| Far, far from land,
where the waters are as blue as the petals of the cornflower
and as clear as glass, there, where no anchor can reach the
bottom, live the mer-people. So deep is this part of the sea
that you would have to pile many church towers on top of each
other before one of them emerged above the surface. |
Langt ude i Havet er
Vandet saa blaat, som Bladene paa den deiligste Kornblomst og
saa klart, som det reneste Glas, men det er meget dybt, dybere
end noget Ankertoug naaer, mange Kirketaarne maatte stilles
ovenpaa hinanden, for at række fra Bunden op over Vandet. Dernede
boe Havfolkene. |
| Now you must not think
that at the bottom of the sea there is only white sand. No,
here grow the strangest plants and trees; their stems and leaves
are so subtle that the slightest current in the water makes
them move, as if they were alive. Big and small fishes flit
in and out among their branches, just as the birds do up on
earth. At the very deepest place, the mer-king has built his
castle. Its walls are made of coral and its long pointed windows
of amber. The roof is oyster shells that are continually opening
and closing. It looks very beautiful, for in each shell lies
a pearl, so lustrous that it would be fit for a queen's crown. |
Nu maa man slet ikke
troe, at der kun er den nøgne hvide Sandbund; nei, der voxe
de forunderligste Træer og Planter, som ere saa smidige i Stilk
og Blade, at de ved den mindste Bevægelse af Vandet røre sig,
ligesom om de vare levende. Alle Fiskene, smaae og store, smutte
imellem Grenene, ligesom heroppe Fuglene i Luften. Paa det allerdybeste
Sted ligger Havkongens Slot, Murene ere af Coraller og de lange
spidse Vinduer af det allerklareste Rav, men Taget er Muslingskaller,
der aabne og lukke sig, eftersom Vandet gaaer; det seer deiligt
ud; thi i hver ligge straalende Perler, een eneste vilde være
stor Stads i en Dronnings Krone. |
| The mer-king had been
a widower for many years; his mother kept house for him. She
was a very intelligent woman but a little too proud of her rank:
she wore twelve oysters on her tail; the nobility were only
allowed six. Otherwise, she was a most praiseworthy woman, and
she took excellent care of her grandchildren, the little princesses.
They were six lovely mermaids; the youngest was the most beautiful.
Her complexion was as fine as the petal of a rose and her eyes
as blue as the deepest lake but, just like everyone else down
there, she had no feet; her body ended in a fishtail. |
Havkongen dernede havde
i mange Aar været Enkemand, men hans gamle Moder holdt Huus
for ham, hun var en klog Kone, men stolt af sin Adel, derfor
gik hun med tolv Østers paa Halen, de andre Fornemme maatte
kun bære sex. - Ellers fortjente hun megen Roes, især fordi
hun holdt saa meget af de smaa Havprindsesser, hendes Sønnedøttre.
De vare 6 deilige Børn, men den yngste var den smukkeste af
dem allesammen, hendes Hud var saa klar og skjær som et Rosenblad,
hendes Øine saa blaa, som den dybeste Sø, men ligesom alle de
andre havde hun ingen Fødder, Kroppen endte i en Fiskehale. |
| The mermaids were allowed
to play all day in the great hall of the castle, where flowers
grew on the walls. The big amber windows were kept open and
the fishes swam in and out, just as the swallows up on earth
fly in through our windows if they are open. But unlike the
birds of the air, the fishes were not frightened, they swam
right up to the little princesses and ate out of their hands
and let themselves be petted. |
Hele den lange Dag kunde
de lege nede i Slottet, i de store Sale, hvor levende Blomster
voxte ud af Væggene. De store Rav-Vinduer bleve lukkede op,
og saa svømmede Fiskene ind til dem, ligesom hos os Svalerne
flyve ind, naar vi lukke op, men Fiskene svømmede lige hen til
de smaae Prindsesser, spiste af deres Haand og lode sig klappe. |
| Around the castle was
a great park where there grew fiery-red and deep-blue trees.
Their fruits shone as though they were the purest gold, their
flowers were like flames, and their branches and leaves were
ever in motion. The earth was the finest sand, not white but
blue, the color of burning sulphur. There was a blue tinge to
everything, down on the bottom of the sea. You could almost
believe that you were suspended in mid-air and had the blue
sky both above and below you. When the sea was calm, the sun
appeared like a crimson flower, from which all light flowed. |
Udenfor Slottet var
en stor Have med ildrøde og mørkeblaae Træer, Frugterne straalede
som Guld, og Blomsterne som en brændende Ild, i det de altid
bevægede Stilk og Blade. Jorden selv var det fineste Sand, men
blaat, som Svovl-Lue. Over det Hele dernede laae et forunderligt
blaat Skjær, man skulde snarere troe, at man stod høit oppe
i Luften og kun saae Himmel over og under sig, end at man var
paa Havets Bund. I Blikstille kunde man øine Solen, den
syntes en Purpur-Blomst, fra hvis Bæger det hele Lys udstrømmede. |
| Each little princess
had her own garden, where she could plant the flowers she liked.
