Romantic Ballads [0]
Romantic Ballads
Translated from the Danish and Miscellaneous Pieces
by George Borrow
Contents:
Preface
Lines from Allan Cunningham to George Borrow
The Death-raven. From the Danish of Oehlenslaeger
Fridleif and Helga. From the Danish of Oehlenslaeger
Sir Middel. From the Old Danish
Elvir-shades. From the Danish of Oehlenslaeger
The Heddybee-spectre. From the Old Danish
Sir John. From the Old Danish
May Asda. From the Danish of Oehlenslaeger
Aager and Eliza. From the Old Danish
Saint Oluf. From the Old Danish
The Heroes of Dovrefeld. From the Old Danish
Svend Vonved. From the Old Danish
The Tournament. From the Old Danish
Vidrik Verlandson. From the Old Danish
Elvir Hill. From the Old Danish
Waldemar's Chase
The Merman. From the Old Danish
The Deceived Merman. From the Old Danish
Miscellanies:
Cantata
The Hail-storm. From the Norse
The Elder-witch
Ode. From the Gaelic
Bear song. From the Danish of Evald
National song. From the Danish of Evald
The Old Oak
Lines to Six-foot Three
Nature's Temperaments. From the Danish of Oehlenslaeger
The Violet-gatherer. From the Danish of Oehlenslaeger
Ode to a Mountain-torrent. From the German of Stolberg
Runic Verses
Thoughts on Death. From the Swedish of C. Lohman
Birds of Passage. From the Swedish
The Broken Harp
Scenes
The Suicide's Grave. From the German
PREFACE
The ballads in this volume are translated from the Works of OEHLENSLAEGER, (a poet who is yet living, and who stands high in the estimation of his countrymen,) and from the KIAEMPE VISER, a collection of old songs, celebrating the actions of the ancient heroes of Scandinavia.
The old Danish poets were, for the most part, extremely rude in their versification. Their stanzas of four or two lines have not the full rhyme of vowel and consonant, but merely what the Spaniards call the "assonante," or vowel rhyme, and attention seldom seems to have been paid to the number of FEET on which the lines moved along. But, however defective their poetry may be in point of harmony of numbers, it describes, in vivid and barbaric language, scenes of barbaric grandeur, which in these days are never witnessed; and, which, though the modern muse may imagine, she generally fails in attempting to pourtray, from the violent desire to be smooth and tuneful, forgetting that smoothness and tunefulness are nearly synonymous with tameness and unmeaningness.
I expect shortly to lay before the public a complete translation of the KIAEMPE VISER, made by me some years ago; and of which, I hope, the specimens here produced will not give an unfavourable idea.
It was originally my intention to publish, among the "Miscellaneous Pieces," several translations from the Gaelic, formerly the language of the western world; the noble tongue
"A labhair Padric' nninse Fail na Riogh. 'San faighe caomhsin Colum naomhta' n I."
Which Patrick spoke in Innisfail, to heathen chiefs of old Which Columb, the mild prophet-saint, spoke in his island-hold -
but I have retained them, with one exception, till I possess a sufficient quantity to form an entire volume.
FROM ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, TO GEORGE BORROW, On his proposing to translate the 'Kiaepe Viser.'
Sing, sing, my friend; breathe life again Through Norway's song and Denmark's strain: On flowing Thames and Forth, in flood, Pour Haco's war-song, fierce and rude. O'er England's strength, through Scotland's cold, His warrior minstrels marched of old - Called on the wolf and bird of prey To feast on Ireland's shore and bay; And France, thy forward knights and bold, Rough Rollo's ravens croaked them cold. Sing, sing of earth and ocean's lords, Their songs as conquering as their swords; Strains, steeped in many a strange belief, Now stern as steel, now soft as grief - Wild, witching, warlike, brief, sublime, Stamped with the image of their time; When chafed--the call is sharp and high For carnage, as the eagles cry; When pleased--the mood is meek, and mild, And gentle, as an unweaned