Part 7
“My steed stands in the cloister garth A-tarrying all for thee; Wilt thou now, little Kirsten, Fare forth afar with me!”
14
It was young Sir Karel Rose straightway from the dead; And as they reached the cloister door A gay good-night she bade.
15
The nuns they all sat silent, And on their books read they, They thought ’twas GOD’s good angel That bore the maid away.
16
The nuns they all sat silent, Each to herself said she: “GOD grant that His good angel May come eftsoon for me!” —The roses and the lilies all a-blowing.
XXVII
AAGE AND ELSE
This Ballad may be compared with our own “Sweet William and May Margaret,” “Sweet William’s Ghost,” and the conclusion of “Clerk Saunders.” The same theme gave rise to Ballads in Sweden, Brittany, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, and the Slav countries. (The idea of a dead lover’s return to his sweetheart is one so natural that we surely need not hark back for its Danish source to the classical Lay of Helge and Sigrun.) It inspires another fine Ballad, “Sir Morten of Fuglsang,” whose Burden was borrowed by Longfellow in his poetical version of Olaf Tryggvason’s Saga (_Tales of a Wayside Inn_).
The line in verse 6, “_No cloak had he_,” refers to the custom of smiting the door with a fold of the cloak. (In “Niels Ebbeson” I have substituted “sword,” as more intelligible to the English reader.)
The metre of “Aage and Else” is an interesting variation on the usual form of the four-lined stanza.
XXVII
AAGE AND ELSE
1
Three maidens sat in a bower, Two broidered with gold The third she wept her own true love All under darksome mould. (For she loved the knight so truly.)
2
It was the Knight Sir Aage Went riding here and there, He loved the lady Elselil, A maid so fair.
3
He wooed the lady Elselil With gifts and gold; On Monday thereafter He lay in the mould.
4
Sore wept she, lady Elselil, With wellaway; That heard the knight Sir Aage Low where he lay.
5
Up stood the knight Sir Aage, His coffin took amain, Forth to his true love’s bower he fared With mickle pain.
6
He knocked there with his coffin— No cloak had he— “Stand up, thou stately Elselil, Open to me!”
7
Up spake the lady Elselil, With tears spake she: “Canst thou name the name of Jesu I’ll open to thee!”
8
“Stand up, thou lady Elselil, Open thy door! I can name the name of Jesu As ever I could of yore.”
9
Up stood she, stately Elselil, With drearihed; There opened she her bower door, Let in the dead.
10
She took her golden comb To smooth his hair; For every lock she ordered Down fell a tear.
11
“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage, Dearest love mine, How goes it under darksome earth In grave o’ thine?”
12
“So goes it under the darksome earth Where I am laid As in the happy realm of heaven; Therefore be glad.”
13
“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage, Dearest love mine. Fain would I lie ’neath darksome mould All in that grave o’ thine.”
14
“So is it under darksome mould, There where I rest, As in the blackest depths of hell —Cross thou thy breast
15
“For every tear thou sheddest In mournful mood, Down into my grave doth fall A drop of blood.
16
“Up above my head The green grass grows; Round about my feet The wild worm goes.
17
“Now in the darksome entry The black cock doth crow, And all the gates are opening; Forth must I go.
18
“Now crows upon the high-loft The cock so red, And I must go to the kirkyard With all the dead.”
19
Up stood the knight Sir Aage, His coffin took again, Forth fared he to the kirkyard With mickle pain.
20
Up stood she, stately Elselil, Right mournful was her mood; She followed him, her own true love, Through the wild wood.
21
As thro’ the wood they wended All to the kirkyard there, Wan it grew and faded, His goodly golden hair.
22
“Behold now up in heaven The stars so bright; So shalt thou see soothly How goes the night.”
23
She saw them up in heaven, The stars so fair; Down in the earth the dead man sank Ere she was ware.
24
Home went she, lady Elselil, With care so cold; On Monday thereafter Lay she in the mould. (For she loved the knight so truly.)
XXVIII, XXIX
LOVEL AND JOHN
TYGE HERMANDSSON
Jovial Ballads, these, of the Young Lochinvar type, where the too tardy bridegroom wins the verdict “Serve him right!” (In the former, I have made free with the name of Sir Lave, turning it into Lovel.) The _svalegang_ plays its part in the story, since it is along this open gallery-stair that Sir John lights the bride to her bower. The Burden is handled with singular skill; the concluding line in verses 2, 3, and 4 forms no part of the dialogue, but is an aside spoken by the poet.
“Gallant knight” in “Tyge Hermandsson,” v. 21, is literally “lady’s swain” (Jomfrusvend)—squire of dames, first in love as in war.
XXVIII
LOVEL AND JOHN
Lo now, I bid you, my merry men all, Put your armour on![3] Bind on your helms of the burning gold, And follow Sir John!
1
Sir Peter home from the Thing did fare, (Put your armour on) Forth came little Kirsten to meet him there, And ask after John.
2
“Welcome, dear father, home from the Thing! (Put your armour on) Tell me what tidings hast thou to bring?” What news of Sir John?
3
“These are the tidings I have for thee, (Put your armour on) That young Sir Lovel thy bridegroom shall be.” And not Sir John.
4
“If young Sir Lovel my bridegroom shall be, (Put your armour on) Sorrow and care shall he have with me!” While he lives, Sir John.
5
Sir Lovel to bridal-feast doth speed, (Put your armour on) Sir John hath bidden them shoe his steed. “I go with him,” said John.
