SCENE EIGHTH.
Sunrise. The mountain-side in front of Åse’s sæter. The door is shut; all is silent and deserted.
Peer Gynt is lying asleep by the wall of the sæter.
Peer.
[Wakens, and looks about him with dull and heavy
eyes. He spits.]
What wouldn’t I give for a pickled herring!
[Spits again, and at the same moment catches sight of Helga, who appears carrying a basket of food.
Ha, child, are you there? What is it you want?
Helga.
It is Solveig——
Peer.
[Jumping up.]
Where is she?
Helga.
Behind the sæter.
Solveig.
[Unseen.]
If you come nearer, I’ll run away!
Peer.
[Stopping short.]
Perhaps you’re afraid I might take you in my arms?
Solveig.
For shame!
Peer.
Do you know where I was last night?—
Like a horse-fly the Dovrë-King’s daughter is after me.
Solveig.
Then it was well that the bells were set ringing.
Peer.
Peer Gynt’s not the lad they can lure astray.—
What do you say?
Helga.
[Crying.]
Oh, she’s running away!
[Running after her.
Wait!
Peer.
[Catches her by the arm.]
Look here, what I have in my pocket!
A silver button, child! You shall have it,—
Only speak for me!
Helga.
Let me be; let me go!
Peer.
There you have it.
Helga.
Let go; there’s the basket of food.
Peer.
God pity you if you don’t——
Helga.
Uf, how you scare me!
Peer.
[Gently; letting her go.]
No, I only meant: beg her not to forget me!
[Helga runs off.
Footnotes:
[44]. “Blir der Helg når en dig ser?” literally, “Does it become a holy-day (or holy-tide) when one sees you?”
[45]. A malevolent water-monster.
[46]. Sæter—a châlet, or small mountain farm, where the cattle are sent to pasture in the summer months.
[48]. See Appendix.
[49]. Pronounce Vaal-fyeld.
[50]. Pronounce Broasë.
[51]. Kicking the rafters is a much-admired exploit in peasant dancing. See note, page [30].
[52]. Literally, “Better than our reputation.”
[53]. “Ustyggelig stygt.” “Ustyggelig” seems to be what Mr. Lewis Carroll calls a portmanteau word, compounded of “usigelig” = unspeakable, and “styg” = ugly. The words might be rendered “beyond grimness grim.”
[54]. See Introduction and Appendix.
[55]. Rendered harmless by magical anointing.
[56].
“Atter og fram, det er lige langt;—
ud og ind, det er lige trangt!”
[57]. “Med lempe,” literally “by gentleness” or “easy-goingness.” “Quiescence” is somewhere near the idea.