Aage and Else

Three maidens sat in a bower,
Two broidered with gold
The third she wept her own true love
All under darksome mould.
(For she loved the knight so truly.)

It was the Knight Sir Aage
Went riding here and there,
He loved the lady Elselil,
A maid so fair.

He wooed the lady Elselil
With gifts and gold;
On Monday thereafter
He lay in the mould.

Sore wept she, lady Elselil,
With wellaway;
That heard the knight Sir Aage
Low where he lay.

Up stood the knight Sir Aage,
His coffin took amain,
Forth to his true love’s bower he fared
With mickle pain.

He knocked there with his coffin—
No cloak had he—
“Stand up, thou stately Elselil,
Open to me!”

Up spake the lady Elselil,
With tears spake she:
“Canst thou name the name of Jesu
I’ll open to thee!”

“Stand up, thou lady Elselil,
Open thy door!
I can name the name of Jesu
As ever I could of yore.”

Up stood she, stately Elselil,
With drearihed;
There opened she her bower door,
Let in the dead.

She took her golden comb
To smooth his hair;
For every lock she ordered
Down fell a tear.

“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,
Dearest love mine,
How goes it under darksome earth
In grave o’ thine?”

“So goes it under the darksome earth
Where I am laid
As in the happy realm of heaven;
Therefore be glad.”

“Lithe and listen, Sir Aage,
Dearest love mine.
Fain would I lie ’neath darksome mould
All in that grave o’ thine.”

“So is it under darksome mould,
There where I rest,
As in the blackest depths of hell
—Cross thou thy breast

“For every tear thou sheddest
In mournful mood,
Down into my grave doth fall
A drop of blood.

“Up above my head
The green grass grows;
Round about my feet
The wild worm goes.

“Now in the darksome entry
The black cock doth crow,
And all the gates are opening;
Forth must I go.

“Now crows upon the high-loft
The cock so red,
And I must go to the kirkyard
With all the dead.”

Up stood the knight Sir Aage,
His coffin took again,
Forth fared he to the kirkyard
With mickle pain.

Up stood she, stately Elselil,
Right mournful was her mood;
She followed him, her own true love,
Through the wild wood.

As thro’ the wood they wended
All to the kirkyard there,
Wan it grew and faded,
His goodly golden hair.

“Behold now up in heaven
The stars so bright;
So shalt thou see soothly
How goes the night.”

She saw them up in heaven,
The stars so fair;
Down in the earth the dead man sank
Ere she was ware.

Home went she, lady Elselil,
With care so cold;
On Monday thereafter
Lay she in the mould.
(For she loved the knight so truly.)