6
Sir John he rode to the blithe bridàle, (Put your armour on) High on his horse in his coat of mail. “I come!” said John.
7
When the dew fell fast and the eve was sped, (Put your armour on) The bride must go to the bridal-bed. “I go thither!” said John.
8
They led the bride to the bridal-bower, (Put your armour on) Sir John he carried the torch before. “I first,” said John.
9
Sir John he locked the door aright: (Put your armour on) “Now bid Sir Lovel a gay good-night!” All from Sir John.
10
Straight to Sir Lovel the news they cried: (Put your armour on) “Sir John he sleeps with thy fair young bride!” That did Sir John.
11
Now when the day was dawning there (Put your armour on) Sir Lovel forth to the king did fare. “I go with him!” said John.
12
“My gracious lord, now hark and heed! (Put your armour on) A plaint have I that craves for rede.” “’Tis of me,” said John.
13
“A fair young bride I thought to wed, (Put your armour on) But another knight took the bride instead!” “That was I,” said John.
14
“And if ye both hold the maid so dear, (Put your armour on) Now for her sake ye shall break a spear.” “I shall win!” said John.
15
The first of the courses they rode so free, (Put your armour on) Sir Lovel’s horse fell on his knee. “Hold up!” said John.
16
And when they rode to the joust again, (Put your armour on) Sir Lovel’s neck was broken in twain. “Lie there!” said John.
17
She clapped her hands, the dainty dame: (Put your armour on) “Ne’er did I see so fair a game!” Thus he won, Sir John. —Bind on your helmets of burning gold, And follow Sir John!
[3] Lit: Be ye well boun! (I være vel bon.)
XXIX
TYGE HERMANDSSON
1
All on a Saturday morning it rained both far and wide, And it was Tyge Hermandsson that should fetch home his bride. —I will ride forth to seek for a fair one.
2
The knight looked forth from the window, the burn it ran so high: “My bride is not so dear to me that I for her should die!
3
“Now harken, Nilaus Bendiktsson, long-leggèd is thy steed! Fetch home my bride for love of God, and help me in my need!”
4
Up spake Nilaus Bendiktsson, he spake a word so free: “And if I fetch thee home thy bride, be sure I’ll cozen thee!”
5
It was Nilaus Bendiktsson that rode the bride to meet, Silk and samite floated about his horse’s feet.
6
His swains were clothed in samite, with owches of gold beside; Unto the kirk they’ve ridden, all with the fair young bride.
7
The bride she stood at kirkyard gate, red as a rose in bloom; She looked out over the water: “And where is the bonny groom?”
8
Up spake Nilaus Bendiktsson, he spake right joyfully: “He dared not cross the burn to-day, for the water ran so high!”
9
All on the bridal-bench the bride right modestly she sate, They looked out over the water: “The bridegroom tarries late!”
10
They poured in cups of silver the mead and wine so red; All in the evening early the bride must seek her bed.
11
They led her in, the fair young bride, all to her chamber door, Forth went knights and pages to bear the torch before.
12
Oh, they laid her in the bridal-bed, and she was a dainty dame. She tarried there three hours and more, and ne’er a bridegroom came.
13
The priests they stood by the bridal-bed, and sang as best they mote; “Now who shall sleep beside our bride, since the bridegroom cometh not?”
14
Up stood Nilaus Bendiktsson, cast off his silver shoon: “Now I will plight her faith and troth and sleep by her eftsoon!”
15
I wot their heart were merry as they pledged the bonny bride, All save Tyge Hermandsson, dared not the water ride.
16
Now on the Wednesday after the flood began to fall; Over came Tyge Hermandsson, but and his followers all.
17
It was Tyge Hermandsson did to the castle fare, She stood without, the bonny bride, wrapped all in cloak of vair.
18
Oh, high she held her head, I wis, and spake with haughty cheer: “Away with thee, Tyge Hermandsson, no welcome hast thou here!”
19
“Now lithe and listen, proud Liselil, this blame I have for thee, Hast plighted troth with another man, so hast thou cozened me!”
20
“Harken, Tyge Hermandsson, this word I tell thee plain, Never, ah, never I’ll wed the man dares not ride out in the rain!
21
“Now hadst thou been a gallant knight, and pledged a lady word, Thou wouldst have braved the billows blue all with thy naked sword!”
22
“Oh, I will enter a cloister, and learn the monkish lore! But know, thou haughty Liselil, thou’lt see my face no more!”
23
“Oh, go thy ways where’er thou wilt, let all thy prating be! For had I bread and cheese for two, there should be none for thee!” —I will ride forth to seek for a fair one.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHILD, F. J. (ed.). The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 5 volumes. 1882-98.
Selection from Child’s collection, edited by H. C. SARGENT and G. L. KITTREDGE. 1904.
GARBORG, HULDA. Norske Folkeviser.
GRUNDTVIG, S. (ed.). Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser. 5 volumes. 1853-1890. Translations into Danish of British Ballads.
GUMMERE, F. B. Article on _Ballads_ in the _Cambridge History of English Literature_. 1908.
HENDERSON, T. F. The Ballad in Literature. (_Cambridge Manuals._) 1912.
KER, W. P. Epic and Romance. 1897.
OLRIK, A. Danske Folkeviser i Udvalg, og Indledning. 1912.
PINEAU, L. Les Vieux Chants Populaires Scandinaves. 1898.
VIGFUSSON, G., and POWELL, F. YORK. Corpus Poeticum Boreale. 2 volumes. 1883.