Vidrik Verlandson (from The Old Danish) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB ADED FGHG FIJI FKJK ELJM ENMN OPPP EJPJ HEPE EPJP EQPQ EEPE RSTS EPUP ETVT VEWE XEYE PYZY PA2PB2 EYC2Y C2IPI D2EPE E2JF2J PPVP C2PEP PPHP PJHJ PYPY WG2B2G2 H2I2PI2 PEHE HJ2PJ2 K2PRP EPL2P PM2PM2 PB2EB2 ETN2T VPO2P EQEQ PP2EP2 EQ2L2Q2 EP2EP2 I2HJH R2A2HB2 PQJQ P2S2ET2 HEPE JPPP EPPP PPIP ERU2R PEHE PPPP EV2PV2 EK2EK2

King Diderik sits in the halls of BernA
And he boasts of his deeds of mightB
So many a swain in battle he's fell'dC
And taken so many a knightB
-
King Diderik sits in the halls of BernA
And he strikes his moony shieldD
O would that I knew of a hero nowE
'Gainst whom I could take the fieldD
-
Then answer'd Master HildebrandF
For he knew all things bestG
There sleeps a Giant at BirtingsbergH
Dar'st thou disturb his restG
-
Now hear me Master HildebrandF
Thou art huge in body and limbI
Thou foremost shall ride in the wood this dayJ
And bear our challenge to himI
-
Then answer'd Master HildebrandF
So careful a knight was heK
Not so my Lord will I do this dayJ
For the wages delight not meK
-
Then out spoke Vidrik VerlandsonE
And he spoke in wrathful moodL
O I'll be first of the band this dayJ
All through the Birting woodM
-
Then out spoke Vidrik VerlandsonE
And he spoke with lofty prideN
The smith he forg'd me a faulchion goodM
That can steel like cloth divideN
-
They were three hundred valorous knightsO
Unto Birting's land that rodeP
They go in quest of Langben the JuttP
To the gloomy wood his abodeP
-
Then out spoke Vidrik VerlandsonE
A wondrous game we'll playJ
For I will ride in the green wood firstP
If ye'll but trust me awayJ
-
Then answer'd bold King DiderikH
He answer'd hastily thenE
When thou therein shalt have found the JuttP
Come back for me and my menE
-
It was Vidrik VerlandsonE
In the forest alone he spedP
And there he found so little a wayJ
Which up to the Giant ledP
-
It was Vidrik VerlandsonE
He came unto Birting's hillQ
There black and dread lay Langben the JuttP
He lay stretch'd out and stillQ
-
It was Vidrik VerlandsonE
With his lance touch'd him on the kneeE
Wake up wake up now Langben the JuttP
Thou sleepest full sound I seeE
-
Here have I lain for many a yearR
'Mid the leaf and the dew wet herbS
But never till now came a warrior byT
That has dar'd my sleep to disturbS
-
Here stand I Vidrik VerlandsonE
With a sword so good at my sideP
I came to wake thee up from thy sleepU
Betide whatever betideP
-
It was Langben the Giant thenE
Turn'd up the white of his eyeT
O whence can come this warrior youthV
Who such bold words lets flyT
-
But hear but hear thou warrior youthV
I will not do battle with theeE
Except thou prove of a knightly raceW
So thy lineage tell to meE
-
A handsome smith my father wasX
And Verland hight was heE
Bodild they call'd my mother fairY
Queen over countries threeE
-
Skimming I call my noble steedP
Begot from the wild sea mareY
Blank do I call my haughty helmZ
Because it glitters so fairY
-
Skrepping I call my good thick shieldP
Steel shafts have furrow'd it o'erA2
Mimmering have I nam'd my swordP
'T is harden'd in heroes' goreB2
-
And I am Vidrik VerlandsonE
For clothes bright iron I wearY
Stand'st thou not up on thy long long legsC2
I'll pin thee down to thy lairY
-
Do thou stand up on thy long long legsC2
Nor look so dogged and grimI
The King holds out before the woodP
Thou shalt yield thy treasure to himI
-
All all the gold that I possessD2
I will keep with great renownE
I'll yield it at no little horse boy's wordP
To the best king wearing a crownE
-
So young and little as here I seemE2
Thou shalt find me prompt in a frayJ
I'll hew the head from thy shoulders offF2
And thy much gold bear awayJ
-
It was Langben the mighty JuttP
With fury his heart was fir'dP
Ride hence ride hence thou warrior youthV
If of life thou be not tir'dP
-
Skimming sprang up with both his legsC2
Against the giant's sideP
Asunder went five of his rib bones thenE
And the fight began at that tideP
-
It was Langben the lofty JuttP
He wav'd his steel mace roundP
He sent a blow after VidrikH
But the mace struck deep in the groundP
-
It was Langben the lofty JuttP
