Now when Thiodolf came back to the habitations of the kindred the whole House was astir, both thrall-men and women, and free women hurrying from cot to stithy, and from stithy to hall bearing the last of the war-gear or raiment for the fighting-men. But they for their part were some standing2 about anigh the Man’s-door, some sitting gravely within the hall, some watching the hurry of the thralls3 and women from the midmost of the open space amidst of the habitations, whereon there stood yet certain wains which were belated: for the most of the wains were now standing with the oxen already yoked4 to them down in the meadow past the acres, encircled by a confused throng6 of kine and horses and thrall-folk, for thither7 had all the beasts for the slaughter8, and the horses for the warriors10 been brought; and there were the horses tethered or held by the thralls; some indeed were already saddled and bridled11, and on others were the thralls doing the harness.
But as for the wains of the Markmen, they were stoutly12 framed of ash-tree with panels of aspen, and they were broad-wheeled so that they might go over rough and smooth. They had high tilts13 over them well framed of willow-poles covered over with squares of black felt over-lapping like shingles14; which felt they made of the rough of their fleeces, for they had many sheep. And these wains were to them for houses upon the way if need were, and therein as now were stored their meal and their war-store and after fight they would flit their wounded men in them, such as were too sorely hurt to back a horse: nor must it be hidden that whiles they looked to bring back with them the treasure of the south. Moreover the folk if they were worsted in any battle, instead of fleeing without more done, would often draw back fighting into a garth made by these wains, and guarded by some of their thralls; and there would abide15 the onset16 of those who had thrust them back in the field. And this garth they called the Wain-burg.
So now stood three of these wains aforesaid belated amidst of the habitations of the House, their yoke-beasts standing or lying down unharnessed as yet to them: but in the very midst of that place was a wain unlike to them; smaller than they but higher; square of shape as to the floor of it; built lighter17 than they, yet far stronger; as the warrior9 is stronger than the big carle and trencher-licker that loiters about the hall; and from the midst of this wain arose a mast made of a tall straight fir-tree, and thereon hung the banner of the Wolfings, wherein was wrought18 the image of the Wolf, but red of hue19 as a token of war, and with his mouth open and gaping20 upon the foemen. Also whereas the other wains were drawn22 by mere23 oxen, and those of divers24 colours, as chance would have it, the wain of the banner was drawn by ten black bulls of the mightiest25 of the herd26, deep-dewlapped, high-crested and curly-browed; and their harness was decked with gold, and so was the wain itself, and the woodwork of it painted red with vermilion. There then stood the Banner of the House of the Wolfings awaiting the departure of the warriors to the hosting.
So Thiodolf stood on the top of the bent27 beside that same mound28 wherefrom he had blown the War-horn yester-eve, and which was called the Hill of Speech, and he shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around him; and even therewith the carles fell to yoking29 the beasts to the belated wains, and the warriors gathered together from out of the mixed throngs30, and came from the Roof and the Man’s-door and all set their faces toward the Hill of Speech.
So Thiodolf knew that all was ready for departure, and it wanted but an hour of high-noon; so he turned about and went into the Hall, and there found his shield and his spear hanging in his sleeping place beside the hauberk he was wont31 to wear; then he looked, as one striving with thought, at his empty hauberk and his own body covered with the dwarf-wrought rings; nor did his face change as he took his shield and his spear and turned away. Then he went to the dais and there sat his foster-daughter (as men deemed her) sitting amidst of it as yester-eve, and now arrayed in a garment of fine white wool, on the breast whereof were wrought in gold two beasts ramping32 up against a fire-altar whereon a flame flickered33; and on the skirts and the hems34 were other devices, of wolves chasing deer, and men shooting with the bow; and that garment was an ancient treasure; but she had a broad girdle of gold and gems35 about her middle, and on her arms and neck she wore great gold rings wrought delicately. By then there were few save the Hall-Sun under the Roof, and they but the oldest of the women, or a few very old men, and some who were ailing36 and might not go abroad. But before her on the thwart37 table lay the Great War-horn awaiting the coming of Thiodolf to give signal of departure.
Then went Thiodolf to the Hall-Sun and kissed and embraced her fondly, and she gave the horn into his hands, and he went forth38 and up on to the Hill of Speech, and blew thence a short blast on the horn, and then came all the Warriors flocking to the Hill of Speech, each man stark39 in his harness, alert and joyous40.
Then presently through the Man’s-door came the Hall-Sun in that ancient garment, which fell straight and stiff down to her ancles as she stepped lightly and slowly along, her head crowned with a garland of eglantine. In her right hand also she held a great torch of wax lighted, whose flame amidst the bright sunlight looked like a wavering leaf of vermilion.
The warriors saw her, and made a lane for her, and she made her way through it up to the Hill of Speech, and she went up to the top of it and stood there holding the lighted candle in her hand, so that all might see it. Then suddenly was there as great a silence as there may be on a forenoon of summer; for even the thralls down in the meadow had noted41 what was toward, and ceased their talking and shouting, for as far off as they were, since they could see that the Hall-Sun stood on the Hill of Speech, for the wood was dark behind her; so they knew the Farewell Flame was lighted, and that the maiden42 would speak; and to all men her speech was a boding43 of good or of ill.
