And it was Olav Trygvason,
steering across the great North Sea,
Toward his youthful Kingdom,
not yet prepared for him.
Then his first impression:
“What kind of a wall is this at the water’s edge?”
And it was Olav Trygvason,
the land seemed closed off,
All his youthful Royal yearnings
felt smashed against the cliff,
Till suddenly a skald noticed
white domes and spires in the sky.
And it was Olav Trygvason,
thought he suddenly saw
Snow white arches upon
grayish old temple walls.
With his tender faith
he so longed to stand within.
The land revealed in spring,
by rushing waterfall,
Stormy weather and roaring ocean around them,
The forest whispering mysteriously,
Organs and chimes were heard,
The king looked around,
The king was entranced:
“Found here is the foundation,
[The temple arch] Heaven defies Hell,
The spirit trembles, the heart is filled,
Here the greatest only can be acclaimed!
May my faith stand strong as the foundation,
Rise as pure as the glacier’s peak,
The spirit reach nature’s height,
Filled by Him, the Creator.”
Let’s all follow Olav’s prayer
now and every day:
“The spirit trembles, the heart is filled
Here the greatest only can be acclaimed
May my faith stand strong as the foundation,
Rise as pure as the glacier’s peak
The spirit reach nature’s height
Filled by Him, the Creator
Filled by Him! Filled by Him!”