Bibliotheca Polyglotta

Fru Inger til Østråt (Lady Inger of Östråt)

Complete text

FRU INGER.
Eline, – hvis nu en mægtig riddersmand kom og førte dig til sin borg, hvor du fandt terner og svende, silkeklæder og høje sale?

LADY INGER.
Elina--if a mighty noble were now to come and lead you to his castle, where you should find damsels and pages, silken robes and lofty halls awaiting you?

ELINE.
En ridder, siger I?

ELINA.
A noble, you say?

FRU INGER.
En ridder.

LADY INGER.
A noble.

ELINE
(sagtere).
Og den danske udsending kommer hid inat.

ELINA
(more softly).
And the Danish envoy comes here to-night?

FRU INGER.
Inat.

LADY INGER.
To-night.

ELINE.
Hvis så er, da ræddes jeg for at tyde eders ord.

ELINA.
If so be, then I fear to read the meaning of your words.

FRU INGER.
Der er intet at ræddes for, ifald du ikke vil mistyde dem. Det er visselig ikke min agt at tvinge dig. Efter eget tykke skal du vælge og råde selv i denne sag.

LADY INGER.
There is nought to fear if you misread them not. Be sure it is far from my thought to put force upon you. You shall choose for yourself in this matter, and follow your own counsel.

ELINE
(et skridt nærmere).
Har I hørt om hin moder, der kørte over fjeldet ved nattetid med sine småbørn i slæden? Ulveflokken fulgte hende i sporet; det gjaldt liv eller død; – og hun kasted sine små bagud efter sig, en for en, for at vinde tid og frelse sig selv.

ELINA
(comes a step nearer).
Have you heard the story of the mother that drove across the hills by night with her little children by her in the sledge? The wolves were on her track; it was life or death with her;--and one by one she cast out her little ones, to gain time and save herself.

FRU INGER.
Eventyr! En moder rev hjertet af sit bryst, før hun kasted sit barn for ulvene!

LADY INGER.
Nursery tales! A mother would tear the heart from her breast, before she would cast her child to the wolves!

ELINE.
Hvis jeg ikke var min moders datter, så skulde jeg give eder ret. Men I er som hin moder; og eders døtre har I kastet ud for ulvene, en for en. Først kasted I den ældste. For fem år siden drog Merete fra Østråt; nu sidder hun i Bergen som Vinzents Lunges hustru. Men tror I, hun er lykkelig som den danske ridders frue? Vinzents Lunge er mægtig, fast som en konge; Merete har terner og svende, silkeklæder og høje sale; men dagen har ingen sol for hende, og natten ingen hvile; thi hun har aldrig været ham god. Han kom hid, han bejled til hende, fordi hun var Norges rigeste arving, og fordi han dengang trængte til at få fast fod i landet. Jeg véd det; jeg véd det tilfulde! Merete var eder hørig; hun fulgte den fremmede herre. Men hvad har det kostet hende? Flere tårer, end en moder skulde ønske at svare til på dommens dag!

ELINA.
Were I not my mother’s daughter, I would say you were right. But you are like that mother; one by one you have cast out your daughters to the wolves. The eldest went first. Five years ago Merete¹ went forth from Östråt; now she dwells in Bergen and is Vinzents Lunge’s² wife. But think you she is happy as the Danish noble’s lady? Vinzents Lunge is mighty, well-nigh as a king; Merete has damsels and pages, silken robes and lofty halls; but the day has no sunshine for her, and the night no rest; for she has never loved him. He came hither and he wooed her; for she was the greatest heiress in Norway, and he needed to gain a footing in the land. I know it; I know it well! Merete bowed to your will; she went with the stranger lord.--But what has it cost her? More tears than a mother should wish to answer for at the day of reckoning.

1. Pronounce Mayrayte
2. Pronounce Loonghe.

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