love thee dearly, sweet Nahina!'

But my shy sadness only bred

Scorn in her who was vain and prideful;

She was indifferent to my lot,

And said, of all my pain unmindful:

'Well, shepherd mine, I love thee not!'

"I was estranged from all, and gloomy

Life seemed. The shady native wood,

The games of shepherds-nothing could

My hurt soothe and bring comfort to me

I languished.... But the far seas drew me;

To leave my homeland sought I then

And with a band of fighting men

To brave the ocean's winds capricious....

I hoped to win renown and fame

And for my own Nahina claim.

This planned, according to my wishes,

I called upon some boatmen who

Joined with me in a quest for danger

And gold. My land, to war a stranger,

The clash of steel now heard, and knew

The sound of boat with boat colliding....

On, on we sailed, the billows riding,

My men and I, by sweet hope led,

Both snow and water painting red

For ten long years with gore of foes.

As rumour of our prow^ess spread,

The foreign rulers came to dread

Our forays, and their champions chose

To flee our blades. Yes, fierce and hearted

Our battles were, and merry, too,

And with the men we had defeated

Together feasted we. But through