Who had thought his foeman to slayJ
But the blow fell short of VidrikH
For the good horse bore him awayJ
-
It was Langben the lofty JuttP
That shouted in wild despairY
Now lies my mace in the hillock fastP
As though 't were hammer'd in thereY
-
Vidrik paus'd no moment's spaceW
So ready was he to assailG2
Upon him Skimming upon him once moreB2
Now Mimmering now prevailG2
-
He seiz'd his sword in both his handsH2
Unto Langben Giant he flewI2
He struck him so hard in the hairy breastP
That the point his lungs went throughI2
-
Now Langben Giant has got a woundP
And he's waken'd thoroughly nowE
So gladly would he have paid it backH
But alas he knew not howE
-
Accursed be thou young VidrikH
And accurs'd thy piercing steelJ2
Thou hast given me see a wound in my breastP
Whence rise the pains I feelJ2
-
I'll hew thee Giant I'll hew thee as smallK2
As leaves that are borne on the blastP
Except thou showest me all the gearR
That hid in the forest thou hastP
-
Forbear O Vidrik VerlandsonE
Strike me not cruelly deadP
And I will lead thee straight to my houseL2
That's thatch'd with gold so redP
-
Vidrik rode and the Giant creptP
So far through the forest waysM2
They found the house with the red gold thatch'dP
It glitter'd like straw in a blazeM2
-
Therein therein are heaps of goldP
No King has a greater storeB2
Do thou remove the big black stoneE
And lift from the hinges the doorB2
-
With both hands Vidrik seiz'd the stoneE
But to stir it in vain did he tryT
The Giant took it with finger and thumbN2
And lifted it up in the skyT
-
Now hear now hear thou warrior youthV
Thou canst wheel thy courser aboutP
But in every feat of manly strengthO2
I could beat thee out and outP
-
Then answer'd Vidrik VerlandsonE
He fear'd for himself some illQ
'T is not the custom of any wise manE
His strength on a stone to spillQ
-
Therein therein is much more goldP
Than fifteen kings can showP2
Hear me Vidrik VerlandsonE
Thou therein first shalt goP2
-
Then answer'd Vidrik VerlandsonE
For his cunning intent he sawQ2
Thou shalt lead the way into thine own houseL2
For that is warrior lawQ2
-
It was Langben the Giant thenE
To the door he stoop'd down lowP2
It was Vidrik VerlandsonE
Cleft off his head at a blowP2
-
Away the quivering body he drewI2
And propp'd it against an oakH
Then back he rode the long long wayJ
He's thought of a wondrous jokeH
-
With giant's blood he besmear'd himselfR2
And besmear'd his steed all o'erA2
Then back he rides to King DiderikH
Pretends to be wounded soreB2
-
Here bide ye in peace my companions goodP
All under the grass green hillQ
Langben the Giant has smote me to dayJ
I doubt I shall fare but illQ
-
If thou from the Giant hast got a blowP2
Thy life must be nigh its closeS2
We'll ride swift back to the halls of BernE
No man more will we loseT2
-
Now wend thee bold King DiderikH
Wend into the wood with meE
And all the gold that the giant hadP
That will I show to theeE
-
If thou hast slain the giant this dayJ
'T will far be blaz'd in the landP
And the warrior lives not in this worldP
'Gainst whom thou may'st fear to standP
-
But what befel King Diderik's menE
When the giant they first perceiv'dP
They all stopp'd short in the good green woodP
Of courage at once bereav'dP
-
They thought the giant verily wouldP
That moment after them strideP
Not one of them all would have battled with himI
Back would they all have hiedP
-
It was Vidrik VerlandsonE
He laugh'd at their craven fearR
How would ye have fac'd him when aliveU2
Ye dare not him dead go nearR
-
With his lance's haft the body he push'dP
The head came toppling downE
That the Giant was a warrior starkH
Forsooth I am forc'd to ownE
-
Out took they then his ruddy goldP
And shar'd it amongst the bandP
To Vidrik came the largest partP
For 't was earn'd with his good handP
-
Little car'd he for the booty I weenE
But he thought of his meed of fameV2
When men should say in the Danish landP
That the Giant he overcameV2
-
So gladly rode they to Bern againE
King Diderik gladdest of allK2
There caus'd he Vidrik VerlandsonE
To sit next him in the hallK2

George Borrow



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