New Zealand Verse/Penda to the Mercians
CLXXI.
Penda to the Mercians.
A.D. 642.
Ho! children of the forest, hark and hear!
Let these my words be kindling to your hearts,
As they are sparks and children of the flame
That burns in me.
Out of the steaming South
A sweet and poisonous message comes to us;
We are to heave off all our ancient faith,
Yea! drown our high gods in the barren sea,
Because a mild man lived and taught and died,
Far, far away, six hundred years ago.
Hear me, my brothers! bloody war, I say,
Against these women-men, these willow-wands,
These Christians; hearken! let us up and fight
For red-haired Thor the Strong, and Father Odin!
Open the nostril wide; smell the wet woods!
Be ye as boars in fight, as rutting stags!
Remember Hatfield—all our woodland life,
Our free life of the forest, heath and wold,
Dies with this new faith: up! be men, be boars!
Redden your white tusks in their craven blood
That would unman the Mercian; bloody war!
Ho! let the flashing of your eyes be red,
Red as the flaring beard of thirsty Thor.
Let us make fat our land with Christian blood!
Humility! Love! yes, I have heard their message;
Worship we him who splits the giants’ skulls
With his great hammer and his heavy fists;
Worship we him who makes the sea to rear
His crested spine against the arch of heaven,
And rides upon the wind, his eight-hoofed steed,
Sliding from end to end of earth with ease.
Love! we will love our women and our homes,
And spurn our enemy into darkest hell.
He loved no home, no woman, poor white Christ!
Up, men; up, brothers; put your wolf-hood on
As I do, and lay low these Christian lambs;
We are strong oaks and elms, and they are osiers;
We are as oak, boar, stag,—all wild strong things;
Strength let us worship; let us not bow down
Before our enemy as cowards, hares,
And call it high humility, Christian meekness,
And hope for gold crowns in another world,
Being not men enough to win them here!
Hew ye like madmen for free life, free strength,
Home, wife and children; death to Christ and shame!
Men of the primal heath and flood be we,
Heathen for ever, glory in that name!
Let these my words be kindling to your hearts,
As they are sparks and children of the flame
That burns in me.
Out of the steaming South
A sweet and poisonous message comes to us;
We are to heave off all our ancient faith,
Yea! drown our high gods in the barren sea,
Because a mild man lived and taught and died,
Far, far away, six hundred years ago.
Hear me, my brothers! bloody war, I say,
Against these women-men, these willow-wands,
These Christians; hearken! let us up and fight
For red-haired Thor the Strong, and Father Odin!
Open the nostril wide; smell the wet woods!
Be ye as boars in fight, as rutting stags!
Remember Hatfield—all our woodland life,
Our free life of the forest, heath and wold,
Dies with this new faith: up! be men, be boars!
Redden your white tusks in their craven blood
That would unman the Mercian; bloody war!
Ho! let the flashing of your eyes be red,
Red as the flaring beard of thirsty Thor.
Let us make fat our land with Christian blood!
Humility! Love! yes, I have heard their message;
Worship we him who splits the giants’ skulls
With his great hammer and his heavy fists;
Worship we him who makes the sea to rear
His crested spine against the arch of heaven,
And rides upon the wind, his eight-hoofed steed,
Sliding from end to end of earth with ease.
Love! we will love our women and our homes,
And spurn our enemy into darkest hell.
He loved no home, no woman, poor white Christ!
Up, men; up, brothers; put your wolf-hood on
As I do, and lay low these Christian lambs;
We are strong oaks and elms, and they are osiers;
We are as oak, boar, stag,—all wild strong things;
Strength let us worship; let us not bow down
Before our enemy as cowards, hares,
And call it high humility, Christian meekness,
And hope for gold crowns in another world,
Being not men enough to win them here!
Hew ye like madmen for free life, free strength,
Home, wife and children; death to Christ and shame!
Men of the primal heath and flood be we,
Heathen for ever, glory in that name!