BETWEEN the Baltic and the North Sea there liesan old swan's nest， wherein swans are born andhave been born that shall never die.
In olden times a flock of swans flew over theAlps to the GREen plains around Milan， where it wasdelightful to dwell. This flight of swans men calledthe Lombards.
Another flock， with shining plumage and honest eyes， soared southward to Byzantium;the swans established themselves there close by the Emperor's throne， and spread theirwings over him as shields to protect him. They received the name of Varangians.
On the coast of France there sounded a cry of fear， for the blood-stained swans that camefrom the North with fire under their wings; and the people prayed， “Heaven deliver us fromthe wild Northmen.”
On the fresh sward of England stood the Danish swan by the open seashore， with thecrown of three kingdoms on his head; and he stretched out his golden sceptre over the land.The heathens on the Pomerian coast bent the knee， and the Danish swans came with thebanner of the Cross and with the drawn sword.
“That was in the very old times，” you say.
In later days two mighty swans have been seen to fly from the nest. A light shone farthrough the air， far over the lands of the earth; the swan， with the strong beating of hiswings， scattered the twilight mists， and the starry sky was seen， and it was as if it camenearer to the earth. That was the swan Tycho Brahe.
“Yes， then，” you say; “but in our own days?”
We have seen swan after swan soar by in glorious flight. One let his pinions glide over thestrings of the golden harp， and it resounded through the North. Norway's mountains seemedto rise higher in the sunlight of former days; there was a rustling among the pine trees andthe birches; the gods of the North， the heroes， and the noble women， showed themselvesin the dark forest depths.
We have seen a swan beat with his wings upon the marble crag， so that it burst， andthe forms of beauty imprisoned in the stone stepped out to the sunny day， and men in thelands round about lifted up their heads to behold these mighty forms.
We have seen a third swan spinning the thread of thought that is fastened from country tocountry round the world， so that the word may fly with lightning speed from land to land.
And our Lord loves the old swan's nest between the Baltic and the North Sea. And whenthe mighty birds come soaring through the air to destroy it， even the callow young standround in a circle on the margin of the nest， and though their breasts may be struck so thattheir blood flows， they bear it， and strike with their wings and their claws.
Centuries will pass by， swans will fly forth from the nest， men will see them and hearthem in the world， before it shall be said in spirit and in truth， “This is the last swan—the lastsong from the swan's nest.”
在波罗的海和北海之间有一个古老的天鹅窠。它名叫丹麦。天鹅就是在它里面生出来的，过去和现在都是这样。它们的名字永远不会被人遗忘。
在远古的时候，有一群天鹅飞过阿尔卑斯山，在“五月的国度”1里的绿色平原上落下来。住在这儿是非常幸福的。
这一群天鹅叫做“长鬍子人”2.另外一群长着发亮的羽毛和诚实的眼睛的天鹅，飞向南方，在拜占庭3落下来。它们在皇帝的座位周围住下来，同时伸开它们的白色大翅膀，保护他的盾牌。这群天鹅叫做瓦1. 1指意大利伦巴底亚(Lombardia)省的首府米兰(Milano)。林格人2原文是Longobarder，指住在意大利伦巴底亚省的伦巴底人(Lombardo)。
3这是东罗马帝国的首都。
法国的海岸上升起一片惊恐的声音，因为嗜血狂的天鹅，拍着带有火焰的翅膀，正在从北方飞来。人们祈祷着说：“愿上帝把我们从这些野蛮的北欧人手中救出来!”
一只丹麦的天鹅2站在英国碧绿的草原上，站在广阔的海岸旁边。他的头上戴着代表三个王国的皇冠;他把他的王节伸向这个国家的土地上。
波美尔3海岸上的异教徒都在地上跪下来，因为丹麦的天鹅，带着绘有十字的旗帜和拔出的剑，向这儿飞来了。
那是很久很久以前的事情!你会这样说。