Ha!  I’ll think through, I will enjoy entirely
My hope:  why then, my heart, beat’st thou so wildly? 
And why in Balder’s eyes are tears uprising,
And hope to me a stranger?  Oh, my treasure,
Thou teachest me a dastard’s fear!  I tremble
Now I’ve a glimpse of hope to be depriv’d of. 
Ah! if ’tis torn from me again, if Nanna—­
Oh doubt! oh fear with which my heart is tortur’d! 
Yes, Thor, my friend, thy words were truth and wisdom;
That pity that she showed was thanks for sparing Hother: 
She trembled but for Hother—­for the lov’d one: 
Each tear but begged his life.  What cruel delusion
Has led my soul astray?  Ah, wretched meteor
Of empty hope! thou, thou for me couldst glitter,
As if I had been ignorant of her hatred. 
Ha! she has ever fled my path, my shadow;
And when, to my own torment, once I wrested
From the proud maid some sort of heed and answer,
’Twas mockery mere:  she called herself unworthy
To be great Balder’s bride and Odin’s daughter,
And held my love-sick sighs for jest and flatt’ry. 
Yet never have I heard the word which killeth,
Without the aid of Surtur’s deadly sapling—­
The No, the frightful No, by Nanna utter’d. 
Ha!  I will hear it!  Yes, by Haelheim’s darkness! 
My tears shall now extract that No from Nanna.

Nanna, Balder.

Nanna (she rushes distractedly in upon the stage).  Ah! 
No one answers me!  Do thou give hearing
To Nanna’s hard rock, which no god heedeth! 
My anguish ease!  Reply!  Ah, where’s my lov’d one?

Balder (aside).  My fate will have it so.  Ha, Nanna.

Nanna.  Show me,
Ye silent forests, shades once lov’d, now awful,
Oh, show me him—­disclose me my dearest!

Balder (aside).  Ha! shall I?  Dare I?

Nanna.  Ah, where art thou, Hother? 
Perhaps in an abyss, all crushed and bloody
And silent!  Woe is me! for ever silent!

Balder (springing to her).  Dear Nanna!  Oh what terror—­

Nanna.  Ha!  I’ve seen him! 
The direst dream has shown to me my Hother! 
Close by a yawning chasm was he standing,
And round about him bellow’d hideous monsters.

Balder.  Thine—­as thou callest him—­thine Hother liveth.

Nanna (whilst she recognizes Balder).  Ha Balder! thou hast slain him! 
Ah, forgive me! 
My dream confuses me—­thou see’st I tremble. 
I heard the fall of gods—­the gods lamenting;
And bloody by the Hall there stood a spectre: 
Big was the ruddy wound whereto it pointed. 
Like one deep musing it conceal’d its visage;
But big the tears were through its fingers streaming: 
Ah, the pale son of night was tall as Hother!

Balder.  Ha!  Hother can’t be dead.

Nanna.  I do believe thee;
But ah!  I cannot rest—­I cannot, Balder,
Till I have seen his face, have spoken to him,
Embrac’d his arm, and press’d it to this bosom.