Elvir Hill (from The Old Danish) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB CDC EFG HCD AIG JKGJ LAD MAN OBPC DQR SGT UVG WXD| Upon this Ballad Oehlenslaeger founded his Elvir Shades a | A |
| translation of which has already been given | B |
| - | |
| I rested my head upon Elvir Hill's side and my eyes were | C |
| beginning to slumber That moment there rose up before me | D |
| two maids whose charms would take ages to number | C |
| - | |
| One patted my face and the other exclaim'd while loading | E |
| my cheek with her kisses Rise rise for to dance with you | F |
| here we have sped from the undermost caves and abysses | G |
| - | |
| Rise fair headed swain and refuse not to dance and I and | H |
| my sister will sing thee The loveliest ditties that ever | C |
| were heard and the prettiest presents will bring thee | D |
| - | |
| Then both of them sang so delightful a song that the | A |
| boisterous river before us Stood suddenly quiet and placid | I |
| as though 't were afraid to disturb the sweet chorus | G |
| - | |
| The boisterous stream stood suddenly still though | J |
| accustom'd to foam and to bellow And fearless the trout | K |
| play'd along with the pike and the pike play'd with him as | G |
| his fellow | J |
| - | |
| The fishes whose dwelling was deep in the flood up up | L |
| from their caverns did sally The gay little birds of the | A |
| forest began to warble forthwith in the valley | D |
| - | |
| Now listen thou fair headed swain and if thou wilt stand | M |
| up and dance for a minute We'll teach thee to open the | A |
| sorcerer's book and to read all the Runic that's in it | N |
| - | |
| The bear and the wolf thou shalt trammel unto the thick | O |
| stem of the oak at thy pleasure Before thee the dragon | B |
| shall fly from his nest and shall leave thee sole lord of | P |
| his treasure | C |
| - | |
| Then about and around on the moonlight hill in their fairy | D |
| fashion they sported While unmov'd sat the gallant and fair | Q |
| young swain whom they in their wantonness courted | R |
| - | |
| And wilt thou not grant us our civil request proud | S |
| stripling and wilt thou deny it By hell's ruddy blazes | G |
| our gold handled knife shall lay thee for ever in quiet | T |
| - | |
| And if my good luck had not manag'd it so that the cock | U |
| crew out then in the distance I should have been murder'd | V |
| by them on the hill without power to offer resistance | G |
| - | |
| 'T is therefore I counsel each young Danish swain who may | W |
| ride in the forest so dreary Ne'er to lay down upon lone | X |
| Elvir Hill though he chance to be ever so weary | D |
George Borrow
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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