One of them had shaped her flower bed so it resembled a whale;
and another, as a mermaid. The youngest had planted red flowers
in hers: she wanted it to look like the sun; it was round and
the crimson flowers did glow as though they were so many little
suns. She was a strange little child: quiet and thoughtful.
Her sisters' gardens were filled with all sorts of things that
they had collected from shipwrecks, but she had only a marble
statue of a boy in hers. It had been cut out of stone that was
almost transparently clear and had sunk to the bottom of the
sea when the ship that had carried it was lost. Close to the
statue she had planted a pink tree; it looked like a weeping
willow. The tree was taller than the sculpture. Its long soft
branches bent toward the sand; it looked as if the top of the
tree and its root wanted to kiss each other. |
Hver af de smaa Prindsesser
havde sin lille Plet i Haven, hvor hun kunde grave og plante,
som hun selv vilde; een gav sin Blomsterplet Skikkelse af en
Hvalfisk, en anden syntes bedre om, at hendes lignede en lille
Havfrue, men den yngste gjorde sin ganske rund ligesom Solen,
og havde kun Blomster, der skinnede røde som den. Hun var et
underligt Barn, stille og eftertænksom, og naar de andre Søstre
pyntede op med de forunderligste Ting de havde faaet fra strandede
Skibe, vilde hun kun, foruden de rosenrøde Blomster, som lignede
Solen der høit oppe, have en smuk Marmorstøtte, en deilig Dreng
var det, hugget ud af den hvide, klare Steen og ved Stranding
kommet ned paa Havbunden. Hun plantede ved Støtten en rosenrød
Grædepiil, den voxte herligt, og hang med sine friske Grene
udover den, ned mod den blaa Sandbund, hvor Skyggen viste sig
violet og var i Bevægelse, ligesom Grenene; det saae ud, som
om Top og Rødder legede at kysse hinanden. |
| The princesses liked
nothing better than to listen to their old grandmother tell
about the world above. She had to recount countless times all
she knew about ships, towns, human beings, and the animals that
lived up on land. The youngest of the mermaids thought it particularly
wonderful that the flowers up there had fragrance, for that
they did not have on the bottom of the sea. She also liked to
hear about the green forest, where the fishes that swam among
the branches could sing most beautifully. Grandmother called
the birds "fishes"; otherwise, her little grandchildren would
not have understood her, since they had never seen a bird. |
Ingen Glæde var hende
større, end at høre om Menneskeverdenen derovenfor; den gamle
Bedstemoder maatte fortælle alt det hun vidste om Skibe og Byer,
Mennesker og Dyr, især syntes det hende forunderligt deiligt,
at oppe paa Jorden duftede Blomsterne, det gjorde ikke de paa
Havets Bund, og at Skovene vare grønne og de Fisk, som der saaes
mellem Grenene, kunde synge saa høit og deiligt, saa det var
en Lyst; det var de smaa Fugle, som Bedstemoderen kaldte Fisk,
for ellers kunde de ikke forstaae hende, da de ikke havde seet
en Fugl. |
| "But when you are fifteen,
then you will be allowed to swim to the surface," she promised.
"Then you can climb up on a rock and sit and watch the big ships
sail by. If you dare, you can swim close enough to the shore
to see the towns and the forest." The following year, the oldest
of the princesses would be fifteen. From one sister to the next,
there was a difference in age of about a year, which meant that
the youngest would have to wait more than five whole years before
she would be allowed to swim up from the bottom of the sea and
take a look at us. But each promised the others that she would
return after her first day above, and tell about the things
she had seen and describe what she thought was loveliest all.
For the old grandmother could not satisfy their curiosity. |
"Naar I fylde Eders
15 Aar," sagde Bedstemoderen, "saa skulle I faae Lov til at
dykke op af Havet, sidde i Maaneskin paa Klipperne og see de
store Skibe, som seile forbi, Skove og Byer skulle I see!" I
Aaret, som kom, var den ene af Søstrene 15 Aar, men de andre,
- ja den ene var et Aar yngre end den anden, den yngste af dem
havde altsaa endnu hele fem Aar før hun turde komme op fra Havets
Bund og see, hvorledes det saae ud hos os. Men den ene lovede
den anden at fortælle, hvad hun havde seet og fundet deiligst
den første Dag; thi deres Bedstemoder fortalte dem ikke nok,
der var saa meget de maatte have Besked om. |
| None of the sisters
longed so much to see the world above as the youngest, the one
who had to wait the longest before she could leave her home.