So she began in a sweet voice yet clear and far-reaching:
“O Warriors of the Wolfings by the token of the flame
That here in my right hand flickers44, come aback to the House of the Name!
For there yet burneth the Hall-Sun beneath the Wolfing roof,
And this flame is litten from it, nor as now shall it fare aloof45
Till again it seeth the mighty46 and the men to be gleaned47 from the fight.
So wend ye as weird48 willeth and let your hearts be light;
For through your days of battle all the deeds of our days shall be fair.
To-morrow beginneth the haysel, as if every carle were here;
And who knoweth ere your returning but the hook shall smite49 the corn?
But the kine shall go down to the meadow as their wont is every morn,
And each eve shall come back to the byre; and the mares and foals afield
Shall ever be heeded50 duly; and all things shall their increase yield.
And if it shall befal us that hither cometh a foe21
Here have we swains of the shepherds good players with the bow,
And old men battle-crafty whose might is nowise spent,
And women fell and fearless well wont to tread the bent
Amid the sheep and the oxen; and their hands are hard with the spear
And their arms are strong and stalwart the battle shield to bear;
And store of weapons have we and the mighty walls of the stead;
And the Roof shall abide you steadfast51 with the Hall-Sun overhead.
Lo here I quench52 this candle that is lit from the Hall-Sun’s flame
Which unto the Wild-wood clearing with the kin1 of the Wolfings came
And shall wend with their departure to the limits of the earth;
Nor again shall the torch be lighted till in sorrow or in mirth,
Overthrown53 or overthrowing54, ye come aback once more,
And bid me bear the candle before the Wolf of War.”
As she spake the word she turned the candle downward, and thrust it against the grass and quenched55 it indeed; but the whole throng of warriors turned about, for the bulls of the banner-wain lowered their heads in the yokes56 and began to draw, lowing mightily57; and the wain creaked and moved on, and all the men-at-arms followed after, and down they went through the lanes of the corn, and a many women and children and old men went down into the mead5 with them.
In their hearts they all wondered what the Hall-Sun’s words might signify; for she had told them nought58 about the battles to be, saving that some should come back to the Mid-mark; whereas aforetime somewhat would she foretell59 to them concerning the fortune of the fight, and now had she said to them nothing but what their own hearts told them. Nevertheless they bore their crests60 high as they followed the Wolf down into the meadow, where all was now ready for departure. There they arrayed themselves and went down to the lip of Mirkwood-water; and such was their array that the banner went first, save that a band of fully61 armed men went before it; and behind it and about were the others as well arrayed as they. Then went the wains that bore their munition62, with armed carles of the thrall-folk about them, who were ever the guard of the wains, and should never leave them night or day; and lastly went the great band of the warriors and the rest of the thralls with them.
As to their war-gear, all the freemen had helms of some kind, but not all of iron or steel; for some bore helms fashioned of horse-hide and bull-hide covered over with the similitude of a Wolf’s muzzle63; nor were these ill-defence against a sword-stroke. Shields they all had, and all these had the image of the Wolf marked on them, but for many their thralls bore them on the journey. As to their body-armour some carried long byrnies of ring-mail, some coats of leather covered with splinters of horn laid like the shingles of a roof, and some skin-coats only: whereof indeed there were some of which tales went that they were better than the smith’s hammer-work, because they had had spells sung over them to keep out steel or iron.
But for their weapons, they bore spears with shafts64 not very long, some eight feet of our measure; and axes heavy and long-shafted; and bills with great and broad heads; and some few, but not many of the kindred were bowmen, and every freeman was girt with a sword; but of the swords some were long and two-edged, some short and heavy, cutting on one edge, and these were of the kind which they and our forefathers65 long after called ‘sax.’ Thus were the freemen arrayed.
But for the thralls, there were many bows among them, especially among those who were of blood alien from the Goths; the others bore short spears, and feathered broad arrows, and clubs bound with iron, and knives and axes, but not every man of them had a sword. Few iron helms they had and no ringed byrnies, but most had a buckler at their backs with no sign or symbol on it.
Thus then set forth the fighting men of the House of the Wolf toward the Thing-stead of the Upper-mark where the hosting was to be, and by then they were moving up along the side of Mirkwood-water it was somewhat past high-noon.
But the stay-at-home people who had come down with them to the meadow lingered long in that place; and much foreboding there was among them of evil to come; and of the old folk, some remembered tales of the past days of the Markmen, and how they had come from the ends of the earth, and the mountains where none dwell now but the Gods of their kindreds; and many of these tales told of their woes66 and their wars as they went from river to river and from wild-wood to wild-wood before they had established their Houses in the Mark, and fallen to dwelling67 there season by season and year by year whether the days were good or ill. And it fell into their hearts that now at last mayhappen was their abiding68 wearing out to an end, and that the day should soon be when they should have to bear the Hall-Sun through the wild-wood, and seek a new dwelling-place afar from the troubling of these newly arisen Welsh foemen.
