(25.) [Hafbur and Signe: 1913]
Hafbur and Signe / A Ballad / By / George Borrow / London: / Printed for Private Circulation / 1913.
Collation:—Square demy octavo, pp. 23; consisting of: Half-title (with blank reverse) pp. 1–2; Title-page, as above (with blank reverse) pp. 3–4; and Text
of the Ballad pp. 5–23. The head-line is Hafbur and Signe throughout, upon both sides of the page. Upon the reverse of p. 23 is the following imprint: “London: / Printed for Thomas J. Wise, Hampstead, N.W. / Edition limited to Thirty Copies.” The signatures are A (a half-sheet of four leaves), with B (a full sheet of eight leaves) inset within it.
Issued in bright green paper wrappers, with untrimmed edges, and with the title-page reproduced upon the front. The leaves measure 8½ × 6⅞ inches.
Thirty Copies only were printed.
Contents.
| page | |
| Hafbur and Signe. [Young Hafbur King and Sivard King They lived in bitter enmity] | 5 |
Of Hafbur and Signe two Manuscripts are extant. The first of these was doubtless written in the early summer of 1830, for on June 1st of that year Borrow wrote to Dr. Bowring:
I send you “Hafbur and Signe” to deposit in the Scandinavian Treasury [i.e. among the Songs of Scandinavia].
The later Manuscript was written in or about the year 1854.
The earlier of these two Manuscripts is in the collection of Mr. Herbert T. Butler. The later Manuscript is in my own library.
As is usually the case when two Manuscripts of one of Borrow’s ballads are available, the difference in poetical value of the two versions of Hafbur and Signe is considerably. Few examples could exhibit more distinctly the advance made by Borrow in the art of poetical composition during the interval. Here are some stanzas from the version of 1854.
So late it was at nightly tide,
Down fell the dew o’er hill and mead;
Then lists it her proud Signild fair
With all the rest to bed to speed.“O where shall I a bed procure?”
Said Hafbur then, the King’s good son.
“O thou shalt rest in chamber best
With me the bolsters blue upon.”Proud Signild foremost went, and stepped
The threshold of her chamber o’er;
With secret glee came Hafbur, he
Had never been so glad before.Then lighted they the waxen lights,
So fairly twisted were the same.
Behind, behind, with ill at mind,
The wicked servant maiden came
The following are the parallel stanzas from the version of 1830
So late it was in the nightly tide,
Dew fell o’er hill and mead;
Then listed her proud Signild fair
With the rest to bed to speed.“O where shall I a bed procure?”
Said Hafbour the King’s good son.
“In the chamber best with me thou shalt rest,
The bolsters blue upon.”Proud Signild foremost went and stepp’d
The high chamber’s threshold o’er,
Prince Hafbour came after with secret laughter,
He’d ne’er been delighted moreThen lighted they the waxen lights,
Fair twisted were the same.
Behind, behind with ill in her mind
The wicked servant came.
I give herewith a reduced facsimile of the last page of each Manuscript.
There is a copy of Hafbur and Signe A Ballad in the Library of the British Museum. The Press-mark is C. 44. d. 38.
