St. Oluf built a lofty ship,
With sails of silk so fair;
“To Hornelummer I must go,
And see what’s passing there.”“O do not go,” the seamen said,
“To yonder fatal ground,
Where savage Jutts, and wicked elves,
And demon sprites, abound.”St. Oluf climb’d the vessel’s side;
His courage nought could tame!
“Heave up, heave up the anchor straight;
Let’s go in Jesu’s name.“The cross shall be my faulchion now—
The book of God my shield;
And, arm’d with them, I hope and trust
To make the demons yield!”And swift, as eagle cleaves the sky,
The gallant vessel flew,
Direct for Hornelummer’s rock,
Through ocean’s wavy blue.’Twas early in the morning tide
When she cast anchor there;
And, lo! the Jutt stood on the cliff,
To breathe the morning air:His eyes were like the burning beal—
His mouth was all awry;
The truth I tell, and say he stood
Full twenty cubits high.* * * * *
“Be still, be still, thou noisy guest—
Be still for evermore;
Become a rock and beetle there,
Above the billows hoar.”Up started then, from out the hill,
The demon’s hoary wife;
She curs’d the king a thousand times,
And brandish’d high her knife.Sore wonder’d then the little elves,
Who sat within the hill,
To see their mother, all at once,
Stand likewise stiff and still.
Saint Oluf caused a ship be built,
At Marsirand so fair;
To Hornelummer he’ll away,
And see what’s passing there.Then answer made the steersman old,
Beside the helm who stood:
“At Hornelummer swarm the Trolas,
It is no haven good.”The king replied in gallant guise,
And sprang upon the prow:
“Upon the Ox [23] the cable cast,
In Jesu’s name let go!”The Ox he pants, the Ox he snorts,
And bravely cuts the swell—
To Hornelummer in they sail
The ugly Trolds to quell.The Jutt was standing on the cliff,
Which raises high its brow;
And thence he saw Saint Oluf, and
The Ox beneath him go.His eyes were like a burning beal,
His mouth was all awry,
The nails which feve’d his fingers’ ends
Stuck out so wondrously.“Now hold thy peace, thou foulest fiend,
And changed be to stone;
Do thou stand there ’till day of doom,
And injury do to none.”Then out came running from the hill
The carline old and grey;
She cursed the King a thousand times,
And bade him sail away.Then wondered much the little Trolds,
Who sat within the hill,
To see their mother all at once
Stand likewise stiff and still.
On Dovrefeld in Norroway
Free from care the warriors lay.
Who knows like us to rhyme and rune?Twelve bold warriors there were seen,
Brothers of Ingeborg the Queen.
Who knows like us to rhyme and rune?The first the rushing storm could turn,
The second could still the running burn.
Who knows like us to rhyme and rune?
Six score there were, six score and ten,
From Hald that rode that day;
And when they came to Brattingsborg
They pitch’d their pavilion gay.King Nilaus stood on the turrets top,
Had all around in sight:
“Why hold those heroes their lives so cheap,
That it lists them here to fight?“Now, hear me, Sivard Snaresvend;
Far hast thou rov’d, and wide,
Those warriors’ weapons thou shalt prove,
To their tent thou must straightway ride.”* * * * *
There shine upon the eighteenth shield
A man, and a fierce wild boar,
Are borne by the Count of Lidebierg;
His blows fall heavy and sore.There shines upon the twentieth shield,
Among branches, a rose, so gay;
Wherever Sir Nordman comes in war,
He bears bright honour away.There shines on the one-and-twentieth shield
A vase, and of copper ’tis made;
That’s borne by Mogan Sir Olgerson:
He wins broad lands with his blade.And now comes forth the next good shield,
With a sun dispelling the mirk;
And that by Asbiorn Mildé is borne;
He sets the knights’ backs at work.Now comes the four-and-twentieth shield,
And a bright sword there you see;
And that by Humble Sir Jerfing is borne;
Full worthy of that is he.* * * * *
Sir Humble struck his hand on the board;
No longer he lists to play:
I tell you, forsooth, that the rosy hue
From his cheek fast faded away.“Now, hear me, Vidrik Verlandson;
Thou art so free a man;
Do lend me Skimming, thy horse, this day;
I’ll pledge for him what I can.”* * * * *
In came Humble, with boot and spur,
He cast on the table his sword:
“Sivard stands in the green wood bound,
He speaks not a single word.“O, I have been to the wild forest,
And have seiz’d the warrior stark;
Sivard there was taken by me,
And tied to the oak’s rough bark.”* * * * *
The queen she sat in the high, high loft,
And thence look’d far and wide:
“O there comes Sward Snaresvend,
With a stately oak at his side.”Then loud laugh’d fair Queen Gloriant,
As she looked on Sivard full:
“Thou wert, no doubt, in great, great need,
When thou such flowers didst pull.”1854.
