Читать книгу English and Scottish Ballads (Vol. 1-8) - Various Authors - Страница 74

The ballad of Rosmer is found in Danish, Swedish, Faroish, and Norse. All the questions bearing upon its origin, and the relations of the various forms in which the story exists, are amply discussed by Grundtvig, vol. ii. p. 72. Three versions of the Danish ballad are given by Vedel, all of which Jamieson has translated. The following is No. 31 in Abrahamson.

There dwalls a lady in Danmarck,

Lady Hillers lyle men her ca';

And she's gar'd bigg a new castell,

That shines o'er Danmarck a'.

5 Her dochter was stown awa frae her;

She sought for her wide-whare;

But the mair she sought, and the less she fand—

That wirks her sorrow and care.

And she's gar'd bigg a new ship,

10 Wi' vanes o' flaming goud,

Wi' mony a knight and mariner,

Sae stark in need bestow'd.

She's followed her sons down to the strand,

That chaste and noble fre;

15 And wull and waif for eight lang years

They sail'd upon the sea.

And eight years wull and waif they sail'd,

O' months that seem'd sae lang;

Syne they sail'd afore a high castell,

20 And to the land can gang.

And the young lady Svanè lyle,

In the bower that was the best,

Says, "Wharfrae cam thir frem swains,

Wi' us this night to guest?"

25 Then up and spak her youngest brither,

Sae wisely ay spak he;

"We are a widow's three poor sons,

Lang wilder'd on the sea.

"In Danmarck were we born and bred,

30 Lady Hillers lyle was our mither;

Our sister frae us was stown awa,

We findna whare or whither."

"In Danmarck were ye born and bred?

Was Lady Hillers your mither?

35 I can nae langer heal frae thee,

Thou art my youngest brither.

"And hear ye this, my youngest brither:

Why bade na ye at hame?

Had ye a hunder and thousand lives,

40 Ye canna brook ane o' them."

She's set him in the weiest nook

She in the house can meet;

She's bidden him for the high God's sake

Nouther to laugh ne greet.

45 Rosmer hame frae Zealand came,

And he took on to bann:

"I smell fu' weel, by my right hand,

That here is a Christian man."

"There flew a bird out o'er the house,

50 Wi' a man's bane in his mouth;

He coost it in, and I cast it out,

As fast as e'er I couth."

But wilyly she can Rosmer win;

And clapping him tenderly,

55 "It's here is come my sister-son;—

Gin I lose him, I'll die.

"It's here is come, my sister-son,

Frae baith our fathers' land;

And I ha'e pledged him faith and troth,

60 That ye will not him bann."

"And is he come, thy sister-son,

Frae thy father's land to thee?

Then I will swear my highest aith,

He's dree nae skaith frae me."

65 "'Twas then the high king Rosmer,

He ca'd on younkers twae:

"Ye bid proud Svanè lyle's sister-son

To the chalmer afore me gae."

It was Svanè lyle's sister-son,

70 Whan afore Rosmer he wan,

His heart it quook, and his body shook,

Sae fley'd, he scarce dow stand.

Sae Rosmer took her sister-son,

Set him upon his knee;

75 He clappit him sae luifsomely,

He turned baith blue and blae.

And up and spak she, Svanè lyle;

"Sir Rosmer, ye're nae to learn

That your ten fingers arena sma,

80 To clap sae little a bairn."

There was he till, the fifthen year,

He green'd for hame and land:

"Help me now, sister Svanè lyle,

To be set on the white sand."

85 It was proud Lady Svanè lyle,

Afore Rosmer can stand:

"This younker sae lang in the sea has been,

He greens for hame and land."

"Gin the younker sae lang in the sea has been,

90 And greens for hame and land,

Then I'll gie him a kist wi' goud,

Sae fitting till his hand."

"And will ye gi'e him a kist wi' goud,

Sae fitting till his hand?

95 Then hear ye, my noble heartis dear,

Ye bear them baith to land."

Then wrought proud Lady Svanè lyle

What Rosmer little wist;

For she's tane out the goud sae red,

100 And laid hersel i' the kist.

He's ta'en the man upon his back;

The kist in his mouth took he;

And he has gane the lang way up

Frae the bottom o' the sea.

105 "Now I ha'e borne thee to the land;

Thou seest baith sun and moon;

Namena Lady Svanè for thy highest God,

I beg thee as a boon."

Rosmer sprang i' the saut sea out,

110 And jawp'd it up i' the sky;

But whan he cam till the castell in,

Nae Svanè lyle could he spy.

Whan he came till the castell in,

His dearest awa was gane;

115 Like wood he sprang the castell about,

On the rock o' the black flintstane.

Glad they were in proud Hillers lyle's house,

Wi' welcome joy and glee;

Hame to their friends her bairns were come,

120 That had lang been in the sea.