Hafbur And Signy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCDE FBGB DBHB IJBJ DKFK KBDB KDKD KKDK DBHB DKLK MKEK NOPO QBBB RBKB OKKK KDKD EBDB DEES TBOB DHEH OSKE BDSD OEDS DDDD OBDB OUOU BBSB BSUS SUDU DBBB OKNK NJOJ BDND KUBU DBKB OBBB UDBD KBOB DBBB BOOO BNUN NKJK DSBS BBKB KDDD DKBK KVUV USDS KKBK OKBK BDKD BKKK DBOB OSWS NKBK BSDV BKOK KVKV DKKU

TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISHA
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King Hafbur King SiwardB
They needs must stir up strifeC
All about the sweetling SignyD
Who was so fair a wifeC
O wilt thou win me thenD
or as fair a maid as I beE
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It was the King s son HafburF
Woke up amid the nightB
And gan to tell of a wondrous dreamG
In swift words nowise lightB
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Me dreamed I was in HeavenD
Amid that fair abodeB
And my true love lay upon mine armH
And we fell from cloud to cloudB
-
As there they sat the dames and maidsI
Of his words they took no keepJ
Only his mother well belovedB
Heeded his dreamful sleepJ
-
Go get thee gone to the mountainD
And make no long delayK
To the elve s eldest daughterF
For thy dream s areding prayK
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So the King s son even HafburK
Took his sword in his left handB
And he s away to the mountainD
To get speech of that Lily wandB
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He beat thereon with hand all bareK
With fingers small and fineD
And there she lay the elve s daughterK
And well wotted of that signD
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Bide hail Elve s sweetest daughterK
As on skins thou liest fairK
I pray thee by the God of HeavenD
My dream arede thou clearK
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Me dreamed I was in heavenD
Yea amid that fair abodeB
And my true love lay upon mine armH
And we fell from cloud to cloudB
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Whereas thou dreamed st thou wert in heavenD
So shalt thou win that mayK
Dreamed st thou of falling through the cloudsL
So falls for her thy life awayK
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And if it lieth in my luckM
To win to me that mayK
In no sorrow s stead it standeth meE
For her to cast my life awayK
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Lord Hafbur lets his hair wax longN
And will have the gear of maysO
And he rideth to King Siward s houseP
And will well learn weaving waysO
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Lord Hafbur all his clothes let shapeQ
In such wise as maidens doB
And thus he rideth over the landB
King Siward s daughter to wooB
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Now out amid the castle garthR
He cast his cloak asideB
And goeth forth to the high bowerK
Where the dames and damsels abideB
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Hail sit ye there dames and damselsO
Maids and queens kind and fairK
And chiefest of all to the Dane King s daughterK
If she abideth hereK
-
Hail sittest thou sweet King s daughterK
A spinning the silken twineD
It is King Hafbur sends me hitherK
To learn the sewing fineD
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Hath Hafbur sent thee here to meE
Then art thou a welcome guestB
And all the sewing that I canD
Shall I learn thee at my bestB
-
And all the sewing that I canD
I shall learn thee lovinglyE
Out of one bowl shalt thou eat with meE
And by my nurse shalt thou lieS
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King s children have I eaten withT
And lain down by their sideB
Must I lie abed now with a very nurseO
Then woe is me this tideB
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Nay let it pass fair maidenD
Of me gettest thou no harmH
Out of one bowl shalt thou eat with meE
And sleep soft upon mine armH
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There sat they all the damselsO
And sewed full craftilyS
But ever the King s son HafburK
With nail in mouth sat heE
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They sewed the hart they sewed the hindB
As they run through the wild wood greenD
Never gat Hafbur so big a bowlS
But the bottom soon was seenD
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In there came the evil nurseO
In the worst tide that might beE
Never saw I fair maidenD
Who could sew less craftilyS
-
Never saw I fair maidenD
Seam worse the linen fineD
Never saw I noble maidenD
Who better drank the wineD
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This withal spake the evil nurseO
The nighest that she durstB
Never saw I yet fair maidenD
Of drink so sore athirstB
-
So little a seam as ever she sewsO
Goes the needle into her mouthU
As big a bowl as ever she getsO
Out is it drunk forsoothU
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Ne er saw I yet in maiden s headB
Two eyes so bright and boldB
And those two hands of her withalS
Are hard as the iron coldB
-
Hearken sweet nurse whereso thou artB
Why wilt thou mock me stillS
Never cast I one word at theeU
Went thy sewing well or illS
-
Still wilt thou mock still wilt thou spyS
Nought such thou hast of meU
