romantic ballads-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ONE　VOICE。

Then　waken'd　Thor；　｛28｝　And　drew　around　his　loins　the　mighty　belt　Of　bear…sinews；　With　love　fraternal　harden'd　he　his　shield；　With　eager　haste　he　sharp'd　his　blunted　glaive；　And；　with　the　iron　of　his　hammer；　touch'd　Each　Dane's　and　every　Norman's　breast　…　Shot　his　heroic　flame　therein；　and　smil'd！

MANY　VOICES。

And　Denmark　and　Norway　smil'd。

LOUD　CHORUS。

Upon　the　water；　Upon　the　land；　We　boun'd　for　slaughter；　At　Thor's　command。

MAIDENS。

Then　fell　our　tears　so　quickly；　We　breath'd；　we　breath'd　so　thickly；　While　scarce　our　lips　could　stammer　forth　Prayers　for　you；　and　for　the　North。

MATRONS。

And　we；　and　we；　with　breasts　that　smarted；　Knelt；　lowly　knelt；　whilst　firm　ye　stood；　From　us　and　from　affection　parted；　In　reek　and　smoke；　in　brothers'　blood！

CHORUS　OF　MEN。

Tenderness　comes　from　God；　Woman　and　man　in　its　praise　should　sing；　But　tenderness　flies　at　honour's　nod；　We　offer　all　up　to　our　land　and　King。

ONE　VOICE。

What　sang　ye；　warlike　throngs？　Repeat；　repeat　this　day；　One　of　the　simple；　nervous；　songs　Ye　murmur'd　out；　when；　hot　with　wrongs；　Ye　waited　the　coming　fray。

UNIVERSAL　CHORUS。

We　love；　we　all　love　thee；　beneficent　Peace；　&c。

SOLO。

Like　the　wave　of　the　wild　North　main；　Foaming　and　frothing　came　on　our　foe；　Proud　of　his　triumphs；　proud　of　his　train；　He　thought　to　lay　us　low：　But；　from　Denmark's　lines　of　oak；　A　horrible；　horrible　volley　outbroke；　Then　tumbled　his　mast；　His　courage　fell　fast；　And　the　wave；　which　resembled　his　furious　mood；　Was　now　with　his　blood　embrued。

CHORUS。

This　is　Denmark's　holyday；　Dance；　ye　maidens！　Sing；　ye　men！　Tune；　ye　harpers！　Blush；　ye　heroes！　This　is　Denmark's　holyday。

A　VOICE。

But；　hark！　what　sobbing　and　what　mournful　notes　Are　mixing　with　our　hymns　of　ardent　joy！　Hush；　hush；　be　still；　A　band　of　white…rob'd　maids　approaches　slow；　With　lily　chaplets　round　their　yellow　locks；　With　heavy　tear…drops　in　their　sunken　eye；　Broken　and　trembling　sounds　The　melancholy　song；　Accompanied　by　harp…tones　rising　mild。

YOUTHFUL　MAIDENS。

Love；　with　rosy　fetter；　Held　us　firmly　bound；　Pure　unmix'd　enjoyment　Grateful　here　we　found。　Bosom；　bosom　meeting；　'Gainst　our　youths　we　press'd；　Bright　the　moon　arose；　then；　Glad　to　see　us　blest。

Denmark's　honour　beckon'd；　Loud　the　canon　roar'd；　Perish'd　in　the　battle　They　whom　we　ador'd。　Sweet　is；　grave；　thy　slumber；　Free　from　care　and　noise；　Short　are　earthly　sorrows；　…　Endless　heaven's　joys。

