By the foot-smitten floor?
What guests are these
From over the seas?
Take shield and sword
For their greeting-word.
Lo, lo, the dance ended! Lo, midst of the hall
The fallow blades blended! Lo, blood on the wall!
Who liveth, who dieth? O men of the sea,
For peace the folk crieth; our masters are ye.

Now the dale lies grey
At the dawn of day;
And fair feet pass
O'er the wind-worn grass;
And they turn back to gaze
On the roof of old days.
Come tread ye the oaken-floored hall of the sea!
Be your hearts yet unbroken; so fair as ye be,
That kings are abiding unwedded to gain
The news of our riding the steeds of the main.


Much shouting and laughter arose at the song's end; and men sprang up
and waved their swords above the cups, while Hallblithe sat scowling
down on their merriment. Lastly arose the chieftain and called out
loudly for the good-night cup, and it went round and all men drank.
Then the horn blew for bed, and the chieftains went to their
chambers, and the others went to the out-bowers or laid them down on
the hall-floor, and in a little while none stood upright thereon. So
Hallblithe arose, and went to the shut-bed appointed for him, and