Poems By the Way Part 25

So in that boat did we depart, And rowed away right glad at heart.

When we came to the dark wood and the shade To raise the tent my true-love bade.

Three sons my true-love bore me there, And syne she died who was so dear.

A grave I wrought her with my sword, With my fair shield the mould I poured.

First in the mould I laid my love, Then all my sons her breast above.

And I without must lie alone; So from the place I gat me gone."

No man now shall stand on his feet To love that love, to woo that sweet: _O fair it is to ride abroad_.

AGNES AND THE HILL-MAN.

TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH.

Agnes went through the meadows a-weeping, _Fowl are a-singing_.

There stood the hill-man heed thereof keeping.

_Agnes_, _fair Agnes_!

"Come to the hill, fair Agnes, with me, The reddest of gold will I give unto thee!"

Twice went Agnes the hill round about, Then wended within, left the fair world without.

In the hillside bode Agnes, three years thrice told o'er, For the green earth sithence fell she longing full sore.

There she sat, and lullaby sang in her singing, And she heard how the bells of England were ringing.

Agnes before her true-love did stand: "May I wend to the church of the English Land?"

"To England's Church well mayst thou be gone, So that no hand thou lay the red gold upon.

"So that when thou art come the churchyard anear Thou cast not abroad thy golden hair.

"So that when thou standest the church within To thy mother on bench thou never win.

"So that when thou hearest the high G.o.d's name, No knee unto earth thou bow to the same."

Hand she laid on all gold that was there, And cast abroad her golden hair.

And when the church she stood within To her mother on bench straight did she win.

And when she heard the high G.o.d's name, Knee unto earth she bowed to the same.

When all the ma.s.s was sung to its end Home with her mother dear did she wend.

"Come, Agnes, into the hillside to me, For thy seven small sons greet sorely for thee!"

"Let them greet, let them greet, as they have will to do; For never again will I hearken thereto!"

Weird laid he on her, sore sickness he wrought, _Fowl are a-singing_.

That self-same hour to death was she brought.

_Agnes_, _fair Agnes_!

KNIGHT AAGEN AND MAIDEN ELSE.

TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH.

It was the fair knight Aagen To an isle he went his way, And plighted troth to Else, Who was so fair a may.

He plighted troth to Else All with the ruddy gold, But or ere that day's moon came again Low he lay in the black, black mould.

It was the maiden Else, She was fulfilled of woe When she heard how the fair knight Aagen In the black mould lay alow.

Uprose the fair knight Aagen, Coffin on back took he, And he's away to her bower, Sore hard as the work might be.

With that same chest on door he smote, For the lack of flesh and skin; "O hearken, maiden Else, And let thy true-love in!"

Then answered maiden Else, "Never open I my door, But and if thou namest Jesu's name As thou hadst might before."

"O hearken, maiden Else, And open thou thy door, For Jesu's name I well may name As I had might before!"

Then uprose maiden Else, O'er her cheek the salt tears ran, Nor spared she into her very bower To welcome that dead man.

O, she's taken up her comb of gold And combed adown her hair, And for every hair she combed adown There fell a weary tear.

"Hearken thou, knight Aagen, Hearken, true-love, and tell, If down-adown in the black, black earth Thou farest ever well?"

"O whenso thou art joyous, And the heart is glad in thee, Then fares it with my coffin That red roses are with me.

"But whenso thou art sorrowful And weary is thy mood, Then all within my coffin Is it dreadful with dark blood.

"Now is the red c.o.c.k a-crowing, To the earth adown must I; Down to the earth wend all dead folk, And I wend in company.

"Now is the black c.o.c.k a-crowing, To the earth must I adown, For the gates of Heaven are opening now, Thereto must I begone."

Uprose the fair knight Aagen, Coffin on back took he, And he's away to the churchyard now, Sore hard as the work might be.

But so wrought maiden Else, Because of her weary mood, That she followed after own true love All through the mirk wild wood.

But when the wood was well pa.s.sed through, And in the churchyard they were, Then was the fair knight Aagen Waxen wan of his golden hair.