Then came into the temple Balder’s priest most high,
Not young and beauteous as the god, but tall in form,
With heavenly mildness beaming in his noble face,
While down about his girdle flowed his silver beard. 
An unused reverence possessed proud Fridthjof’s heart;
The eagle wings upon his helmet meekly drooped
Before the aged man, who thus spoke words of peace: 
“Son Fridthjof, welcome hither I’ve expected thee;
The strong man gladly roves around the earth and sea,
A berserk-like, who pallid bites the shield’s hard edge,
But weary grown, and thoughtful, wanders home at last. 
The powerful Thor went many times to Jotunheim,—­
But spite his belt divine and gloves of finest steel,
Still sits the Utgard-Loke on his lofty throne;
For evil is itself a power, and will not yield,—–­
And piety not joined with power is children’s play: 
’Tis like the sunbeams on the breast of AEger thrown,—­
An image faint, which falls and rises with the wave,
Foundationless and insecure, devoid of trust. 
But power not joined with virtue eats itself away,
As rust the buried sword.  ’Tis life’s unchecked carouse;
The heron of oblivion hovers o’er the cup,
And when the drinker wakes, he blushes for his deed. 
All power is from the earth of Ymer’s body formed;
Wild waves and flowing waters are the veins therein,
From various metals are its tough strong sinews forged,
And yet ’tis empty, desolate, unfruitful, till
The sun its light and warmth, heaven’s piety, sends down. 
Then spring the grass and flowers a web of many hues;
The tree lifts up its crown and knits its golden fruit,—­
And man and beast are nourished at the mother’s breast. 
’Tis thus with every child of Ask.  Opposing weights
Has Odin laid within the scales of human life,—­
And when they balance true, then even stands the beam;
And heavenly piety and earthly power they’re called. 
The power of Thor is great whene’er about his loins,
Immovable, he girds the belt of strength and strikes. 
Indeed is Odin wise, when Urd’s clear silver fount
He looketh down, and birds swift flying come to bring
The Asas’ father tidings from the world’s extreme: 
Yet both turned pale, the radiance of their starry crowns
Was half extinguished when the pious Balder fell,—­
The band was he of all the diadems of heaven. 
Then withered on the tree of time its splendid crown,
And Nidhug gnawed upon its root; then were loosed
The powers of aged night.  The Midgard serpent flung
Toward heaven its poison-swollen tail, and Fenris howled,
And Surt’s swift fire-sword flashing gleamed from Muspelheim. 
Since then wherever thou mayest look the strife goes on,
A war throughout creation.  In Valhal crows
The cock with goldcn comb.  Upon and ’neath the earth
The blood-red cock to battle calls.  There once was peace
Not only where gods dwell, but also on the earth;