Eyes that so clear saw the wonderful vision Looked far away beyond earth's indecision. Snow-white unfolded the pinions that later Bore thee to the greater. Speaking or asking thou broughtest me sorrow; Eyes thine and words thine seemed wanting to borrow Clearness more pure and thoughts, victory gaining Beyond my attaining. When thou wert dancing in all a child's lightness, Shaking thy locks like a fountain in brightness, Laughing till heaven was opened in gladness Over thy gladness,-- Or when affliction in sternness had spoken, So that thy heart in that moment seemed broken, Far from thy thoughts in thy suffering riven Were both earth and heaven,-- Then, oh, I saw then: thy joy and thy grieving Ever the bounds of the mortal were cleaving. All seems so little where silent we ponder,-- But room they have yonder. BERGEN (See Note 19) As thou sittest there Skerry-bound and fair, Mountains high around and ocean's deep before thee, On thee casts her spell _Saga_, that shall tell Once again the wonders of our land. Honor is thy due, "Bergen never new," Ancient and unaging as thy Holberg's humor; Once kings sought thine aid,-- Mighty now in trade,-- First to fly the flag of liberty. Oft in proud array, As a sunshine-day Breaks forth from thy rain and fog wind-driven, Thou didst come with men Or great deeds again, When the clouds were darkest o'er our land. Thy soul was the ground, Wit-enriched and sound, Whence there sprang stout thoughts to make our country's harvest, Whence our arts exist, In their birth-hour kissed By thy nature, somber, large, and strong. In thy mountain-hall Learned our painter, _Dahl_; Wand'ring on thy strands our poet dreamed, _Welhaven_; All thy morning's gold _Ole Bull_ ensouled, Greeted on thy bay by all the world. With thy sea-wide sway Thou hast might for aye, Fjords of blue convey thy life-blood through our country. Norway's spirit thou Dost with joy endow,-- Great thy past, no less thy future great. P. A. MUNCH (1863) (See Note 20) Many forms belong to greatness. He who now has left us bore it As a doubt that made him sleepless, But at last gave revelation,-- As a sight-enhancing power, That gave visions joined with anguish Over all beyond our seeing,-- As a flight on labor's pinions From the thought unto the certain, Thence aloft to intuition,-- Restless haste and changeful ardor, God-inspired and unceasing, Through the wide world ever storming, Took its load of thoughts and doubtings, Bore them, threw them off,--and took them, Never tired, never listless. Still! for he had one haven of rest: Family-life peace-bestowing! Powers of light gave repose to his breast, Calm 'mid the strife of his knowing. Softly with music his wife led him in Unto the sweet-smelling birches! Unto the flowers and still deeper in Under the fir-forest's churches!