Scandanavia. Proud Margaret

Proud Margeret

Proud Margaret's [a] father of wealth had store,

Time with me goes slow.--

And he was a king seven kingdoms o'er,

But that grief is heavy I know. [b]
To her came wooing good earls two,

Time with me goes slow.--

But neither of them would she hearken unto,

But that grief is heavy I know.
To her came wooing princes five,

Time with me goes slow.--

Yet not one of them would the maiden have,

But that grief is heavy I know.
To her came wooing kings then seven,

Time with me goes slow.--

But unto none her hand has she given,

But that grief is heavy I know.
And the hill-king asked his mother to read,

Time with me goes slow.--

How to win proud Margaret he might speed,

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And say how much thou wilt give unto me,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"That herself may into the hill come to thee?"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"Thee will I give the ruddiest gold,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"And thy chests full of money as they can hold,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
One Sunday morning it fell out so,

Time with me goes slow.--

Proud Margaret unto the church should go,

But that grief is heavy I know.
And all as she goes, and all as she stays,

Time with me goes slow.--

All the nearer she comes where the high hill lay,

But that grief is heavy I know.
So she goeth around the hill compassing,

Time with me goes slow.--

So there openeth a door, and thereat goes she in,

But that grief is heavy I know.
Proud Margaret stept in at the door of the hill,

Time with the goes slow.--

And the hill-king salutes her with eyes joyful,

But that grief is heavy I know.
So he took the maiden upon his knee,

Time with me goes slow.--

And took the gold rings and therewith her wed be,

But that grief is heavy I know.
So he took the maiden his arms between,

Time with me goes slow.--

He gave her a gold crown and the name of queen,

But that grief is heavy I know.
So she was in the hill for eight round years,

Time with me goes slow.--

There bare she two sons and a daughter so fair,

But that grief is heavy I know.
When she had been full eight years there,

Time with me goes slow.--

She wished to go home to her mother so dear,

But that grief is heavy I know.
And the hill-king spake to his footpages twain,

Time with me goes slow.--

"Put ye the gray pacers now unto the wain," [c]

But that grief is heavy I know.
And Margaret out at the hill-door stept,

Time with me goes slow.--

And her little children they thereat wept,

But that grief is heavy I know.
And the hill-king her in his arms has ta'en,

Time with me goes slow.--

So he lifteth her into the gilded wain,

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And hear now thou footpage what I unto thee say,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Thou now shalt drive her to her mother's straightway,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
Proud Margaret stept in o'er the door-sill,

Time with me goes slow.--

And her mother saluteth her with eyes joyful,

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And where heat thou so long stayed?"

Time with me goes slow.--

"I have been in the flowery meads,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"What veil is that thou wearest on thy hair?"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Such as women and mothers use to wear,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"Well may I wear a veil on my head,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Me hath the hill-king both wooed and wed,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"In the hill have I been these eight round years,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"There have I two sons and a daughter so fair,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"There have I two sons and a daughter so fair,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"The loveliest maiden the world doth bear,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And hear thou, proud Margaret, what I say unto thee,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Can I go with thee home thy children to see?"

But that grief is heavy I know.
And the hill-king stept now in at the door,

Time with me goes slow.--

And Margaret thereat fell down on the floor,

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And stayest thou now here complaining of me,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Camest thou not of thyself into the hill to me?"

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And stayest thou now here and thy fate dost deplore?"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Camest thou not of thyself in at my door?"

But that grief is heavy I know.
The hill-king struck her on the cheek rosie,

Time with me goes slow.--

"And pack to the hill to thy children wee,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
The hill-king struck her with a twisted root,

Time with me goes slow.--

"And pack to the hill without any dispute,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
And the hill-king her in his arms has ta'en,

Time with me goes slow.--

And lifted her into the gilded wain,

But that grief is heavy I know.
"And hear thou my footpage what I unto thee say,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Thou now shalt drive her to my dwelling straightway,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
Proud Margaret stept in at the bill door,

Time with me goes slow.--

And her little children rejoiced therefre,

But that grief is heavy I know.
"It is not worth while rejoicing for me,"

Time with me goes slow.--

"Christ grant that I never a mother had been,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
The one brought out a gilded chair,

Time with me goes slow.--

"O rest you, my sorrow-bound mother, there,"

But that grief is heavy I know.
The one brought out a filled up horn,

Time with me goes slow.--

The other put therein a gilded corn,

But that grief is heavy I know.
The first drink she drank out of the horn,

Time with me goes slow.--

She forgot straightway both heaven and earth,

But that grief is heavy I know.
The second drink she drank out of the horn,

Time with me goes slow.--

She forgot straightway both God and his word,

But that grief is heavy I know.
The third drink she drank out of the horn,

Time with me goes slow.--

She forgot straightway both sister and brother,

But that grief is heavy I knew.
She forgot straightway both sister and brother,

Time with me goes slow.--

But she never forgot her sorrow-bound mother,

But that grief is heavy I know. [d]

[a] Niebuhr, speaking of the Celsi Ramnes, says, "With us the salutation of blood relations was "Willkommen stolze Vetter "(Welcome, proud cousins) and in the Danish ballads, proud "(stolt) "is a noble appellation of a maiden."--Rmische Geschichte, 2d edit. vol. i. p. 316.
It may be added, that in English, "proud "and the synonymous terni "stout (stolz, stolt) "had also the sense of noble, high-born.
Do now your devoir, yonge knightes proud.

Knight's Tale.
Up stood the queen and ladies stout.

Launfal.
[b] Men jag vet a sorge r tung.

[c] Wain, our readers hardly need be informed, originally signified any kind of carriage: see Faerie Queene, "passim. "It is the Ang. Sax. "pen", and not a contraction of waggon.

[d] From Vermland and Upland.