Many a night this quiet, thoughtful little mermaid would stand
by the open window, looking up through the dark blue waters
where the fishes swam. She could see the moon and the stars;
they looked paler but larger down here under the sea. Sometimes
a great shadow passed by like a cloud and then she knew that
it was either a whale or a ship, with its crew and passengers,
that was sailing high above her. None on board could have imagined
that a little beautiful mermaid stood in the depths below them
and stretched her little white hands up toward the keel of their
ship. |
Ingen var saa længselsfuld,
som den yngste, just hun, som havde længst Tid at vente og som
var saa stille og tankefuld. Mangen Nat stod hun ved det aabne
Vindue og saae op igjennem det mørkeblaae Vand, hvor Fiskene
sloge med deres Finner og Hale. Maane og Stjerner kunde hun
see, rigtignok skinnede de ganske blege, men gjennem Vandet
saae de meget større ud end for vore Øine; gled der da ligesom
en sort Sky hen under dem, da vidste hun, at det enten var en
Hvalfisk, som svømmede over hende, eller ogsaa et Skib med mange
Mennesker; de tænkte vist ikke paa, at en deilig lille Havfrue
stod nedenfor og rakte sine hvide Hænder op imod Kjølen. |
| The oldest of the sisters
had her fifteenth birthday and swam up to the surface of the
sea. |
Nu var da den ældste
Prindsesse 15 Aar og turde stige op over Havfladen. |
| When she returned she
had hundreds of things to tell. But of everything that had happened
to her, the loveliest experience by far, she claimed, had been
to lie on a sandbank, when the sea was calm and the moon was
out, and look at a great city. The lights from the windows and
streets had shone like hundreds of stars; and she had been able
to hear the rumbling of the carriages and the voices of human
beings and, best of all, the sound of music. She had seen all
the church towers and steeples and heard their bells ring. And
just because she would never be able to enter the city, she
longed to be able to do that more than anything else. |
Da hun kom tilbage,
havde hun hundrede Ting at fortælle, men det deiligste, sagde
hun, var at ligge i Maaneskin paa en Sandbanke i den rolige
Sø, og see tæt ved Kysten den store Stad, hvor Lysene blinkede,
ligesom hundrede Stjerner, høre Musikken og den Larm og Støi
af Vogne og Mennesker, see de mange Kirketaarne og Spiir, og
høre hvor Klokkerne ringede; just fordi hun ikke kunde komme
derop, længtes hun allermeest efter Alt dette. |
| How carefully her youngest
sister listened to every word and remembered everything that
she had been told. When, late in the evening, the little mermaid
would stand dreaming by the window and look up through the blue
water, then she imagined that she could see the city and hear
the bells of the churches ringing. |
0! hvor hørte ikke den
yngste Søster efter, og naar hun siden om Aftenen stod ved det
aabne Vindue og saae op igjennem det mørkeblaae Vand, tænkte
hun paa den store Stad med al den Larm og Støi, og da syntes
hun at kunne høre Kirkeklokkerne ringe ned til sig. |
| The next year the second
of the sisters was allowed to swim away from home. Her little
head had emerged above the water just at the moment when the
sun was setting. This sight had been so beautiful that she could
hardly describe it. The whole heaven had been covered in gold
and the clouds that had sailed above her had been purple and
crimson. A flight of wild swans, like a white veil just above
the water, had flown by. She had swum toward the sun, but it
had set, taking the colors of the clouds, sea, and sky with
it. |
Aaret efter fik den
anden Søster Lov til at stige op gjennem Vandet og svømme hvorhen
hun vilde. Hun dykkede op, just i det Solen gik ned, og det
Syn fandt hun var det deiligste. Hele Himlen havde seet ud som
Guld, sagde hun, og Skyerne, ja, deres Deilighed kunde hun ikke
nok beskrive! røde og violette havde de seilet hen over hende,
men langt hurtigere, end de, fløi, som et langt hvidt Slør,
en Flok af vilde Svaner hen over Vandet hvor Solen stod; hun
svømmede henimod den, men den sank og Rosenskjæret slukkedes
paa Havfladen og Skyerne. |
| The third of the sisters,
who came of age the following year, was the most daring among
them. She had swum way up a broad river! There she had seen
green hills covered with vineyards, castles, and farms that
peeped out through the great forests. She had heard the birds
sing and the sun had been so hot that she had had to swim under
the water some of the time, just to cool off. In a little bay,
she had come upon some naked children who were playing and splashing
in the water. She had wanted to join them, but when they saw
her they got frightened and ran away. A little black animal
had come: it was a dog. But she had never seen one before. It
had barked so loudly and fiercely that she became terrified
