romantic ballads-第6章
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〃Turn thy lovely eyes to heaven; Where the stars are beaming pale; Thou canst tell me; then; for certain; If the night begins to fail。〃
When she turn'd her eyes to heaven; All with stars besprinkled o'er; In the earth the dead man glided; And she never saw him more。
Homeward went the sweet Eliza; Oh; her heart was chill and cold:… Wo is me! the Monday after; Dead she lay beneath the mould!
SAINT OLUF。 FROM THE OLD DANISH。
St。 Oluf was a mighty king; Who rul'd the Northern land; The holy Christian faith he preach'd; And taught it; sword in hand。
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; {5} 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。
'T was 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:
His beard was like a horse's mane; And down his bosom roll'd; The claws that fenc'd his finger ends Were frightful to behold。
〃I never yet have seen;〃 he cried; 〃A ship come near my strand; That here to shore I could not drag; By putting out my hand。〃
The good St。 Oluf smil'd thereat; And thus address'd his crew: 〃Now hold your tongues; and well observe What I'm about to do。〃
The giant stretch'd his mighty arm; The ship was nigh his own; But when St。 Oluf rais'd the cross; He sank knee…deep in stone。
〃Here am I; sunk knee…deep in stone! My legs I cannot move; But; since my back and fists are free; My might thou yet shalt prove。〃
〃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:
〃'T is done;〃 they cried; 〃by yonder wight; Who rides upon the waves; Let's wade out to him; through the surf; And beat him with our staves。〃
At Hornelummer happen'd then; What happen'd ne'er before; The elfins wish'd to leave the hill; And could not find a door:
They ran their heads against the wall; And tried to break it through; They could not break the solid rock; But broke their necks in lieu。
Now; thanks to God; and Jesus Christ; And good St。 Oluf's arm; To Hornelummer we can sail Without mishap or harm。
THE HEROES OF DOVREFELD。 FROM THE OLD DANISH。
On Dovrefeld; {6} in Norway; Were once together seen The twelve heroic brothers Of Ingeborg; the queen:
And they were all magicians; Possest of mighty art; Who freely read the Runic; And knew the rhyme by heart。 {7}
The first could turn the lightning; And quench its ruddy gleam: The second; with a whisper; Could still the running stream:
The third beneath the water Could dive like any fish: The fourth could get provision By striking on his dish:
The fifth upon the gold harp So pleasantly could play; That all the men who heard him Began to dance away:
The sixth; he had a bugle; And when he blew a blast; The stoutest of his foemen Would fly before him fast:
The seventh; unimpeded; Through solid hills could roam: The eighth could walk the ocean; When billows were in foam:
The ninth could draw; by magic; The fishes from the deep: The tenth was never weary; Nor overcome by sleep:
The eleventh bound the dragon Which crept among the grass; And all he wish'd to happen Was sure to come to pass:
The twelfth; who was reputed The wisest of the band; Knew what was going forward In every foreign land。
And now; forsooth; I tell ye; Who listen to my strain; That such a set of brothers Will ne'er be seen again。
SVEND VONVED。 FROM THE OLD DANISH。
Grimm; in the preface to his German translation of the Kiaempe Viser; characterizes this Ballad in the following magnificent words:…
〃Seltsam ist das Lied von dem Held Vonved。 Unter dem Empfang des Zauberseegens und mit rathselhaften Worten; dass er nie wiederkehre oder dann den Tod seines Vaters rachen musse; reitet er aus。 Lange sieht er keine Stadt und keinen Menschen; dann; wer sich ihm entgegen stelit; den wirft er nieder; den Hirten legt er seine Rathsel vor uber das edelste und abscheuungswurdigste; ubar den Gang der Sonne und die Ruhe des Todten: wer sie nicht Iost; den erschlagt er; trotzig sitzt er unter den Helden; ihre Anerbietungen gefallen ihm nicht; er reitet heim; erschlagt zwolf Zauberweiber; die ihm entgegen kommen; dann seine Mutter; endlich zernichtet er auch sein Saitenspiel; damit kein Wohllaut mehr den wilden Sinn besanftige。 Es scheint dieses Lied vor allen in einer eigenen Bedeutung gedichtet; und den Mismuth eines zerstorten herumirrenden Gemuths anzuzeigen; das seine Rathsel will gelost haben: es ist die Angst eines Menschen darin ausgedruckt; der die Flugel; die er fuhlt; nicht frei bewegen kann; und der; wenn ihn diese Angst peinigt; gegen alles; auch gegen sein Liebstes; wuthen muss。 Dieser Charakter scheint dem Norden gantz eigenthumlich; in dem seltsamen Leben Konigs Sigurd des Jerusalemfahrers; auch in Shakspeare's Hamlet ist etwas ahnliches。〃
〃Singular is the song of the hero Vonved。 After having received the magic blessing; he rides out; darkly hinting that he must never return; or have avenged the death of his father。 For a long time he sees no city and no man; he then overthrows whomsoever opposes him; he lays his enigmas before the herdsmen; concerning that which is most grand; and that which is most horrible; concerning the course of the sun and the repose of the dead; he who cannot explain them is slaughtered。 Haughtily he sits among the heroestheir invitations do not please himhe rides homeslays twelve sorceresses who come against himthen his mother; and at last he demolishes his harp; so that no sweet sound shall in future soften his wild humour。 This song; more than any of the rest; seems to be composed with a meaning of its own; and shows the melancholy of a ruined; wandering mind; which will have its enigmas cleared up! The anguish of a man is expressed therein; who cannot move freely the wings which he feels; and; who; when this anguish torments him; is forced to deal out destruction against alleven against his best…beloved。 Such a character seems to be quite the property of the North。 In the strange life of King Sigurd; the wanderer to Jerusalem; and likewise in Shakspeare's Hamlet; there is something similar。〃
Svend Vonved sits in his lonely bower; He strikes his harp with a hand of power; His harp return'd a responsive din; Then came his mother hurrying in: Look out; look out; Svend Vonved。
In came his mother Adeline; And who was she; but a queen; so fine: 〃Now hark; Svend Vonved! out must thou ride; And wage stout battle with knights of pride。 Look out; look out; Svend Vonved。
〃Avenge thy father's untimely end; To me; or another; thy gold harp lend; This moment boune {8} thee; and straight begone! I rede {9} thee; do it; my own dear son。〃 Look out; look out; Svend Vonved。
Svend Vonved binds his sword to his side; He fain will battle with knights of pride。 〃When may I look for thee once more here? When roast the heifer; and spice the beer?〃 Look out; look out; Svend Vonved。
〃When stones shall take; of themselves; a flight; And ravens' feathers are woxen {10} white; Then may'st thou expect Svend Vonved home: In all my days; I will never come。〃 Look out; look out; Svend Vonved。
His mother took that in evil part: 〃I hear; young gallant; that mad thou art; Wherever thou goest; on land or sea; Disgrace and sh