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.

And when therefrom they wended And were the church within, Then was the fair knight Aagen Waxen wan of cheek and chin.

"Hearken thou, maiden Else, Hearken, true-love, to me, Weep no more for thine own troth-plight, However it shall be!

"Look thou up to the heavens aloft, To the little stars and bright, And thou shalt see how sweetly It fareth with the night!"

She looked up to the heavens aloft, To the little stars bright above.

The dead man sank into his grave, Ne'er again she saw her love.

Home then went maiden Else, Mid sorrow manifold, And ere that night's moon came again She lay alow in the mould.

HAFBUR AND SIGNY

TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH.

King Hafbur and King Siward They needs must stir up strife, All about the sweetling Signy Who was so fair a wife.

_O wilt thou win me then, or as fair a maid as I be?_

It was the King's son Hafbur Woke up amid the night, And 'gan to tell of a wondrous dream In swift words nowise light.

"Me-dreamed I was in heaven Amid that fair abode, And my true-love lay upon mine arm And we fell from cloud to cloud."

As there they sat, the dames and maids Of his words they took no keep, Only his mother well-beloved Heeded his dreamful sleep.

"Go get thee gone to the mountain, And make no long delay; To the elve's eldest daughter For thy dream's areding pray."

So the King's son, even Hafbur, Took his sword in his left hand, And he's away to the mountain To get speech of that Lily-wand.

He beat thereon with hand all bare, With fingers small and fine, And there she lay, the elve's daughter, And well wotted of that sign.

"Bide hail, Elve's sweetest daughter, As on skins thou liest fair, I pray thee by the G.o.d of Heaven My dream arede thou clear.

"Me-dreamed I was in heaven, Yea amid that fair abode, And my true-love lay upon mine arm And we fell from cloud to cloud."

"Whereas thou dreamed'st thou wert in heaven, So shalt thou win that may; Dreamed'st thou of falling through the clouds, So falls for her thy life away."

"And if it lieth in my luck To win to me that may, In no sorrow's stead it standeth me For her to cast my life away."

Lord Hafbur lets his hair wax long, And will have the gear of mays, And he rideth to King Siward's house And will well learn weaving ways.

Lord Hafbur all his clothes let shape In such wise as maidens do, And thus he rideth over the land King Siward's daughter to woo.

Now out amid the castle-garth He cast his cloak aside, And goeth forth to the high-bower Where the dames and damsels abide.

Hail, sit ye there, dames and damsels, Maids and queens kind and fair, And chiefest of all to the Dane-King's daughter If she abideth here!