XXVIIAAGE AND ELSE

XXVIIAAGE AND ELSE

This Ballad may be compared with our own “Sweet William and May Margaret,” “Sweet William’s Ghost,” and the conclusion of “Clerk Saunders.” The same theme gave rise to Ballads in Sweden, Brittany, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, and the Slav countries. (The idea of a dead lover’s return to his sweetheart is one sonatural that we surely need not hark back for its Danish source to the classical Lay of Helge and Sigrun.) It inspires another fine Ballad, “Sir Morten of Fuglsang,” whose Burden was borrowed by Longfellow in his poetical version of Olaf Tryggvason’s Saga (Tales of a Wayside Inn).

The line in verse 6, “No cloak had he,” refers to the custom of smiting the door with a fold of the cloak. (In “Niels Ebbeson” I have substituted “sword,” as more intelligible to the English reader.)

The metre of “Aage and Else” is an interesting variation on the usual form of the four-lined stanza.

1Three maidens sat in a bower,Two broidered with goldThe third she wept her own true loveAll under darksome mould.(For she loved the knight so truly.)2It was the Knight Sir AageWent riding here and there,He loved the lady Elselil,A maid so fair.3He wooed the lady ElselilWith gifts and gold;On Monday thereafterHe lay in the mould.4Sore wept she, lady Elselil,With wellaway;That heard the knight Sir AageLow where he lay.5Up stood the knight Sir Aage,His coffin took amain,Forth to his true love’s bower he faredWith mickle pain.6He knocked there with his coffin—No cloak had he—“Stand up, thou stately Elselil,Open to me!”7Up spake the lady Elselil,With tears spake she:“Canst thou name the name of JesuI’ll open to thee!”8“Stand up, thou lady Elselil,Open thy door!I can name the name of JesuAs ever I could of yore.”9Up stood she, stately Elselil,With drearihed;There opened she her bower door,Let in the dead.10She took her golden combTo smooth his hair;For every lock she orderedDown fell a tear.11“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,Dearest love mine,How goes it under darksome earthIn grave o’ thine?”12“So goes it under the darksome earthWhere I am laidAs in the happy realm of heaven;Therefore be glad.”13“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,Dearest love mine.Fain would I lie ’neath darksome mouldAll in that grave o’ thine.”14“So is it under darksome mould,There where I rest,As in the blackest depths of hell—Cross thou thy breast15“For every tear thou sheddestIn mournful mood,Down into my grave doth fallA drop of blood.16“Up above my headThe green grass grows;Round about my feetThe wild worm goes.17“Now in the darksome entryThe black cock doth crow,And all the gates are opening;Forth must I go.18“Now crows upon the high-loftThe cock so red,And I must go to the kirkyardWith all the dead.”19Up stood the knight Sir Aage,His coffin took again,Forth fared he to the kirkyardWith mickle pain.20Up stood she, stately Elselil,Right mournful was her mood;She followed him, her own true love,Through the wild wood.21As thro’ the wood they wendedAll to the kirkyard there,Wan it grew and faded,His goodly golden hair.22“Behold now up in heavenThe stars so bright;So shalt thou see soothlyHow goes the night.”23She saw them up in heaven,The stars so fair;Down in the earth the dead man sankEre she was ware.24Home went she, lady Elselil,With care so cold;On Monday thereafterLay she in the mould.(For she loved the knight so truly.)

1Three maidens sat in a bower,Two broidered with goldThe third she wept her own true loveAll under darksome mould.(For she loved the knight so truly.)2It was the Knight Sir AageWent riding here and there,He loved the lady Elselil,A maid so fair.3He wooed the lady ElselilWith gifts and gold;On Monday thereafterHe lay in the mould.4Sore wept she, lady Elselil,With wellaway;That heard the knight Sir AageLow where he lay.5Up stood the knight Sir Aage,His coffin took amain,Forth to his true love’s bower he faredWith mickle pain.6He knocked there with his coffin—No cloak had he—“Stand up, thou stately Elselil,Open to me!”7Up spake the lady Elselil,With tears spake she:“Canst thou name the name of JesuI’ll open to thee!”8“Stand up, thou lady Elselil,Open thy door!I can name the name of JesuAs ever I could of yore.”9Up stood she, stately Elselil,With drearihed;There opened she her bower door,Let in the dead.10She took her golden combTo smooth his hair;For every lock she orderedDown fell a tear.11“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,Dearest love mine,How goes it under darksome earthIn grave o’ thine?”12“So goes it under the darksome earthWhere I am laidAs in the happy realm of heaven;Therefore be glad.”13“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,Dearest love mine.Fain would I lie ’neath darksome mouldAll in that grave o’ thine.”14“So is it under darksome mould,There where I rest,As in the blackest depths of hell—Cross thou thy breast15“For every tear thou sheddestIn mournful mood,Down into my grave doth fallA drop of blood.16“Up above my headThe green grass grows;Round about my feetThe wild worm goes.17“Now in the darksome entryThe black cock doth crow,And all the gates are opening;Forth must I go.18“Now crows upon the high-loftThe cock so red,And I must go to the kirkyardWith all the dead.”19Up stood the knight Sir Aage,His coffin took again,Forth fared he to the kirkyardWith mickle pain.20Up stood she, stately Elselil,Right mournful was her mood;She followed him, her own true love,Through the wild wood.21As thro’ the wood they wendedAll to the kirkyard there,Wan it grew and faded,His goodly golden hair.22“Behold now up in heavenThe stars so bright;So shalt thou see soothlyHow goes the night.”23She saw them up in heaven,The stars so fair;Down in the earth the dead man sankEre she was ware.24Home went she, lady Elselil,With care so cold;On Monday thereafterLay she in the mould.(For she loved the knight so truly.)

