They are up again
And chanting that old song of Brunanburg
Where England conquer'd.
And chanting that old song of Brunanburg
Where England conquer'd.
Tennyson
Go round once more;
See all be sound and whole. No Norman horse
Can shatter England, standing shield by shield;
Tell that again to all.
GURTH. I will, good brother.
HAROLD. Our guardsman hath but toil'd his hand and foot,
I hand, foot, heart and head. Some wine!
(_One pours wine into a goblet which he hands to_ HAROLD. )
Too much!
What? we must use our battle-axe to-day.
Our guardsmen have slept well, since we came in?
LEOFWIN. Ay, slept and snored. Your second-sighted man
That scared the dying conscience of the king,
Misheard their snores for groans.
They are up again
And chanting that old song of Brunanburg
Where England conquer'd.
HAROLD. That is well. The Norman,
What is he doing?
LEOFWIN. Praying for Normandy;
Our scouts have heard the tinkle of their bells.
HAROLD. And our old songs are prayers for England too!
But by all Saints--
LEOFWIN. Barring the Norman!
HAROLD. Nay,
Were the great trumpet blowing doomsday dawn,
I needs must rest. Call when the Norman moves--
[_Exeunt all, but_ HAROLD.
No horse--thousands of horses--our shield wall--
Wall--break it not--break not--break-- [_Sleeps_.
VISION OF EDWARD. Son Harold, I thy king, who came before
To tell thee thou shouldst win at Stamford-bridge,
Come yet once more, from where I am at peace,
Because I loved thee in my mortal day,
To tell thee them shalt die on Senlac hill--
Sanguelac!
See all be sound and whole. No Norman horse
Can shatter England, standing shield by shield;
Tell that again to all.
GURTH. I will, good brother.
HAROLD. Our guardsman hath but toil'd his hand and foot,
I hand, foot, heart and head. Some wine!
(_One pours wine into a goblet which he hands to_ HAROLD. )
Too much!
What? we must use our battle-axe to-day.
Our guardsmen have slept well, since we came in?
LEOFWIN. Ay, slept and snored. Your second-sighted man
That scared the dying conscience of the king,
Misheard their snores for groans.
They are up again
And chanting that old song of Brunanburg
Where England conquer'd.
HAROLD. That is well. The Norman,
What is he doing?
LEOFWIN. Praying for Normandy;
Our scouts have heard the tinkle of their bells.
HAROLD. And our old songs are prayers for England too!
But by all Saints--
LEOFWIN. Barring the Norman!
HAROLD. Nay,
Were the great trumpet blowing doomsday dawn,
I needs must rest. Call when the Norman moves--
[_Exeunt all, but_ HAROLD.
No horse--thousands of horses--our shield wall--
Wall--break it not--break not--break-- [_Sleeps_.
VISION OF EDWARD. Son Harold, I thy king, who came before
To tell thee thou shouldst win at Stamford-bridge,
Come yet once more, from where I am at peace,
Because I loved thee in my mortal day,
To tell thee them shalt die on Senlac hill--
Sanguelac!