and swam right back to the sea. What she never would forget
as long as she lived were the beautiful forest, the green hills,
and the sweet little children who had been able to swim even
though they had no fishtails as she had. |
Aaret efter kom den
tredie Søster derop, hun var den dristigste af dem Alle, derfor
svømmede hun op ad en bred Flod, der løb ud i Havet. Deilige
grønne Høie med Viinranker saae hun, Slotte og Gaarde tittede
frem mellem prægtige Skove; hun hørte, hvor alle Fuglene sang
og Solen skinnede saa varmt, at hun tidt maatte dykke under
Vandet, for at kjøle sit brændende Ansigt. I en lille Bugt traf
hun en heel Flok smaa Menneskebørn; ganske nøgne løb de og plaskede
i Vandet, hun vilde lege med dem, men de løbe forskrækkede deres
Vei, og der kom et lille sort Dyr, det var en Hund, men hun
havde aldrig før seet en Hund, den gjøede saa forskrækkeligt
af hende, at hun blev angst og søgte ud i den aabne Søe, men
aldrig kunde hun glemme de prægtige Skove, de grønne Høie og
de nydelige Børn, som kunde svømme paa Vandet, skjøndt de ingen
Fiskehale havde. |
| The fourth of the sisters
was timid. She stayed far away from shore, out in the middle
of the ocean. But that was the most beautiful place of all,
she asserted. You could see ever so far and the sky above was
like a clear glass bell. The ships she had seen had been so
far away that they had looked no bigger than gulls. But the
little dolphins had turned somersaults for her and the great
whales had sprayed water high up into the air, so that it looked
as though there were more than a hundred fountains. |
Den fjerde Søster var
ikke saa dristig, hun blev midt ude paa det vilde Hav, og fortalte,
at der var just det deiligste; man saae mange Mile bort rundt
omkring sig, og Himlen ovenover stod ligesom en stor Glasklokke.
Skibe havde hun seet, men langt borte, de saae ud som Strandmaager,
de morsomme Delphiner havde slaaet Kolbøtter, og de store Hvalfiske
havde sprøftet Vand op af deres Næseboer, saa at det havde seet
ud, som hundrede Vandspring rundt om. |
| The fifth sister's birthday
was in the winter and, therefore, she saw something none of
her sisters had seen. The ocean had been green, and huge icebergs
had been floating on it. Each of them had been as lovely as
a pearl and yet larger than the church towers that human beings
built. They had the most fantastic shapes and their surface
glittered like diamonds. She had climbed up on the largest one
of them all; the wind had played with her long hair, and all
the ships had fearfully kept away. Toward evening a storm had
begun to blow; dark clouds had gathered and bolts of lightning
had flashed while the thunder rolled. The waves had lifted the
iceberg high up on their shoulders, and the lightning had colored
the ice red. The ships had taken down their sails; and on board,
fear and terror had reigned. But the mermaid had just sat on
her iceberg and watched the bolts of lightning zigzag across
the sky. |
Nu kom Touren til den
femte Søster; hendes Geburtsdag var just om Vinteren og derfor
saae hun, hvad de andre ikke havde seet første Gang. Søen tog
sig ganske grøn ud og rundt om svømmede der store Iisbjerge,
hvert saae ud som en Perle, sagde hun, og var dog langt større
end de Kirketaarne, Menneskene byggede. I de forunderligste
Skikkelser viste de sig og glimrede som Diamanter. Hun havde
sat sig paa et af de største og alle Seilere krydsede forskrækkede
uden om, hvor hun sad og lod Blæsten flyve med sit lange Haar;
men ud paa Aftenen blev Himlen overtrukket med Skyer, det lynede
og tordnede, medens den sorte Sø løftede de store Iisblokke
høit op og lod dem skinne ved de røde Lyn. Paa alle Skibe tog
man Seilene ind, der var en Angst og Gru, men hun sad rolig
paa sit svømmende Iisbjerg og saae den blaae Lynstraale slaae
i Zikzak ned i den skinnende Sø. |
| The first time that
any of the sisters had been allowed to swim to the surface,
each had been delighted with her freedom and all she had seen.
But now that they were grownups and could swim anywhere they
wished, they lost interest in wandering far away; after a month
or two the world above lost its attraction. When they were away,
they longed for their father's castle, declaring it the most
beautiful place of all and the only spot where one really felt
at home. |
Den første Gang en af
Søstrene kom over Vandet, var enhver altid henrykt over det
Nye og Smukke hun saae, men da de nu, som voxne Piger, havde
Lov at stige derop naar de vilde, blev det dem ligegyldigt,
de længtes igjen efter Hjemmet, og efter en Maaneds Forløb sagde
de, at nede hos dem var dog allersmukkest, og der var man saa
rart hjemme. |
| Still, many evenings
the five sisters would take each other's hands and rise up through
the waters. They had voices far lovelier than any human being.
