“Who will be, can; and he who can will drive the Franks away,
Will chase the Franks, defend the land, vengeance on vengeance pay.
“My son and me he will avenge: the living and the dead:
Karo, my child, from whom the Franks have stricken off his head.
The excommunicated Franks, who pity know nor truth,
Have slain him in the early flower and beauty of his youth.
“His head, so fair with golden hair, they threw to make the weight,
They threw it in the balance, and have left me desolate.”
Then thick and fast the tears fell from the father’s aged eyes,
And glittered down his long and silvery beard in piteous wise;
They sparkled like the morning dew upon the aspen white,
When earliest sunbeams wake them into gems of quiv’ring light.
When Nomenöe that beheld, a fearful oath he swore:
“By this boar’s head, and by the dart wherewith I pierced the boar,
I swear my country to avenge ere many hours be o’er:
Nor will I wash away the blood from thee, my crimsoned hand,
Till I have washed the bleeding wounds of thee, my injured land.”
III.
The thing which Nomenöe did no chief hath done before:
With sacks to fill with pebble-stones he went down to the shore:
Pebbles and flints for tribute to the bald-head Frankish king:
No chief but only Nomenöe e’er hath done this thing.
He shod his horse with silver shoes, turned backwards every one,
And he himself to pay the tribute forth to Rennes is gone,
Prince that he is: no chief but he did ever this before,
And never chief will do the like again for evermore.
“Ho, warden! open wide your gates! wide open let them be,
That I may enter into Rennes as it beseemeth me.
Hither come I, Lord Nomenöe, bringing store of gold:
My chariots all are filled therewith as full as they can hold.”
“Descend, O chief! my lord, descend, and enter in, I pray;
Enter the castle, and command your chariots here to stay,
And in the hands of your esquires your white steed leave below,
While you ascend to supper; but you first would wash, I trow:
Hark! even now to horn the water[162] do the cornets blow.”