Читать книгу: «The Dalby Bear, and Other Ballads», страница 3

 
“With the bride so bright I’ll sleep tonight,
   And give her my troth with glee.”
 
 
So they the bridal solemnized,
   And glad themselves they made;
At home was then Tygge Hermandsen,
   To cross the brooks afraid.
 
 
It chanc’d upon a Wednesday,
   The waters began to fall;
Across came then Tygge Hermandsen
   With his gay bridesmen all.
 
 
And he came to the bridal house
   Where the feast was spread in state,
Then up and cried the youthful bride:
   “Ride back, you come too late.”
 
 
“Now hear, thou beauteous Sidselil,
   I’ve this to complain of thee,
That thou hast ta’en another swain
   And broke thy troth with me.”
 
 
“Now hear, thou Tygge Hermandsen,
   Thou might’st have been aware,
I would disdain to wed the swain
   To wet his feet had fear.
 
 
“If thou hadst been a Lady’s swain,
   And hadst thou lov’d me true,
With thy sword’s stroke thou wouldst have broke
   Thy way through the billows blue.”
 
 
“To the cloyster I’ll myself betake,
   And the monkish vow I’ll swear;
For good or ill, proud Sidselil,
   I’ll never more come here.”
 
 
“But if hereby thy way shall lie
   When the brooks shall calmly run,
If cheeses two in my store I view
   In thy sack I’ll drop thee one.” ¹
 

THE WICKED STEPMOTHER

 
Sir Ove he has no daughter but one,
   All underneath a green hill’s side,
He bestow’d her the Lord of Elling upon.
   In such peril through the forest they ride.
 
 
He bestow’d her upon a gallant knight,
   All underneath a green hill’s side,
Sir Stig Cob was the gallant hight.
   In such peril through the forest they ride.
 
 
When a year to end had well nigh come,
   All underneath a green hill’s side.
Two sons had Thorelil in her womb.
   In such peril through the forest they ride.
 
 
Hither and thither they carry the dame,
   All underneath a green hill’s side,
But worse and worse her plight became.
   In such peril through the forest they ride.
 
 
Sir Stig his bonnet he has put on,
   All underneath a green hill’s side,
And into the hall to his mother is gone.