Whether mine eyes look out or look inD
Nought do they deal with theeU
-
O it was Hafbur the King s sonD
Began to sew at lastB
He sewed the hart and he sewed the hindB
As they flee from the hound so fastB
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He sewed the lily and he sewed the roseO
And the little fowls of the airK
Then fell the damsels a marvellingN
For nought had they missed him thereK
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Day long they sewed till the eveningN
And till the long night was deepJ
Then up stood dames and maidensO
And were fain in their beds to sleepJ
-
So fell on them the evening tideB
O er the meads the dew drave downD
And fain was Signy that sweet thingN
With her folk to bed to be goneD
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Therewith asked the King s son HafburK
And whatten a bed for meU
O thou shalt sleep in the bower aloftB
And blue shall thy bolster beU
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She went before sweet SignyD
O er the high bower s bridge arightB
And after her went HafburK
Laughing from heart grown lightB
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Then kindled folk the waxlightsO
That were so closely twinedB
And after them the ill nurse wentB
With an ill thought in her mindB
-
The lights were quenched the nurse went forthU
They deemed they were aloneD
Lord Hafbur drew off his kirtle redB
Then first his sword outshoneD
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Lord Hafbur mid his longing soreK
Down on the bed he satB
I tell you of my soothfastnessO
His byrny clashed thereatB
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Then spake the darling SignyD
Out of her heart she saidB
Never saw I so rough a shirtB
Upon so fair a maidB
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She laid her hand on Hafbur s breastB
With the red gold all a blazeO
Why wax thy breasts in no such wiseO
As they wax in other maysO
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The wont it is in my father s landB
For maids to ride to the ThingN
Therefore my breasts are little of growthU
Beneath the byrny ringN
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And there they lay through the night so longN
The King s son and the mayK
In talk full sweet but little of sleepJ
So much on their minds there layK
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Hearken sweet maiden SignyD
As here alone we lieS
Who is thy dearest in the worldB
And lieth thine heart most nighS
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O there is none in all the worldB
Who lieth so near to my heartB
As doth the bold King HafburK
Ne er in him shall I have a partB
-
As doth the bold King HafburK
That mine eyes shall never knowD
Nought but the sound of his gold wrought hornD
As he rides to the Thing and froD
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O is it Hafbur the King s sonD
That thy loved heart holdeth dearK
Turn hither O my well belovedB
To thy side I lie so nearK
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If thou art the King s son HafburK
Why wilt thou shame me loveV
Why ridest thou not to my father s garthU
With hound and with hawk upon gloveV
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Once was I in thy father s garthU
With hound and hawk and allS
And with many mocks he said me nayD
In such wise did our meeting fallS
-
All the while they talked togetherK
They deemed alone they wereK
But the false nurse ever stood close withoutB
And nought thereof she failed to hearK
-
O shame befall that evil nurseO
Ill tidings down she drewK
She stole away his goodly swordB
But and his byrny newK
-
She took to her his goodly swordB
His byrny blue she had awayD
And she went her ways to the high bowerK
Whereas King Siward layD
-
Wake up wake up King SiwardB
Over long thou sleepest thereK
The while the King s son HafburK
Lies abed by Signy the fairK
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No Hafbur is here and no King s sonD
That thou shouldst speak this wordB
He is far away in the east countriesO
Warring with knight and lordB
-
Hold thou thy peace thou evil nurseO
And lay on her no lieS
Or else tomorn ere the sun is upW
In the bale fire shall ye dieS
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O hearken to this my lord and kingN
And trow me nought but trueK
Look here upon his bright white swordB
But and his byrny blueK
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Then mad of mind waxed SiwardB
Over all the house gan he cryS
Rise up O mighty men of mineD
For a hardy knight is anighV
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Take ye sword and shield in handB
And look that they be trueK
For Hafbur the King hath guested with usO
Stiffnecked he is great deeds to doK
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So there anigh the high bower doorK
They stood with spear and glaiveV
Rise up rise up Young HafburK
Out here we would thee haveV
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That heard the goodly SignyD
And she wrang her hands full soreK
Hearken and heed O HafburK
Who stand without by theU

William Morris



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