1Three maidens sat in a bower,Two broidered with goldThe third she wept her own true loveAll under darksome mould.(For she loved the knight so truly.)

1

Three maidens sat in a bower,

Two broidered with gold

The third she wept her own true love

All under darksome mould.

(For she loved the knight so truly.)

2It was the Knight Sir AageWent riding here and there,He loved the lady Elselil,A maid so fair.

2

It was the Knight Sir Aage

Went riding here and there,

He loved the lady Elselil,

A maid so fair.

3He wooed the lady ElselilWith gifts and gold;On Monday thereafterHe lay in the mould.

3

He wooed the lady Elselil

With gifts and gold;

On Monday thereafter

He lay in the mould.

4Sore wept she, lady Elselil,With wellaway;That heard the knight Sir AageLow where he lay.

4

Sore wept she, lady Elselil,

With wellaway;

That heard the knight Sir Aage

Low where he lay.

5Up stood the knight Sir Aage,His coffin took amain,Forth to his true love’s bower he faredWith mickle pain.

5

Up stood the knight Sir Aage,

His coffin took amain,

Forth to his true love’s bower he fared

With mickle pain.

6He knocked there with his coffin—No cloak had he—“Stand up, thou stately Elselil,Open to me!”

6

He knocked there with his coffin—

No cloak had he—

“Stand up, thou stately Elselil,

Open to me!”

7Up spake the lady Elselil,With tears spake she:“Canst thou name the name of JesuI’ll open to thee!”

7

Up spake the lady Elselil,

With tears spake she:

“Canst thou name the name of Jesu

I’ll open to thee!”

8“Stand up, thou lady Elselil,Open thy door!I can name the name of JesuAs ever I could of yore.”

8

“Stand up, thou lady Elselil,

Open thy door!

I can name the name of Jesu

As ever I could of yore.”

9Up stood she, stately Elselil,With drearihed;There opened she her bower door,Let in the dead.

9

Up stood she, stately Elselil,

With drearihed;

There opened she her bower door,

Let in the dead.

10She took her golden combTo smooth his hair;For every lock she orderedDown fell a tear.

10

She took her golden comb

To smooth his hair;

For every lock she ordered

Down fell a tear.

11“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,Dearest love mine,How goes it under darksome earthIn grave o’ thine?”

11

“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,

Dearest love mine,

How goes it under darksome earth

In grave o’ thine?”

12“So goes it under the darksome earthWhere I am laidAs in the happy realm of heaven;Therefore be glad.”

12

“So goes it under the darksome earth

Where I am laid

As in the happy realm of heaven;

Therefore be glad.”

13“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,Dearest love mine.Fain would I lie ’neath darksome mouldAll in that grave o’ thine.”

13

“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,

Dearest love mine.

Fain would I lie ’neath darksome mould

All in that grave o’ thine.”

14“So is it under darksome mould,There where I rest,As in the blackest depths of hell—Cross thou thy breast

14

“So is it under darksome mould,

There where I rest,

As in the blackest depths of hell

—Cross thou thy breast

15“For every tear thou sheddestIn mournful mood,Down into my grave doth fallA drop of blood.

15

“For every tear thou sheddest

In mournful mood,

Down into my grave doth fall

A drop of blood.

16“Up above my headThe green grass grows;Round about my feetThe wild worm goes.

16

“Up above my head

The green grass grows;

Round about my feet

The wild worm goes.

17“Now in the darksome entryThe black cock doth crow,And all the gates are opening;Forth must I go.

17

“Now in the darksome entry

The black cock doth crow,

And all the gates are opening;

Forth must I go.

18“Now crows upon the high-loftThe cock so red,And I must go to the kirkyardWith all the dead.”

18

“Now crows upon the high-loft

The cock so red,

And I must go to the kirkyard

With all the dead.”

19Up stood the knight Sir Aage,His coffin took again,Forth fared he to the kirkyardWith mickle pain.

19

Up stood the knight Sir Aage,

His coffin took again,

Forth fared he to the kirkyard

With mickle pain.

20Up stood she, stately Elselil,Right mournful was her mood;She followed him, her own true love,Through the wild wood.

20

Up stood she, stately Elselil,

Right mournful was her mood;

She followed him, her own true love,

Through the wild wood.

21As thro’ the wood they wendedAll to the kirkyard there,Wan it grew and faded,His goodly golden hair.

21

As thro’ the wood they wended

All to the kirkyard there,

Wan it grew and faded,

His goodly golden hair.

22“Behold now up in heavenThe stars so bright;So shalt thou see soothlyHow goes the night.”

22

“Behold now up in heaven

The stars so bright;

So shalt thou see soothly

How goes the night.”

23She saw them up in heaven,The stars so fair;Down in the earth the dead man sankEre she was ware.

23

She saw them up in heaven,

The stars so fair;

Down in the earth the dead man sank

Ere she was ware.

24Home went she, lady Elselil,With care so cold;On Monday thereafterLay she in the mould.(For she loved the knight so truly.)

24

Home went she, lady Elselil,

With care so cold;

On Monday thereafter

Lay she in the mould.

(For she loved the knight so truly.)

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