Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga - 01.01.1940, Blaðsíða 108

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TÍMARIT ÞJÓÐRÆKNISFÉLAGS ÍSLENDINGA
THE LIGHT OF DA Y
(Based on Norse Mythology)
By Helen Swinburne
Night hath driven by—
Dark-robed, mysterious—
Beneath a starlit sky:
Her steed of dusky hue,
Down from his foaming bit,
Hath shaken drops of dew;
And the earth, refreshed, hath woke
In the glimmering light of Dawn,
When the stars were waxen wan.
Mimir’s fountain flowing
Hath changed to golden mead
From Dawn’s rare colours glowing,
When, forth upon his way,
Shedding light afar,
Cometh radiant Day.
Across the heaven’s blue
He guideth with jewelled rein
His fair steed Shining-mane.
And lo, upon the earth
Light falleth, shadows form
Silently . . . now mirth
Awaketh with a trill
Of bird-song in the woods
Where all was dark and still:
And the flowers unfold their petals,
While the spectres of the Night
Flee from the dazzling light.
The billows cool and green
Dance over Saga’s realm
Lit with silver sheen;
While the laughing waterfalls
And the rivers gliding by
Answer the wild birds’ calls.
Nature is rejoicing;
The hills and dale are rife
With ever-moving life.
Over the earth so fair
Gleameth golden grain
Like Sif’s long waving hair:
And the sons of men arise,
Filled with hope new-born,
To toil beneath the skies,
As men, through time, have striven—
Hopeful ever and aye—
In the shining light of Day.
Ást þessarar strengmjúku skáld-
konu á íslandi er innileg og sterk;
frá kvæðum hennar andar hlýblaevi
heiðríkrar sálar. Og þrátt fyrir um-
svifamikil húsmóðurstörf, er Helen
Swinburne síyrkjandi, og styrkist í
ljóðlist sinni frá ári til árs; kvæði
hennar hafa birst, að því er mér er
kunnugt um, í tveim dagblöðum Cal-
gary-borgar, ýmissum canadiskum
tímaritum og Lögbergi.
ísland hefir eignast marga ágæta
fulltrúa á erlendum vettvangi; í þann
hóp má skipa Helen Swinburne, þvi
þó hún ali aldur sinn í umhverfi, þar
sem aðeins af tilviljun heyrist ís-
lenskt orð, þá vinnur hún að því af
fullum trúnaði, að útbreiða þekkingu
á þjóðernislegum verðmætum ís'
lands, og lætur sér ant um sæmd
þjóðarinnar.