There were seven and seven times twenty
Away from Hald that went;
And when they came to Brattingsborg
There pitch’d they up their tent.King Nilaus stood on the turret’s top,
Had all around in sight:
“If yonder host comes here to joust
They hold their lives but light.“Now, hear me, Sivard Snarenswayne,
One thing I crave of thee;
To meet them go, for I would know
Their arms, and who they be.”* * * * *
There shine upon the eighteenth shield
A Giant and a Sow;
Who deals worse blows amidst his foes,
Count Lideberg, than thou?Wherever Sir Nordman comes in war
He winneth fame in field;
Yon blooming rose and verdant boughs
Adorn the twentieth shield.A copper kettle, fairly wrought,
Upon the next you see;
’Tis borne by one who realms has won,
Sir Mogan good, by thee!Forth comes the two-and-twentieth shield,
A sun mid mist and smoke;
Of wrestler line full many a spine
Has Asborn Milday broke.A glittering faulchion shines upon
The four-and-twentieth shield;
And that doth bear Sir Jerfing’s heir,
He’s worthy it to wield.* * * * *
Young Humble struck his hand on the board,
No longer he lists to play;
I tell to you that the rosy hue
From his cheek fast fled away.“Now hear me, Vidrik Verlandson,
Thou art a man so free;
Lend me thy horse to ride this course,
Grey Skimming lend to me.”* * * * *
In came Humble, with boot and spur,
On the table cast his sword:
“’Neath the green-wood bough stands Sivard now,
He speaketh not a word.“O, I have been to the forest wild,
And have seiz’d the warrior good:
These hands did chain the Snarenswayne
To the oak’s bark in the wood.”* * * * *
The Queen she sat in the chamber high,
And thence look’d far and wide:
“Across the plain comes the Snarenswayne,
With an oak-tree at his side.”Then loud laughed fair Queen Ellinore,
As she looked on Sivard full:
“Thou wast, I guess, in sore distress
When thou such flowers didst pull!”
“A handsome smith my father was,
And Verland hight was he:
Bodild they call’d my mother fair;
Queen over countries three:“Skimming I call my noble steed,
Begot from the wild sea-mare:
Blank do I call my haughty helm,
Because it glitters so fair:“Skrepping I call my good thick shield;
Steel shafts have furrow’d it o’er:
Mimmering have I nam’d my sword;
’Tis hardened in heroes’ gore:“And I am Vidrik Verlandson:
For clothes bright iron I wear:
Stand’st thou not up on thy long, long legs,
I’ll pin thee down to thy lair:“Do thou stand up on thy long, long legs,
Nor look so dogged and grim;
The King holds out before the wood;
Thou shall yield thy treasure to him.”“All, all the gold that I possess,
I will keep with great renown;
I’ll yield it at no little horse-boy’s word,
To the best king wearing a crown.”“So young and little as here I seem,
Thou shalt find me prompt in a fray;
I’ll hew the head from thy shoulders off,
And thy much gold bear away.”* * * * *
It was Langben the lofty Jutt,
He wav’d his steel mace round;
He sent a blow after Vidrik;
But the mace struck deep in the ground.It was Langben the lofty Jutt,
Who had thought his foeman to slay,
But the blow fell short of Vidrik;
For the good horse bore him away.It was Langben the lofty Jutt,
That shouted in wild despair:
“Now lies my mace in the hillock fast,
As though ’twere hammered in there!”* * * * *
“Accursed be thou, young Vidrik!