When a storm began to rage and a ship was in danger of being
wrecked, then the five sisters would swim in front of it and
sing about how beautiful it was down at the bottom of the sea.
They begged the sailors not to be frightened but to come down
to them. The men could not understand the mermaids' songs; they
thought it was the wind that was singing. Besides, they would
never see the beauty of the world below them, for if a ship
sinks the seamen drown, and when they arrive at the mer-king's
castle they are dead. |
Mangen Aftenstund toge
de fem Søstre hinanden i Armene og steeg i Række op over Vandet;
deilige Stemmer havde de, smukkere, end noget Menneske, og naar
det da trak op til en Storm, saa de kunde troe, at Skibe maatte
forlise, svømmede de foran Skibene og sang saa deiligt, om hvor
smukt der var paa Havets Bund, og bade Søfolkene, ikke være
bange for at komme der ned; men disse kunde ikke forstaae Ordene,
de troede, at det var Stormen, og de fik heller ikke Deiligheden
dernede at see, thi naar Skibet sank, druknede Menneskene, og
kom kun som døde til Havkongens Slot. |
| On such evenings, while
her sisters swam, hand in hand, up through the water, the youngest
princess had to stay below. She would look sadly up after them
and feel like crying; but mermaids can't weep and that makes
their suffering even deeper and greater. |
Naar Søstrene saaledes
om Aftenen, Arm i Arm, steeg høit op gjennem Havet, da stod
den lille Søster ganske alene tilbage og saae efter dem, og
det var som om hun skulde græde, men Havfruen har ingen Taarer,
og saa lider hun meget mere. |
| "Oh, if only I were
fifteen," she would sigh. "I know that I shall love the world
above, and the human beings who live up there!" |
"Ak, var jeg dog 15
Aar!" sagde hun, "jeg veed, at jeg ret vil komme til at holde
al den Verden deroven for og af Menneskene, som bygge og boe
deroppe!" |
| At last she, too, was
fifteen! |
Endelig var hun da de
15 Aar. |
| "Now you are off our
hands," said the old dowager queen. "Let me dress you, just
as I dressed your sisters." She put a wreath of white lilies
around her hair; each of the petals of every flower was half
a pearl. She let eight oysters clip themselves onto the little
mermaid's tail, so that everyone could see that she was a princess. |
"See nu have vi dig
fra Haanden," sagde hendes Bedstemoder, den gamle Enkedronning.
"Kom nu, lad mig pynte dig, ligesom dine andre Søstre!" og hun
satte hende en Krands af hvide Lillier paa Haaret, men hvert
Blad i Blomsten var det halve af en Perle; og den Gamle lod
8 store Østers klemme sig fast ved Prindsessens Hale, for at
vise hendes høie Stand. |
| "It hurts," said the
little mermaid. |
"Det gjør saa ondt!"
sagde den lille Havfrue. |
| "One has to suffer for
position," said her old grandmother. |
"Ja man maa lide noget
for Stadsen!" sagde den Gamle. |
| The little mermaid would
gladly have exchanged her heavy pearl wreath for one of the
red flowers from her garden (she thought they suited her much
better) but she didn't dare. "Farewell," she said and rose,
light as a bubble, up through the water. |
0! hun vilde saa gjerne
have rystet hele denne Pragt af sig og lagt den tunge Krands;
hendes røde Blomster i Haven klædte hende meget bedre, men hun
turde nu ikke gjøre det om. "Farvel" sagde hun og steg saa let
og klar, som en Boble, op gjennem Vandet. |
| The sun had just set
when she lifted her head above the surface. The clouds still
had the color of roses and in the horizon was a fine line of
gold; in the pale pink sky the first star of evening sparkled,
clearly and beautifully. The air was warm and the sea was calm.
She saw a three-masted ship; only one of its sails was unfurled,
and it hung motionless in the still air. Up on the yards the
sailors sat, looking down upon the deck from which music could
be heard. As the evening grew darker, hundreds of little colored
lamps were hung from the rigging; they looked like the flags
of all the nations of the world. The little mermaid swam close
to a porthole and the swells lifted her gently so that she could
look in through it. The great cabin was filled with gaily dressed
people; the handsomest among them was a young prince with large,
dark eyes. He looked no older than sixteen, and that was, in
truth, his age; that very day was his birthday. All the festivities
were for him. The sailors danced on the deck, and as the young
prince came up to watch them, a hundred rockets flew into the
sky. The night became as bright as day and the little mermaid
got so frightened that she ducked down under the water. But
she soon stuck her head up again; and then it looked as if all
the stars of the heavens were falling down on top of her. She
had never seen fireworks before. Pinwheels turned; rockets shot
into the air, and their lights reflected in the dark mirror
of the sea. The deck of the ship was so illuminated that every
rope could clearly be seen. Oh, how handsome the young prince
was! He laughed and smiled and shook hands with everyone, while
music was played in the still night. |
Solen var lige gaaet
ned, idet hun løftede sit Hoved op over Havet, men alle Skyerne
skinnede endnu som Roser og Guld, og midt i den blegrøde Luft
straalede Aftenstjernen saa klart og deiligt, Luften var mild
og frisk og Havet blikstille. Der laae et stort Skib med tre
Master, et eneste Seil var kun oppe, thi ikke en Vind rørte
sig og rundt om i Tougværket og paa Stængerne sad Matroser.
