inst thee shall be raised
The strife of warfare, with the battle-din
Of heathens, and the warriors' martial might.
Even to-morrow with the early dawn, 220
At the sea's border thou shalt straightway go
On shipboard, and upon the waters cold,
Over the ocean[1], break thy speedy way.
Thou hast My blessing over all the earth,
Wherever thou shalt fare!" The Holy One,
Ruler and Guardian, archangels' King,
The world's Defense, betook Him to His home,
That glorious home, where souls of righteous men
After the body's fall shall life enjoy.
So in that town this mission was decreed 230
Unto the noble champion; not abashed
In mind was he, but steadfast for the deed
Heroic; hardy-hearted, firm in soul,
No skulker he from battle, but prepared
For warfare, in God's struggle stout and bold.

[Footnote 1: Lit. "bath-road."]

So at the dawning, when the day first broke,
He gat him o'er the sand-downs to the sea,
Valiant in heart, and with him went his thanes
To walk upon the shingle, where the waves
Loud thundered, and the streams of ocean beat
Against the shore. Full glad was that brave saint
To see upon the sands a galley fair 240
Wide-bosomed. Then, behold, resplendent dawn,
Brightest of beacons, came upon her way,
Hasting from out the murky gloom of night,
And heaven's candle shone across the floods.
Three seamen saw he there, a glorious band,
Courageous men, upon their ocean-bark
Sitting all ready to depart, like men
Just come across the deep. The Lord himself
It was, the everlasting Lord of hosts,
Almighty, with His holy angels twain.
In raiment they were like seafaring men, 250
These heroes, like to wanderers on the waves,
When in the flood's embrace they sail with ships
Upon the waters cold to distant lands.

Then he who stood there, eager, on the shore,
Upon the shingle, greeted him and said:--
"Whence come ye, men in seamanship expert,
Seafaring on your ocean-coursing bark,
Your lonely ship? whence has the ocean-stream
Wafted you o'er the welter of the waves?"

Then answered him again Almighty God, 260
In such wise that the saint who heard His words
Wist not what one of speaking men it was
With whom he was conversing on the strand.
"From the land of Mermedonia are we come,
Borne hither from afar; our high-prowed ship
Carrie