English and Scottish Ballads Volume II Part 43

NOTE to v. 49-72.--A similar pa.s.sage is found at p. 94 of this volume, v. 33-36, also vol. v. p. 178, v. 97-108, and p. 402, v.

169-176, and in the Scandinavian ballads cited in the preface to this ballad. In these last the lady frees herself from the presence of the knight by sending him to get her some water, and she is found dead on his return. This incident, remarks Grimm, (_Altdanische Heldenlieder_, p. 508), is also found in _Wolfdietrich_, Str.

1680-96.

THE YOUTH OF ROSENGORD. See p. 219.

_Sven i Rosengrd_, _Svenska Folk-Visor_, iii. 3, and Arwidsson's _Fornsnger_, ii. 83: translated in _Literature and Romance of Northern Europe_, i. 263.

"So long where hast thou tarried, Young man of Rosengord?"

"I have been into my stable, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 5

"What hast thou done in the stable, Young man of Rosengord?"

"I have watered the horses, Our mother dear."

Long may ye look for me, or look for me never. 10

"Why is thy foot so b.l.o.o.d.y, Young man of Rosengord?"

"The black horse has trampled me, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 15

"Why is thy sword so b.l.o.o.d.y, Young man of Rosengord?"

"I have murdered my brother, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 20

"Whither wilt thou betake thee, Young man of Rosengord?"

"I shall flee my country, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 25

"What will become of thy wedded wife, Young man of Rosengord?"

"She must spin for her living, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 30

"What will become of thy children small, Young man of Rosengord?"

"They must beg from door to door, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 35

"When comest thou back again, Young man of Rosengord?"

"When the swan is black as night, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 40

"And when will the swan be black as night, Young man of Rosengord?"

"When the raven shall be white as snow, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 45

"And when will the raven be white as snow, Young man of Rosengord?"

"When the grey rocks take to flight, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 50

"And when will fly the grey rocks, Young man of Rosengord?"

"The rocks they will fly never, Our mother dear."

Long may you look for me, or look for me never. 55

THE BLOOD-STAINED SON.--See p. 219.

A translation, nearly word for word, of _Der Blutige Sohn_, printed from oral tradition in Schroter's _Finnische Runen_, (_Finnisch und Deutsch_,) ed. 1834, p. 151.

"Say whence com'st thou, say whence com'st thou, Merry son of mine?"

"From the lake-side, from the lake-side, O dear mother mine."

"What hast done there, what hast done there, 5 Merry son of mine?"

"Steeds I watered, steeds I watered, O dear mother mine."

"Why thus clay-bedaubed thy jacket, Merry son of mine?" 10 "Steeds kept stamping, steeds kept stamping, O dear mother mine."

"But how came thy sword so b.l.o.o.d.y, Merry son of mine?"

"I have stabbed my only brother, 15 O dear mother mine."

"Whither wilt thou now betake thee, Merry son of mine?"

"Far away to foreign countries, O dear mother mine." 20

"Where leav'st thou thy gray-haired father, Merry son of mine?"

"Let him chop wood in the forest, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 25

"Where leav'st thou thy gray-haired mother, Merry son of mine?"

"Let her sit, her flax a-picking, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 30

"Where leav'st thou thy wife so youthful, Merry son of mine?"

"Let her deck her, take another, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 35

"Where leav'st thou thy son so youthful, Merry son of mine?"

"He to school, and bear the rod there, [Never wish to see me more,]

O dear mother mine." 40

"Where leav'st thou thy youthful daughter, Merry son of mine?"

"She to the wood and eat wild berries, Never wish to see me more, O dear mother mine." 45

"Home when com'st thou back from roaming, Merry son of mine?"

"In the north when breaks the morning, O dear mother mine."

"In the north when breaks the morning, 50 Merry son of mine?"

"When stones dance upon the water, O dear mother mine."