Der var Musik og Sang, og alt som Aftenen blev mørkere, tændtes
hundrede brogede Lygter; de saae ud, som om alle Nationers Flag
vaiede i Luften. Den lille Havfrue svømmede lige hen til Kahytvinduet,
og hver Gang Vandet løftede hende i Veiret, kunde hun see ind
af de speilklare Ruder, hvor saa mange pyntede Mennesker stode,
men den smukkeste var dog den unge Prinds med de store sorte
Øine, han var vist ikke meget over 16 Aar, det var hans Fødselsdag,
og derfor skete al denne Stads. Matroserne dandsede paa Dækket,
og da den unge Prinds traadte derud, steg over hundrede Raketter
op i Luften, de lyste, som den klare Dag, saa den lille Havfrue
blev ganske forskrækket og dukkede ned under Vandet, men hun
stak snart Hovedet igjen op, og da var det ligesom om alle Himmelens
Stjerner faldt ned til hende. Aldrig havde hun seet saadanne
Ildkunster. Store Sole snurrede rundt, prægtige Ildfisk svingede
sig i den blaae Luft, og alting skinnede tilbage fra den klare,
stille Sø. Paa Skibet selv var saa lyst, at man kunde see hvert
lille Toug, sagtens Menneskerne. 0 hvor dog den unge Prinds
var smuk, og han trykkede Folkene i Haanden, loe og smilte,
mens Musiken klang i den deilige Nat. |
| It grew late, but the
little mermaid could not turn her eyes away from the ship and
the handsome prince. The colored lamps were put out. No more
rockets shot into the air and no more cannons were fired. From
the depth of the ocean came a rumbling noise. The little mermaid
let the waves be her rocking horse, and they lifted her so that
she could look in through the porthole. The ship started to
sail faster and faster, as one sail after another was unfurled.
Now the waves grew in size and black clouds could be seen on
the horizon and far away lightning flashed. A storm was brewing.
The sailors took down the sails. The great ship tossed and rolled
in the huge waves that rose as though they were mountains that
wanted to bury the ship and break its proud mast. But the ship,
like a swan, rode on top of the waves and let them lift her
high into the sky. The little mermaid thought it was very amusing
to watch the ship sailing so fast, but the sailors didn't. The
ship creaked and groaned; the great planks seemed to bulge as
the waves hit them. Suddenly the mast snapped as if it were
a reed. It tumbled into the water. The ship heeled over, and
the sea broke over it. Only now did the little mermaid understand
that the ship was in danger. She had to be careful herself and
keep away from the spars and broken pieces of timber that were
being flung by the waves. For a moment it grew so dark that
she could see nothing, then a bolt of lightning illuminated
the sinking ship. She looked for the young prince among the
terrified men on board who were trying to save themselves, but
not until that very moment, when the ship finally sank, did
she see him. At first, she thought joyfully, "Now he will come
down to me!" But then she remembered that man could not live
in the sea and the young prince would be dead when he came to
her father's castle. "He must not die," she thought, and dived
in among the wreckage, forgetting the danger that she herself
was in, for any one of the great beams that were floating in
the turbulent sea could have crushed her. She found him! He
was too tired to swim any farther; he had no more strength in
his arms and legs to fight the storm-whipped waves. He closed
his eyes, waiting for death, and he would have drowned, had
the little mermaid not saved him. She held his head above water
and let the waves carry them where they would. |
Det blev silde, men
den lille Havfrue kunde ikke vende sine Øine bort fra Skibet
og fra den deilige Prinds. De brogede Lygter bleve slukkede,
Raketterne stege ikke mere i Veiret, der løde heller ingen flere
