hard breast, It fell as rain upon the enemy's fields; They bound the slanderer, Mazeppa-like, Upon the back of his wild calumnies;-- The crafty man of stealthy selfishness They set afloat within an open boat;-- But one who freely gave himself, his all, They bore to heaven upon their joyous laughter.

They drew the magic ring round those who loved, And to the altar led the blus.h.i.+ng pair.

They brought heroic forms from barrows old To tower in might among the teeming present.

--There was not one could longer rest in peace; Himself, his folly, all our country's need, Wholeness victorious, halfness doomed to fail, The power of honest faith, the wreck of doubt,-- All this our nation saw in its own image, When strongly lighted on the Stage 't was set.--

And she was part of this! The first full tone Thrilled her breast too and woke a thousand mem'ries Of something that she ne'er before had known!

On that first evening, when the curtain rose, With timid step one clad in white came forth And begged for Norway's art, for our young drama A home in Norway,--but with so great fear, The gentle voice was trembling, dim the eyes; Yet from the voice, the eyes, the form, the bearing Was heard a promise in sweet modesty; For she who spoke those first words on this Stage, That maiden dark with eyes so deep and true, Lo, it was she!

And soon her art shone clear And softly radiant through the evening hours.-- With fairy lightness fell its magic gleams On hidden longings, sorrows half-concealed,-- But gently, tenderly. If joy she touched, 'T was always softly. But we all could feel A stream of power so full, that if she had In an unguarded hour let it flow free With all its deep and swelling tide sincere, It would have borne herself from earth away.

In truth, the calmness of her course through life Was never weakness, but was strength controlled; Was never fear, but veneration deep For those whose souls are great: a model she For n.o.ble women as for forceful men,-- This wreath we weave for her pure memory.

But what she thus had early taught herself, She taught to others. When upon the stage She stood, depicting woman's painful conflict With rudeness, violence, and wild desire, Then,--though she wielded but a woman's weapons, Her silent dignity, her subtle smile, Her light derision, all-subduing laughter,-- A spirit-dawn gleamed from their flas.h.i.+ng play, To usher in a day of victory.

She barriers raised around the woman weak (Down-trodden in a half-built social order), She stood forth here so many an evening-hour And talked to thousands of a woman's worth.

though her call was not fully to free All that a woman's heart may hope and dream, She s.h.i.+elded it secure in all its beauty.

This conflict made her reticent, severe;-- But sometimes in a song her spirit could Send forth glad tidings, messages of freedom, Her large free soul revealing. _Then_ we heard Such longing after full, unbroken peace, Our thoughts were captive held by sad foreboding.--

'T is now come true!--The c.r.a.pe of mourning droops About her name, the tolling bell is still.

Her final summons gather us once more Before her stage, and here our thanks we utter For what she gave us. So as _she_ had given, Has no one given. She gave of her sorrow, With bleeding heart beneath her winsome smile.

She shared with us the tears her conflict brought, The radiant glory of her victory.

Thanks, prayer-borne thanks, you n.o.ble soul, From all your brothers, from your sisters all!

From Norway's youthful art enduring thanks!

From women to their pure interpreter Farewell and thanks!--From all those whom you lifted On pinions of the spirit high to beauty Once more a wreath is brought,--it is the last.

_(Laying it before the bust)_ Now G.o.d in His bright heaven makes you glad, And we will make you glad with good remembrance.

CHORUS _(Behind the scenes, softly)_ Farewell, farewell!

Now in your grave No want is known; But what you gave, We ever own.

Your spirit's seed Shall blossom here, Bear fruit in deed, And sad hearts cheer.

TO JOHAN DAHL, BOOKDEALER (ON HIS SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY) (See Note 31)

Our gla.s.ses we lift now and drink to our host!

"Hurrah!"

Give heed to our ditty, we sing you our toast!

"Aha!"

The first thing appearing is what he was nearing, When uproar not fearing he came for a hearing 'Fore skerry-bred eagle And Wergeland regal.

Oh! Ha!

He came like an innocent spring-lambkin ewe-born, Oh, woe!

So neat and so fine in his guilelessness new-born Like snow.

The flesh so delicious was chopped up to farce-meat, And later by Wergeland found for a farce meet, And gayly 't was swallowed, And all the bones hollowed And strown.

But swift as Thor's he-goats to life again skipping, He sprang Whole skinned together, and gave them a whipping That rang.

This made him seem worthy to join the gay party, At once they received him in fellows.h.i.+p hearty!

And soon was no other More loved as a brother Than Dahl.

The light from his shop spread afar and made brighter Our day.

His drawing-room gathered so many a fighter In play.

Our taste there was made and our critical pa.s.sion, The shop was a power, new Norway to fas.h.i.+on.

Though little, its story Shall some time in glory Be writ.

For what you have kindled, endured, and aspired, Our thanks!

For hearts you have gladdened and souls you have fired, Our thanks!

For all your good faith in your fervor and ranting, Yes, for your whole-heartedness free from all canting, You whimsical, queer one, Old fellow, you dear one, Our thanks!

TO SCULPTOR BORCH (ON HIS FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY) (See Note 32)