Him answered then the everliving Lord:-- "Alas, O Andrew, that thou shouldst be slow To undertake this journey, since for God, Almighty One, it were not hard to bring That city hither, 'neath the circling sun, Unto this country, o'er the ways of earth-- The princely city famous, with its men-- If He, the Lord of Glory, with a word 210 Should bid it. So thou mayst not hesitate To undertake this journey, nor art thou Too weak in wit, if thou but keepest well The faithful covenant with thy Lord. Be thou Prepared against the hour, for there can be No tarrying on this errand. Thou shalt go And bear thy life into the grasp of men Full violent, where 'gainst 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?"