Rosmer (A)

A lady once in Denmark dwelt.
And Hellelille her name;
A lofty castle there she built
And great that castle's fame.

Her daughter thieves had stolen away,
She sought her far and near:
The more she sought, the less she found.
And great her grief and fear.

She built a ship with gilded masts,
All rigg'd with silken sails,
And mann'd with knights, and a gallant crew
To face the Ocean gales.

Her three brave sons down to the strand
That noble lady brought;
And eight years long they roam'd the sea,
And still their sister sought.

Eight tedious years they wildly roar'd,
Since first they left the land,
And now they saw a lofty hill,
And anchored on the strand.

Then spake, as loud as she could call,
The lady Swanelille;
"Say who ye are, ye foreign knights,
Who visit this our hill?"

"Lady," the younger brother said,
So shrewd in speech was he,
"We're all a widow's three poor sons,
"Eight years we've roam'd the sea.

"Fair Denmark is our native land,
"Our mother Hellelille;
"We've sought a sister robbers stole,
"And seek that sister still."

"If born in Denmark thou hast been,
"And Hellelille thy mother,
"Then I am a sister dear of thine,
"And thou my youngest brother.

"But why, ray dearest brother, why
"At home didst thou not stay?
Tor haddest thou a thousand lives,
"Lost, everyone, were they."

She hid him in the smallest nook,
Where safely he might lie,
And begg'd him by the God above
To neither laugh nor cry.

Rosmer came stalking in from sea.
And straight began to ban;
"I smell, by my right hand I swear,
"The breath of a Christian man."

"A bird, that bare a Christian's leg,
"Across the courtyard flow;
"He dropp'd it down, but I caught it up,
"And away the carrion threw."

She made a bath so nice and warm,
Her lord the while caress'd;
"There's come to me my sister's son,
"O let him be my guest.

"There's come to me my sister's son
"From home across the sea;
"My lord! I've pledged my sacred troth,
"From harm he shall be free,"

"And is thy nephew come from home?
"Be quit of all alarm,
"I swear my great, my highest oath,
"To do the lad no harm."

Then was the mighty Rosmer heard
His servants twain to call;
"Go bid my lady's sister's son
"Come to the banquet hall."

All pale with fear the stranger grew,
When Rosmer called his name,
And trembling, and with beating heart,
Before his presence came.

King Rosmer took him upon his knee,
And kind and tender grew;
He tapp'd his guest so lovingly,
He left him black and blue.

"Stay, stay," said gentle Swanelille,
"Rosmer dear, take care;
"For heavy falls thy giant hand
"To tap a cheek so fair."

He there had stayed for fifteen years,
And then he pined for home;
"O give me aid, dear Swanelille,
"That I to Denmark come."

Before her giant Lord she stood,
"Let now your guest return,
"So many years he has been at sea,
"He now for home doth yearn."

"If here our guest has been so long,
"And pines for his native land,
"I'll help him forth, and give him too
"A gold-chest in his hand."

"And if you give him a chest of gold,
"From out your treasured store,
"Then be, dear Rosmer, kinder still,
"And bear them both ashore."

While thus spake gentle Swanelille,
She plann'd a knavish jest,
She emptied all the treasure out,
And crept inside the chest,

He took the chest between his teeth,
The man upon his hack.
And stoutly trod the Ocean depths
A long and weary track.

"And now I've borne theo to thy home,
"The land of sun und moon;
"I beg thee name not Swanelille,
"And ask no other boon."

As Rosmer sprang into the sea,
Cloud-high he dash'd the wave.
But found no more his Swanelille
To cheer his mountain cave.

He found no more his Swanelille;
His dearest wife was flown;
He wildly roam'd the mountain isle,
And turn'd to granite stone.

But in their mother's house was joy.
And all the country round,
That both her children, lost so long.
Had now at last been found.