Bibliotheca Polyglotta

GUDMUND.
Det tør du for sandt.
Hør mig, Signe. Medens årene randt
tænkte jeg trofast både vinter og sommer
på eder to, mine fagreste blommer.
Men jeg kunde ikke fuldt mine tanker forstå; –
da jeg rejste, var du som alferne små, –
som alferne små, der færdes i skove
og lege som bedst, når vi drømme og sove.
Men idag, da jeg stod i Solhaugs stue,
da forstod jeg mig selv tilfulde, –
forstod, at Margit var så stolt en frue,
men du den allerdejligste blandt ungmøer hulde.

GUDMUND.
Indeed you may.
List to me, Signe! The years sped away,
But faithful was I in my thoughts to you,
My fairest flowers, ye sisters two.
My own heart I could not clearly read.
When I left, my Signe was but a child,
A fairy elf, like the creatures wild
Who play, while we sleep, in wood and mead.
But in Solhoug’s hall to-day, right loud
My heart spake, and right clearly;
It told me that Margit’s a lady proud,
Whilst you’re the sweet maiden I love most dearly.

SIGNE,
(der kun halvt har lyttet til hans ord).
Jeg mindes, vi sad ved arnens glød
en vinterkveld, – nu er det længe siden; –
du sang for mig om den jomfru liden,
som nøkken havde lokket ned i sit skød.
Der glemte hun bort både fader og moder;
der glemte hun bort både søster og broder;
hun glemte bort både himmel og jord,
hun glemte sin gud og hvert kristent ord.
Men tæt under strande den smådreng stod;
han var tilsinde så mødig og mod;
med kvide han slog sin harpes strenge,
så vide det klang både lydt og længe.
Den jomfru liden på tjernets bund
vågned derved af sin tunge blund;
nøkken måtte slippe hende ud af sit skød;
mellem liljerne hen over vandet hun flød; –
da kendte hun igen både himmel og jord,
da fatted hun tilfulde både gud og hans ord.

SIGNE.
[Who has only half listened to his words.]
I mind me, we sat in the hearth’s red glow,
One winter evening--’tis long ago--
And you sang to me of the maiden fair
Whom the neckan had lured to his watery lair.
There she forgot both father and mother,
There she forgot both sister and brother;
Heaven and earth and her Christian speech,
And her God, she forgot them all and each.
But close by the strand a stripling stood
And he was heartsore and heavy of mood.
He struck from his harpstrings notes of woe,
That wide o’er the waters rang loud, rang low.
The spell-bound maid in the tarn so deep,
His strains awoke from her heavy sleep,
The neckan must grant her release from his rule,
She rose through the lilies afloat on the pool--
Then looked she to heaven while on green earth she trod,
And wakened once more to her faith and her God.

GUDMUND.
Signe, min dejligste blomme!

GUDMUND.
Signe, my fairest of flowers!

SIGNE.
Som hun
gik også jeg i en drømmende blund;
de gådefulde ord, du ikveld har mig sagt
om kærligheds magt, har mig frydeligt vakt.
Aldrig tyktes himlen mig før så blå,
aldrig så fager den verden vide;
mig tykkes, jeg kan fuglenes røst forstå,
når jeg vandrer med dig under lide.

SIGNE.
It seems
That I, too, have lived in a world of dreams.
But the strange deep words you to-night have spoken,
Of the power of love, have my slumber broken.
The heavens seemed never so blue to me,
Never the world so fair;
I can understand, as I roam with thee,
The song of the birds in air.

GUDMUND.
Så mægtig er elskov; – i menneskets bryst
vækker den tanker og længsel og lyst. –
Men kom, lad os begge til din søster gå ind.

GUDMUND.
So mighty is love--it stirs in the breast
Thought and longings and happy unrest.
But come, let us both to your sister go.

SIGNE
(undsélig).
Vil du sige hende –?

SIGNE.
Would you tell her--?

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