German Gladenswain

The Danish king and his youthful queen,
They sat at their festive board.
And many a tale they told by turns
Anent the salty Fiord.

The Danish king and his youthful queen
Were sailing through the foam;
And better that day for both their sakes
The queen had stayed at home.

The ship roird on the heaving deep.
The wind no longer blew.
And over them, greedy to sink them all,
The fierce wild raven flew.

"If any there are beneath the waves,
"That hinder the ship to sail,
"I'll give you silver and ruddy gold,
"To send us a favouring gale.

"And thou, wild carnage raven, hark!
"Forbear our vessel to drown,
"And pounds by weight of silver and gold
"Fifteen I'll pay thee down."

"Of gold or silver no need have I,
"A different gift I claim;
"Whatever thou bearest beneath thy belt,
"To me thou givest the same/'

"Naught else beneath my belt do I bear
"Than this my bundle of keys,
"If God shall bring me alive to land,
"rii others have made for these."

She took the bundle of keys so small,
Those over the board she threw;
The fierce wild raven her words had heard.
And joyous away he flew.

The queen stepped out on the glittering sand,
And bitter the grief she felt;
She noted, that German Gladenswain
Had quickened beneath her belt.

And when in the onward flight of time
Five months were past and gone,
She went aloft to her bower, the queen,
And bare a lovely son.

'Twas eventide, as the babe was born,
They took him to church by night.
They christened him German Gladenswain,
And hid him the best they might.

They nurs'd that infant the winter through.
They nursed him for winters nine,
Till he the gallantest youth was grown.
That ever met mortal eyne.

So well he throve, and so well he grew.
So well too his horse could ride;
Yet oft as his mother beheld the boy.
From bitterest grief she cried.

"O tell me then, dearest mother mine,
"Nor answer to me deny,
"Why weep you, and why so dolefully moan,
"So often as I go by?"

"O listen then, German Gladenswain,
"I've reason enough to grieve,
"For thee as a babe to the Trold I gave,
"And he will his gift receive."

"Nay, listen to me, my mother dear,
"And lay your sorrow aside;
"Whatever the fate that God decrees,
"The same I must e'en abide."

One Thursday it was, an autumn day,
At th' early morning hoar,
A loud shrill voice the ladies heard,
As open stood their bower.

And in that lothesomest raven came,
And sat by the queen, did he;
"Now call to your mind, my gracious Queen,
"The gift that you made to me."

She swore by God, and she swore by men.
By heaven and earth and all,
That she nor daughter nor son had borne,
Nor any her own could call.

Away that lothesomest raven flew,
And yeird a scream of joy;
"Wherever I find young Gladenswain,
"I claim for my own the boy."

When German was fifteen winters old,
He fain his betroth'd would see;
A daughter she was of England's king.
And none was so fair as she.

And more and more he daily long'd
To go to his lovely bride;
"But how shall I come to the seagirt isle
Across the salty tide?"

So rose young German Gladenswain,
And round him his mantle threw.
And up to the ladies' lofty bower.
To speak to his mother flew.

In came young German Gladenswain,
In scarlet array'd was he;
"O lend me, mother, your feather-dress
"To cross the salty sea."

"My feather-dress on a hook is hung,
"Its plumes drop on the floor;
"If thou to a foreign land dost go,
"I see thee again no more.

"The wings for thee are much too long,
"They spread so wide in the air;
"If I till midsummer live, my son,
"I'll make me another pair."

He d'on'd the dress, and across the sea
He flew for many a mile,
And met the raven so wild and fierce,
That dwelt on a lonely isle.

So boldly he flew, and skimmed the wave,
Or rose to the clouds on high.
Till, distant afar from either shore,
He heard a frightful cry.

"Well met, young German Gladenswain,
"So long where hast thou been?
"A little and tender babe thou wast,
"As gave thee to me the Queen/'

"O leave me, raven, and let me fly
"My lovely young bride to see,
"And soon as I hither return again,
"I'll render myself to thee."

"I'll set on thy body a special mark
"To bear with thee hence ashore;
"WhereVer thou sittest with knights and squires,
"Forgettest thou me no more."

His right eye out of his head he peck'd,
Drank half of his heart's best blood;
Yet flew the youth to his trulove's bower
Across the briny flood.

And there so blood-besprent and pale
He stayed his airy flight;
The maidens, who sat within the bower,
Shrank trembling aback with fright.

Their laugh and frolic the maidens ceased.
Their games no longer play'd;
But rose and clasped her fair white hands
His ladylove Adelaide.

"Right welcome, dear German Gladenswain,
"But where have you been in fight?
"And why are your clothes so stain'd with blood?
"And why is your cheek so white?"

"Farewell, for ever, dear Adelaide,
"Away from you I must fly;
"My life the ravenous monster claims,
"Who tore from my head an eye."

She took in her hand a silver comb,
Herself she dressed his hair.
And dropp'd on every lock she comb'd,
A bitter and scalding tear.

On every tangled lock she dress'd
The bitterest tear would flow,
And much his mother she cursed the while,
The cause of all his woe.

She clasp'd him fondly within her arms
In loving and long caress;
"Oh! cursed be she, the wicked queen,
"Who brought on us such distress."

"Nay cease, I prithee, dear Adelaide,
"My mother so to ban,
"She could not avert, what fate decreed;
"Avert it what mortal can?"

He drew on his limbs a feather dress,
And rose to the sky so blue;
His bride drew on her another dress,
And, whirring, behind him flew.

"O turn to your home, dear Adelaide,
"Turn back from your flight so high,
"For open is standing your chamber door,
"Your keys on the pavement lie."

"Though open be standing my chamber door,
"And keys on the pavement lie,
"I'll follow you, wheresoever you go,
"Be near to you, when you die.

Whatever the birds, in the air she met,
She clipp'd them at once in twain;
The raven alone she could not reach,
To leave him among the slain.

Then turn'd her, the lady Adelaide,
And lighted upon the strand;
But left there of German Gladenswain
Was nothing beside his hand.

In wrath she flew to the clouds so high.
That ravenous bird to seek;
And eastward she flew, and to west she flew,
Her vengeance sworn to wreak.

Whatever the birds, in the air she met,
She clipp'd them in pieces three,
She met the raven, and into ten
She clipped him with dismal glee.

She hover'd about that dreary heath,
Till wasted with grief, she died;
For love of her German Gladenswain
So mournfully sank his bride.