LITTLE KARIN.[1]

LITTLE KARIN.[1]

Translated from the Swedish by the Rev. LEWIS BORRETT WHITE, D.D.

Amongthe serving maidensIn the young king’s royal Hall,None shone like little Karin,A star among them all.Just like a star she shone forth,Among the serving folk,And thus the young king, smiling,To little Karin spoke.“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine;Grey horse and golden saddleShall surely then be thine.”“Grey horse and golden saddle,They are not meet for me;To thy young queen oh, give them,Leave me with honour free.”“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine,My crown all bright and goldenShall surely then be thine.”“Thy crown so bright and golden,It is not meet for me;To thy young queen oh, give it,Leave me with honour free.”“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine;The half my royal kingdomShall surely then be thine.”“The half thy royal kingdom,It is not meet for me;On thy young queen bestow it,Leave me with honour free.”“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,If thou wilt not be mine,There is a spikéd barrelI’ll have thee placed within.”“Though there’s a spikéd barrel,And I am placed within,God’s angels will behold me,That I am free from sin.”So placed they little Karin,In spikéd barrel bound,And the king’s cruel horseboys,They rolled it round and round.Then two white doves from HeavenCame down so peacefully,They took up little Karin,And then the doves were three.

Amongthe serving maidensIn the young king’s royal Hall,None shone like little Karin,A star among them all.Just like a star she shone forth,Among the serving folk,And thus the young king, smiling,To little Karin spoke.“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine;Grey horse and golden saddleShall surely then be thine.”“Grey horse and golden saddle,They are not meet for me;To thy young queen oh, give them,Leave me with honour free.”“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine,My crown all bright and goldenShall surely then be thine.”“Thy crown so bright and golden,It is not meet for me;To thy young queen oh, give it,Leave me with honour free.”“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine;The half my royal kingdomShall surely then be thine.”“The half thy royal kingdom,It is not meet for me;On thy young queen bestow it,Leave me with honour free.”“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,If thou wilt not be mine,There is a spikéd barrelI’ll have thee placed within.”“Though there’s a spikéd barrel,And I am placed within,God’s angels will behold me,That I am free from sin.”So placed they little Karin,In spikéd barrel bound,And the king’s cruel horseboys,They rolled it round and round.Then two white doves from HeavenCame down so peacefully,They took up little Karin,And then the doves were three.

Amongthe serving maidensIn the young king’s royal Hall,None shone like little Karin,A star among them all.

Amongthe serving maidens

In the young king’s royal Hall,

None shone like little Karin,

A star among them all.

Just like a star she shone forth,Among the serving folk,And thus the young king, smiling,To little Karin spoke.

Just like a star she shone forth,

Among the serving folk,

And thus the young king, smiling,

To little Karin spoke.

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine;Grey horse and golden saddleShall surely then be thine.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,

Oh, say thou wilt be mine;

Grey horse and golden saddle

Shall surely then be thine.”

“Grey horse and golden saddle,They are not meet for me;To thy young queen oh, give them,Leave me with honour free.”

“Grey horse and golden saddle,

They are not meet for me;

To thy young queen oh, give them,

Leave me with honour free.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine,My crown all bright and goldenShall surely then be thine.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,

Oh, say thou wilt be mine,

My crown all bright and golden

Shall surely then be thine.”

“Thy crown so bright and golden,It is not meet for me;To thy young queen oh, give it,Leave me with honour free.”

“Thy crown so bright and golden,

It is not meet for me;

To thy young queen oh, give it,

Leave me with honour free.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,Oh, say thou wilt be mine;The half my royal kingdomShall surely then be thine.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,

Oh, say thou wilt be mine;

The half my royal kingdom

Shall surely then be thine.”

“The half thy royal kingdom,It is not meet for me;On thy young queen bestow it,Leave me with honour free.”

“The half thy royal kingdom,

It is not meet for me;

On thy young queen bestow it,

Leave me with honour free.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,If thou wilt not be mine,There is a spikéd barrelI’ll have thee placed within.”

“Oh, hear thou, little Karin,

If thou wilt not be mine,

There is a spikéd barrel

I’ll have thee placed within.”

“Though there’s a spikéd barrel,And I am placed within,God’s angels will behold me,That I am free from sin.”

“Though there’s a spikéd barrel,

And I am placed within,

God’s angels will behold me,

That I am free from sin.”

So placed they little Karin,In spikéd barrel bound,And the king’s cruel horseboys,They rolled it round and round.

So placed they little Karin,

In spikéd barrel bound,

And the king’s cruel horseboys,

They rolled it round and round.

Then two white doves from HeavenCame down so peacefully,They took up little Karin,And then the doves were three.

Then two white doves from Heaven

Came down so peacefully,

They took up little Karin,

And then the doves were three.

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