SUDDEN　CHORUS　OF　THE　SLAIN　WARRIORS　IS　HEARD　FROM　ON　HIGH。

From　the　heavenly；　clear；　invisible；　home　Our　voices　come：　No　joy　can　resemble　the　joy　which　reigns　In　our　seraph　veins。　Lov'd　ones；　lov'd　ones；　weep　for　us　not；　Soon　shall　ye　here　partake　of　our　lot；　High　o'er　the　stars'　extremest　line　The　sun　of　affection　more　bright　shall　shine：　Brothers；　brothers；　't　is　sweet　to　die　For　the　land　of　our　birth；　and　the　maid　of　our　eye。　Blest　are　ye　who　like　us　shall　fall；　The　righteous　Jehovah　rewards；　above；　Courage　and　love：　Hallelujah；　peace　be　with　you　all！



THE　HAIL…STORM。　FROM　THE　NORSE。



Sigvald　Jarl　was　a　famous　Sea　Rover；　who；　when　unengaged　in　his　　predatory　expeditions；　resided　at　Jomsborg；　in　Denmark。　　He　was　the　　terror　of　the　Norwegian　coasts；　which　he　ravaged　and　pillaged　almost　　at　his　pleasure。　　Hacon　Jarl；　who　at　that　time　sat　on　the　Norwegian　　throne；　being　informed　that　Sigvald　meditated　a　grand　descent；　and　　knowing　that　he　himself　was　unable　to　oppose　him；　had　recourse　to　his　　God；　Thorgerd；　to　whom　he　sacrificed　his　son　Erling。　　In　what　manner　　Thorgerd　assisted　him　and　his　forces；　when　the　Danes　landed；　will　　best　be　learned　from　the　bold　song　which　the　circumstance　gave　rise　　to；　and　which　the　following　is　a　feeble　attempt　to　translate。


When　from　our　ships　we　bounded；　I　heard；　with　fear　astounded；　The　storm　of　Thorgerd's　waking；　From　Northern　vapours　breaking；　With　flinty　masses　blended；　Gigantic　hail　descended；　And　thick　and　fiercely　rattled　Against　us　there　embattled。

To　aid　the　hostile　maces；　It　drifted　in　our　faces；　It　drifted；　dealing　slaughter；　And　blood　ran　out　like　water　…　Ran　reeking；　red；　and　horrid；　From　batter'd　cheek　and　forehead；　We　plied　our　swords；　but　no　men　Can　stand　'gainst　hail　and　foemen。

And　demon　Thorgerd　raging　To　see　us　still　engaging；　Shot；　downward　from　the　heaven；　His　shafts　of　flaming　levin；　Then　sank　our　brave　in　numbers；　To　cold　eternal　slumbers；　There　lay　the　good　and　gallant；　Renown'd　for　warlike　talent。

Our　captain；　this　perceiving；　The　signal　made　for　leaving；　And　with　his　ship　departed；　Downcast　and　broken…hearted；　War；　death；　and　consternation；　Pursu'd　our　embarkation；　We　did　our　best；　but　no　men　Can　stand　'gainst　hail　and　foemen。



THE　ELDER…WITCH。



According　to　the　Danish　tradition；　there　is　a　female　Elf　in　the　elder　　tree；　which　she　leaves　every　midnight；　and；　having　strolled　among　the　　fields；　returns　to　it　before　morning。


Though　tall　the　oak；　and　firm　its　stem；　Though　far　abroad　its　boughs　are　spread；　Though　high　the　poplar　lifts　its　head；　I　have　no　song　for　them。　A　theme　more　bright；　more　bright　would　be　The　winsome；　winsome　elder　tree；　Beneath　whose　shade　I　sit　reclin'd；　…　It　holds　a　witch　within　its　bark；　A　lovely　witch　who　haunts　the　dark；　And　fills　with　love　my　mind。

When　ghosts；　at　midnight；　leave　their　graves；　And　rous'd　is　every　phantom　thing；　When　mermaids　rise　and　sweetly　sing　In　concert　with　the　waves；　When　Palnatoka；　｛29｝　on　his　steed；　Pursues　the　elves　across　the　mead；　Or　gallops；　gallops　o'er　the　sea；　The　witch　within　the　elder's　bark；　The　lovely　witch　who　haunts　the　dark；　Comes　out；　comes　out　to　me。

