Hillelille in Her Chamber (E)

Fair Hillelille up in her bower
Her seam is stitching hour by hour;

On seam so white her needle plies.
And sewing weeps the while and sighs;

"To none save God is known my care,
"I tell it not to mortal ear."

A little page her grief has seen,
And Ellen told of it, the queen.

"Fair Hillelille sits in her bower,
"But weeps and sighs from hour to hour."

The queen has veil'd her royal head,
And up to the maidens bower is sped.

"My child, why toil thus day and night,
"Yet nothing work but seam so white?"

"Because my peace of mind is fled,
"On seam so white I ply the thread.

"As I was twelve years old or so,
"My father march'd against the foe.

"But ere from home he went away,
"Twelve knights he chose with me to stay.

"Eleven were brave and ne'er deceived,
"The twelfth of honour me bereav'd.

"My father storm'd with rage so sore,
"Would never hear or see me more;

"Would sell me into slavery he,
"My mother drown me in the sea.

"They sold me and bought a new church bell,
"In Mary by is heard it's knell:

"It gave, that bell, one single stroke,
"With that my mother's heart it broke:

"It gave one more, that fatal bell,
"And dead my noble father fell."

"Now tell me how the traitor knight,
"The same who won thy heart, was hight."

"A king's son he who wrought my shame,
"Aud Hildebrand the traitor's name"

"What! Hildebrand! has he so done?
"My son it surely was, my son.

"No mother has that knight but me,
"And, trust me, he shall marry thee."

Fair Hillelille at words so sweet
For joy sinks fainting at her feet.

The poor pale girl Queen Ellen rears,
And comforts her and kindly cheers.