Kanonskud, men dybt nede i Havet summede og brummede det, hun
sad imedens paa Vandet og gyngede op og ned, saa at hun kunde
see ind i Kahytten; men Skibet tog stærkere Fart, det ene Seil
bredte sig ud efter det andet, nu gik Bølgerne stærkere, store
Skyer trak op, det lynede langtborte. 0, det vilde blive et
skrækkeligt Veir! derfor toge Matroserne Seilene ind. Det store
Skib gyngede i flyvende Fart paa den vilde Sø, Vandet reiste
sig, ligesom store sorte Bjerge, der vilde vælte over Masten,
men Skibet dykkede, som en Svane, ned imellem de høie Bølger
og lod sig igjen løfte op paa de taarnende Vande. Det syntes
den lille Havfrue just var en morsom Fart, men det syntes Søfolkene
ikke, Skibet knagede og bragede, de tykke Planker bugnede ved
de stærke Stød, Søen gjorde ind mod Skibet, Masten knak midt
over, ligesom den var et Rør, og Skibet slængrede paa Siden,
mens Vandet trængte ind i Rummet. Nu saae den lille Havfrue,
at de vare i Fare, hun maatte selv tage sig i Agt for Bjelker
og Stumper af Skibet, der dreve paa Vandet. Eet Øieblik var
det saa kullende mørkt, at hun ikke kunde øine det mindste,
men naar det saa lynede, blev det igjen saa klart, at hun kjendte
dem alle paa Skibet; hver tumlede sig det bedste han kunde;
den unge Prinds søgte hun især efter, og hun saae ham, da Skibet
skiltes ad, synke ned i den dybe Sø. Ligestrax blev hun ganske
fornøiet, for nu kom han ned til hende, men saa huskede hun,
at Menneskene ikke kunne leve i Vandet, og at han ikke, uden
som død, kunde komme ned til hendes Faders Slot. Nei døe, det
maatte han ikke; derfor svømmede hun hen mellem Bjelker og Planker,
der dreve paa Søen, glemte reent, at de kunde have knust hende,
hun dykkede dybt under Vandet og steg igjen høit op imellem
Bølgerne, og kom saa tilsidst hen til den unge Prinds, som næsten
ikke kunde svømme længer i den stormende Sø, hans Arme og Been
begyndte at blive matte, de smukke Øine lukkede sig, han havde
maattet døe, var ikke den lille Havfrue kommet til. Hun holdt
hans Hoved op over Vandet, og lod saa Bølgerne drive hende med
ham, hvorhen de vilde. |
| By morning the storm
was over. Of the wrecked ship not a splinter was to be found.
The sun rose, glowing red, and its rays gave color to the young
prince's cheeks but his eyes remained closed. The little mermaid
kissed his forehead and stroked his wet hair. She thought that
he looked like the statue in her garden. She kissed him again
and wished passionately that he would live. |
I Morgenstunden var
det onde Veir forbi; af Skibet var ikke en Spaan at see, Solen
steg saa rød og skinnende op af Vandet, det var ligesom om Prindsens
Kinder fik Liv derved, men Øinene bleve lukkede; Havfruen kyssede
hans høie smukke Pande og strøg hans vaade Haar tilbage; hun
syntes, han lignede Marmorstøtten nede i hendes lille Have,
hun kyssede ham igjen, og ønskede, at han dog maatte
leve. |
| In the far distance
she saw land; the mountains rose blue in the morning air. The
snow on their peaks was as glittering white as swan's feathers.
At the shore there was a green forest, and in its midst lay
a cloister or a church, the little mermaid did not know which.
Lemon and orange trees grew in the garden, and by the entrance
gate stood a tall palm tree. There was a little bay nearby,
where the water was calm and deep. The mermaid swam with her
prince toward the beach. She laid him in the fine white sand,
taking care to place his head in the warm sunshine far from
the water. |
Nu saae hun foran sig
det faste Land, høie blaae Bjerge, paa hvis Top den hvide Snee
skinnede, som var det Svaner, der laae; nede ved Kysten vare
deilige grønne Skove, og foran laae en Kirke eller et Kloster,
det vidste hun ikke ret, men en Bygning var det. Citron- og
Apelsintræer voxte der i Haven, og foran Porten stode høie Palmetræer.
