The Mermaid's Prophecy

But the Bishop could not stifle his wrath,
So the land he was forced to quit;
It grieved Queen Dagmar to the heart,
That he showed so little wit.

There was great joy over all Denmark
That Dagmar for Queen they had got;
Lived burger and boor in peace without
The plague of plough-tax and scot.

Christ bless the youthful Athelings two,
And lengthen their vital span,
That justice they may, and equity,
Do long in sight of man!

III. THE MERMAID’S PROPHECY

The King he has caught the fair mermaid, and deep
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
In the dungeon has placed her, to pine and to weep,
Because his will she had not done.

The Queen of the Danes addressed two of her band:
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
“To come to my presence the mermaid command,
For my will by her it shall be done.”

The mermaid came in, to the Queen she up went:
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
“What wilt thou, O Queen, that for me thou hast sent?
By me thy will can never be done.”

The Queen the blue cushion stroked down with a smile:
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
“Sit down pretty mermaid and rest thee awhile,
My will by thee must now be done.”

“Why seek’st thou, O Queen, to betray my young life?
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
For under that cushion is stuck a sharp knife,
By me thy will can never be done.”

“If thou knowest that, then much more thou dost know,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
So do thou my destiny unto me show,
And thus by thee shall my will be done.”

“If I should thy destiny to thee announce,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
On a fire of faggots thoud’st burn me at once!
By me unwilling your will is done.

“Three babes thou shalt bear, each a beautiful boy,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
And in leaving thy womb they thy life shall destroy,
And thus fair Queen thy will is done.”

“If with me, luckless me, it no better shall speed,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
Inform me what fortune for them is decreed,
For thus by thee can my will be done.”

“The first shall be King in old Denmark of them,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
The next shall succeed to the gold diadem,
By me can thus thy will be done.

“The third as the wisest of mortals shall shine,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
And for him thou art doomed thy young life to resign,
Thus all your will, fair Queen, I’ve done.”

In her mantle of azure the Queen wrapt her head,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
And unto the hall to the Monarch she sped,
For she her will had fairly done.

“Now hear my entreaty, my heart’s belov’d Lord,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
To my own disposal this mermaid award,
For she my will has fairly done.”

“I’ll not give her thee, nor her life shalt thou save,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
For my seven brave vessels she swamped in the wave,
My pleasure thus she has not done.”

Black, black as a clod grew the Queen at that word,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
And down she fell senseless before the King’s board,
Because her will she had fairly clone.

“My Queen and my dearest! thy heart shall not break,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)
Thou art free to the strand the fair mermaid to take,
Because thy will she has fairly done.”

The mermaid in scarlet so fine she array’d,
(The mermaid dances the floor upon)