Fifty-One Tales by Lord Dunsany 1915

The Return of Song

"The swans are singing again," said to one another the

gods.  And looking downwards, for my dreams had taken me to

some fair and far Valhalla, I saw below me an iridescent

bubble not greatly larger than a star shine beautifully but

faintly, and up and up from it looking larger and larger

came a flock of white, innumerable swans, singing and

singing and singing, till it seemed as though even the gods

were wild ships swimming in music.

   "What is it?" I said to one that was humble among the

gods.

   "Only a world has ended," he said to me, "and the swans

are coming back to the gods returning the gift of song."

   "A whole world dead!" I said.

   "Dead," said he that was humble among the gods.  "The

worlds are not for ever; only song is immortal."

   "Look!  Look!" he said.  "There will be a new one soon."

   And I looked and saw the larks, going down from the gods.