The Verner Raven, The Count of Vendel's Daughter, and Other Ballads

With glee and utmost joy;
When forty weeks away had flown
She brought into the world a boy.

It was the Verner Raven,
Perched on the turret tall:
“What thou did’st promise me, Irmindlin,
To thy mind I’d have thee call.”

So sorely she wept, and her hands she smote,
Because it a girl was not:
“Thee shall the wild Death Raven have,
That will cost thee thy life, I wot!”

There came flying over the house
The Raven, with looks to scare;
So sorely then wept both Maidens and Dames,
And their hands wrung in despair.

Sir Nilaus went, and proffered the bird
Proud castles many a one;
He proffered him even the half of his land
If he only might keep his son.

“If I get not the little babe,
Thou sorely shall rue it straight,
Thee I limb from limb will tear
And thy kingdom devastate.”

She has taken the babe, and in linen white
Hath wrapped it tenderly;
“Farewell, farewell, my dearest son,
Thou owest thy death to me.”

Then bore they out the little babe,
On its mother’s breast that lay;
O’er the cheeks of all did big tears fall,
Such woe was and wail that day.

The Raven took the child in his claw,
He croaked in joyous guise;
Sir Nilaus stood and looked thereon,
Pouring forth bitter sighs.

Then tore he amain its right eye out,
Drank the half of its heart’s red blood;
Then he became the handsomest knight
That upon earth e’er stood.

He changed into the loveliest knight
That with eye man ever had seen:
It was Irmindlin’s brother himself,
Who had long enchanted been.

All the folk that stood thereby,
They fell upon their knees bare;
And the child it was to life restored
When to God they had made their prayer.

Now sitteth Dame Irmindlin so glad,
All her grief has from her hied;
For she has now both brother and son,
And sleeps by Sir Nilaus’ side.

THE COUNT OF VENDEL’S DAUGHTER

Within a bower the womb I left,
’Midst dames and maids who stood to aid;
They wrapped me first in silken weft,
And next in scarlet red array’d.

But a stepdame soon ’twas my lot to get,
And fierce and wild she proved to me;
Within a coffer me she set,
And pushed it out upon the sea.

By one wave I was borne to land,
And by the next away was ta’en;
But God on High, it seems, had plann’d,
That I should footing there obtain.

The tide it drove me to the shore,
And in its backward course retook;
Sure ne’er had child of king before
Such buffeting on sea to brook.

But God He help’d me, so that I
Was cast above the billows’ reach;
And soon a savage wolf drew nigh,
Was prowling on the sandy beach.

Soon prowling came a wolf so gray,
And me up-taking in his jaws,
He carried me with care away
Deep, deep into the forest shaws.

That self-same wolf he was so kind
That me beneath a tree he laid;
And then came running a nimble hind,
And me unto its lair convey’d.