He wandered through landscapes painted
Green by forests and blue by lakes
All the way of leagues ten and five
Until he
arrived during the fall of twilight
Gathered the villagers around him
To hear the sad news he had to bring
"Three dawns ago
in the land towards sunrise
Was thy king slain in a battle at night"
A gray cloud shadowed the hearts of men
And flowing
tears wet women's eyes
Their king had gone to Tuonela
Had his spirit among them died?
Had it gone away with the flames
That
burned his warship - his grave
The nightwinds had called his name
The gods got another man brave
Weeks after the funeral was
seen a shadow gray
Roaming in the woods of the eastern land
Hiding in daytime then returning at night
Haunting in the minds
of the mortals who killed a king