And so those of them who could not rid themselves of this foreboding were somewhat heavier of heart than their wont was when the House went to the War. For long had they abided there in the Mark, and the life was sweet to them which they knew, and the life which they knew not was bitter to them: and Mirkwood-water was become as a God to them no less than to their fathers of old time; nor lesser69 was the mead where fed the horses that they loved and the kine that they had reared, and the sheep that they guarded from the Wolf of the Wild-wood: and they worshipped the kind acres which they themselves and their fathers had made fruitful, wedding them to the seasons of seed-time and harvest, that the birth that came from them might become a part of the kindred of the Wolf, and the joy and might of past springs and summers might run in the blood of the Wolfing children. And a dear God indeed to them was the Roof of the Kindred, that their fathers had built and that they yet warded70 against the fire and the lightening and the wind and the snow, and the passing of the days that devour71 and the years that heap the dust over the work of men. They thought of how it had stood, and seen so many generations of men come and go; how often it had welcomed the new-born babe, and given farewell to the old man: how many secrets of the past it knew; how many tales which men of the present had forgotten, but which yet mayhap men of times to come should learn of it; for to them yet living it had spoken time and again, and had told them what their fathers had not told them, and it held the memories of the generations and the very life of the Wolfings and their hopes for the days to be.
Thus these poor people thought of the Gods whom they worshipped, and the friends whom they loved, and could not choose but be heavy-hearted when they thought that the wild-wood was awaiting them to swallow all up, and take away from them their Gods and their friends and the mirth of their life, and burden them with hunger and thirst and weariness, that their children might begin once more to build the House and establish the dwelling, and call new places by old names, and worship new Gods with the ancient worship.
Such imaginations of trouble then were in the hearts of the stay-at-homes of the Wolfings; the tale tells not indeed that all had such forebodings, but chiefly the old folk who were nursing the end of their life-days amidst the cherishing Kindred of the House.
But now they were beginning to turn them back again to the habitations, and a thin stream was flowing through the acres, when they heard a confused sound drawing near blended of horns and the lowing of beasts and the shouting of men; and they looked and saw a throng of brightly clad men coming up stream alongside of Mirkwood-water; and they were not afraid, for they knew that it must be some other company of the Markmen journeying to the hosting of the Folk: and presently they saw that it was the House of the Beamings following their banner on the way to the Thing-stead. But when the new-comers saw the throng out in the meads, some of their young men pricked72 on their horses and galloped73 on past the women and old men, to whom they threw a greeting, as they ran past to catch up with the bands of the Wolfings; for between the two houses was there affinity74, and much good liking75 lay between them; and the stay-at-homes, many of them, lingered yet till the main body of the Beamings came with their banner: and their array was much like to that of the Wolfings, but gayer; for whereas it pleased the latter to darken all their wargear to the colour of the grey Wolf, the Beamings polished all their gear as bright as might be, and their raiment also was mostly bright green of hue and much beflowered; and the sign on their banner was a green leafy tree, and the wain was drawn by great white bulls.
So when their company drew anear to the throng of the stay-at-homes they went to meet and greet each other, and tell tidings to each other; but their banner held steadily76 onward77 amidst their converse78, and in a little while they followed it, for the way was long to the Thing-stead of the Upper-mark.
So passed away the fighting men by the side of Mirkwood-water, and the throng of the stay-at-homes melted slowly from the meadow and trickled79 along through the acres to the habitations of the Wolfings, and there they fell to doing whatso of work or play came to their hands.
收听单词发音 |
1
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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thralls
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| n.奴隶( thrall的名词复数 )；奴役；奴隶制；奴隶般受支配的人 | |
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yoked
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| 结合（yoke的过去式形式） | |
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mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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8
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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9
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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11
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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12
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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13
tilts
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| （意欲赢得某物或战胜某人的）企图，尝试( tilt的名词复数 ) | |
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14
shingles
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| n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板 | |
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15
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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16
onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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17
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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18
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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19
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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20
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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21
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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22
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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23
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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24
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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25
mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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26
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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27
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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28
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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29
yoking
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| 配轭，矿区的分界 | |
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30
throngs
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| n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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32
ramping
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| 土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯 | |
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33
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
hems
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| 布的褶边，贴边( hem的名词复数 )； 短促的咳嗽 | |
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35
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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36
ailing
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| v.生病 | |
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37
thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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38
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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39
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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40
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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41
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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42
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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43
boding
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| adj.凶兆的，先兆的n.凶兆，前兆，预感v.预示，预告，预言( bode的现在分词 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待 | |
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44
flickers
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| 电影制片业； （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的名词复数 ) | |
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45
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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46
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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47
gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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48
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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49
smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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50
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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52
quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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53
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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54
overthrowing
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| v.打倒，推翻( overthrow的现在分词 )；使终止 | |
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55
quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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56
yokes
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| 轭( yoke的名词复数 )； 奴役； 轭形扁担； 上衣抵肩 | |
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57
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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58
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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59
foretell
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| v.预言，预告，预示 | |
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60
crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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munition
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| n.军火；军需品；v.给某部门提供军火 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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66
woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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warded
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| 有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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72
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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73
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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