And accursed thy piercing steel!
Thou hast given me, see, a wound in my breast,
Whence rise the pains I feel.”* * * * *
“Now hear, now hear, thou warrior youth,
Thou canst wheel thy courser about;
But in every feat of manly strength
I could beat thee out and out.”1854.
“My father was a smith by trade,
And Verland Smith he hight;
Bodild they call’d my mother dear,
A monarch’s daughter bright.“Blank do I call my helm, thereon
Full many a sword has snapped;
Skrepping I call my shield, thereon
Full many a shaft has rapped.“Skimming I call my steed, begot
From the wild mare of the wood;
Mimmering have I named my sword,
’Tis hardened in heroes’ blood.“And I am Viderik Verlandson,
Bright steel for clothes I wear;
Stand up on thy long legs, or I
Will pin thee to thy lair!“Stand up on thy long legs, nor look
So dogged and so grim;
The King doth hold before the wood,
Thy treasure yield to him!”“Whatever gold I here possess
I’ll keep, like a Kemp of worth;
I’ll yield it at no horseboy’s word
To any King on earth!”“So young and little as I seem
I’m active in a fray;
I’ll hew thy head, thou lubbard, off,
And bear thy gold away!”* * * * *
It was Langben the Giant waved
His steely mace around;
He sent a blow at Vidrik, but
The mace struck deep in the ground.It was Langben, the lofty Jutt,
Had thought his foe to slay;
But the blow fell short, for the speedy horse
His master bore away.It was Langben, the lofty Jutt,
He bellow’d to the heaven:
“My mace is tight within the height,
As though by a hammer driven!”* * * * *
Accurs’d be thou, young Vidrik!
Accursed be thy steel!
Thou’st given me a mighty wound,
And mighty pain I feel.* * * * *
“Now hear, now hear, thou warrior youth,
Thou well canst wheel thy steed;
But I could beat thee out and out
In every manly deed.”
I rested my head upon Elvir Hill’s side, and my eyes were beginning to slumber;
That moment there rose up before me two maids, whose charms would take ages to number.One patted my face, and the other exclaim’d, while loading my cheek with her kisses,
“Rise, rise, for to dance with you here we have sped from the undermost caves and abysses.“Rise, fair-haired swain, and refuse not to dance; and I and my sister will sing thee
The loveliest ditties that ever were heard, and the prettiest presents will bring thee.”Then both of them sang so delightful a song, that the boisterous river before us
Stood suddenly quiet and placid, as though ’twere afraid to disturb the sweet chorus.
I rested my head upon Elfin Hill, on mine eyes was slumber descending;
That moment there rose up before me two maids, with me to discourse intending.The one kissed me on my cheek so white, the other she whispered mine ear in:
“Arise, arise, thou beautiful swain! for thou our dance must share in.“Wake up, wake up, thou beautiful swain! rise and dance ’mongst the verdant grasses;
And to sing thee the sweetest of their songs I’ll bid my elfin lasses.”To sing a song then one began, in voice so sweet and mellow,
The boisterous stream was still’d thereby, that before was wont to bellow.
“What darkens? It is the wide arch of the sky.”
O pause for a time,—for a short moment stay;
Still art thou streaming,—my words are in vain;
Oft-changing winds, with tyrannical sway,
Lord there below on the time-serving main!
Abandon, abandon, thy headlong career—
But downward thou rushest—my words are in vain,
Bethink thee that oft-changing winds domineer
On the billowy breast of the time-serving main.