Of　leaves　the　fairies　make　our　bed；　The　knight；　who　moulders　'neath　the　elm；　｛30｝　Starts　up　with　spear　and　rusted　helm；　…　By　him　the　grace　is　said；　And　though　her　kiss　is　cold　at　times；　And　does　not　scent　of　earthly　climes；　Though　glaring　is　her　eye；　yet　still　The　witch　within　the　elder's　bark；　The　lovely　witch　who　haunts　the　dark；　I　prize；　and　ever　will。

Yet；　once　I　lov'd　a　mortal　maid；　And　gaz'd；　enraptur'd；　on　her　charms；　Oft　circled　in　each　other's　arms；　Together；　here　we　stray'd；　…　But；　soon；　she　found　a　fairer　youth；　And　I　a　fairer　maid；　forsooth！　And　one　more　true；　more　true　to　me；　The　witch　within　the　elder's　bark；　The　lovely　witch　who　haunts　the　dark；　Has　been　more　true　to　me。



ODE。　FROM　THE　GAELIC。



〃Is　luaimnach　mo　chodal　an　nochd。〃


Oh　restless；　to　night；　are　my　slumbers；　Life　yet　I　retain；　but　not　gladness；　My　heart　in　my　bosom　is　wither'd；　And　sorrow　sits　heavy　upon　me。　For　cold；　in　her　grave…hill；　is　lying　The　maid　whom　I　gaz'd　on；　so　fondly；　Whose　teeth　were　like　chalk　from　the　quarry；　Whose　voice　was　more　sweet　than　harp　music。　Like　foam　that　subsides　on　the　water；　Just　where　the　wild　swan　has　been　playing；　Like　snow；　by　the　sunny　beam　melted；　My　love；　thou　wert　gone　on　a　sudden。　Salt　tears　I　let　fall　in　abundance；　When　memory　bringeth　before　me　That　eye；　like　the　placid　blue　heaven；　That　cheek；　like　the　rose　in　its　glory。　Sweet　object　of　warmest　affection；　Why　could　not　thy　beauty　protect　thee？　Why；　sparing　so　many　a　thistle；　Did　Death　cut　so　lovely　a　blossom？　Here　pine　I；　forlorn　and　abandon'd；　Where　once　I　was　cheerful　and　merry：　No　joy　shall　e'er　shine　on　my　visage；　Until　my　last　hour's　arrival。　O；　like　the　top　grain　on　the　corn…ear；　Or；　like　the　young　pine；　'mong　the　bushes；　Or；　like　the　moon；　'mong　the　stars　shining；　Wert　thou；　O　my　love；　amongst　women！



BEAR　SONG。　FROM　THE　DANISH　OF　EVALD。



The　squirrel　that's　sporting　Amid　the　green　leaves；　Full　oft；　with　its　rustle；　The　hunter　deceives；　Who　startsand　believing　That　booty　is　nigh；　His　heart；　for　a　moment；　With　pleasure　beats　high。

〃Now；　courage！〃　he　mutters；　And　crouching　below　A　thunder…split　linden；　He　waits　for　his　foe：　〃Ha！　joy　to　the　hunter；　A　monstrous　bear　E'en　now　is　approaching；　And　bids　me　prepare。

〃Hark！　hark！　for　the　monarch　Of　forests；　ere　long；　Will　breathe　out　his　bellow；　Deep…throated　and　strong：〃　Thus　saying；　he　gazes　Intently　around；　But；　death　to　his　wishes！　Can　hear　not　a　sound：

Except　when；　at　moments；　The　wind　rising　shrill　Wafts　boughs　from　the　bushes；　Across　the　lone　hill。　Wo　worth；　to　thee；　squirrel；　Amid　the　green　leaves；　Full　oft　thy　loud　rustle　The