Søen gjorde her en lille Bugt, der var blikstille, men meget
dybt, lige hen til Klippen, hvor det hvide fine Sand var skyllet
op, her svømmede hun hen med den smukke Prinds, lagde ham i
Sandet, men sørgede især for, at Hovedet laae høit i det varme
Solskin. |
| In the big white buildings
bells were ringing and a group of young girls was coming out
to walk in the garden. The little mermaid swam out to some rocks
and hid behind them. She covered her head with seaweed so that
she could not be seen and then peeped toward land, to see who
would find the poor prince. |
Nu ringede Klokkerne
i den store hvide Bygning, og der kom mange unge Piger gjennem
Haven. Da svømmede den lille Havfrue længer ud bag nogle høie
Stene, som ragede op af Vandet, lagde Sø-Skum paa sit Haar og
sit Bryst, saa at ingen kunde see hendes lille Ansigt, og da
passede hun paa, hvem der kom til den stakkels Prinds. |
| Soon one of the young
girls discovered him. At first she seemed frightened, and she
called the others. A lot of people came. The prince opened his
eyes and smiled up at those who stood around him--not out at
the sea, where the little mermaid was hiding. But then he could
not possibly have known that she was there and that it was she
who had saved him. The little mermaid felt so terribly sad;
the prince was carried into the big white building, and the
little mermaid dived sorrowfully down into the sea and swam
home to her father's castle. |
Det varede ikke længe,
før en ung Pige kom derhen, hun syntes at blive ganske forskrækket,
men kun et Øieblik, saa hentede hun flere Mennesker, og Havfruen
saae, at Prindsen fik Liv, og at han smilte til dem alle rundt
omkring, men ud til hende smilte han ikke, han vidste jo ikke
heller, at hun havde reddet ham, hun følte sig saa bedrøvet,
og da han blev ført ind i den store Bygning, dykkede hun sorrigfuld
ned i Vandet og søgte hjem til sin Faders Slot. |
| She had always been
quiet and thoughtful. Now she grew even more silent. Her sisters
asked her what she had seen on her first visit up above, but
she did not answer. |
Altid havde hun været
stille og tankefuld, men nu blev hun det meget mere. Søstrene
spurgte hende, hvad hun havde seet den første Gang deroppe,
men hun fortalte ikke noget. |
| Many mornings and evenings
she would swim back to the place where she had last seen the
prince. She watched the fruits in the orchard ripen and be picked,
and saw the snow on the high mountains melt but she never saw
the prince. She would return from each of these visits a little
sadder. She would seek comfort by embracing the statue in her
garden, which looked like the prince. She no longer tended her
flowers, and they grew into a wilderness, covering the paths
and weaving their long stalks and leaves into the branches of
the trees, so that it became quite dark down in her garden. |
Mangen Aften og Morgen
steg hun op der, hvor hun havde forladt Prindsen. Hun saae,
hvor Havens Frugter modnedes og bleve afplukkede, hun saae,
hvor Sneen smeltede paa de høie Bjerge, men Prindsen saae hun
ikke, og derfor vendte hun altid endnu mere bedrøvet hjem. Der
var det hendes eneste Trøst, at sidde i sin lille Have og slynge
sine Arme om den smukke Marmorstøtte, som lignede Prindsen,
men sine Blomster passede hun ikke, de voxte, som i et Vildnis,
ud over Gangene og flettede deres lange Stilke og Blade ind
i Træernes Grene, saa der var ganske dunkelt. |
| At last she could bear
her sorrow no longer and told one of her sisters about it; and
almost at once the others knew as well. But no one else was
told; that is, except for a couple of other mermaids, but they
didn't tell it to anyone except their nearest and dearest friends.
It was one of these friends who knew who the prince was. She,
too, had seen the birthday party on the ship, and she could
tell where he came from and where his kingdom was. |
Tilsidst kunde hun ikke
længer holde det ud, men sagde det til een af sine Søstre, og
saa fik strax alle de andre det at vide, men heller ingen flere,
end de og et Par andre Havfruer, som ikke sagde det uden til
deres nærmeste Veninder. Een af dem vidste Besked, hvem Prindsen
var, hun havde ogsaa seet Stadsen paa Skibet, vidste, hvorfra
han var, og hvor hans Kongerige laae. |
| "Come, little sister,"
the other princesses called, and with their arms around each
other's shoulders they swam. |
"Kom lille Søster!"
sagde de andre Prindsesser, og med Armene om hinandens Skuldre
stege de i en lang Række op af Havet foran, hvor de vidste Prindsens
Slot laae. |
| All in a row they rose
to the surface when they came to the shore where the prince's
castle stood. It was built of glazed yellow stones and had many
flights of marble stairs leading up to it. The steps of one
of them went all the way down to the sea. Golden domes rose
above the roofs, and pillars bore an arcade that went all the
way around the palace. Between the pillars stood marble statues;
they looked almost as if they were alive. Through the clear
glass of the tall windows, one could look into the most beautiful
chambers and halls, where silken curtains and tapestries hung
on the walls; and there were large paintings that were a real
pleasure to look at. In the largest hall was a fountain. The
water shot high up toward the glass cupola in the roof, through
which the sunbeams fell on the water and the beautiful flowers
that grew in the basin of the fountain. |
Dette var opført af
en lyseguul glindsende Steenart, med store Marmortrapper, een
gik lige ned i Havet. Prægtige forgyldte Kupler hævede sig over
Taget, og mellem Søilerne, som gik rundt om hele Bygningen,
stode Marmorbilleder, der saae ud, som levende. Gjennem det
klare Glas i de høie Vinduer saae man ind i de prægtigste Sale,
hvor kostelige Silkegardiner og Tepper vare ophængte, og alle
Væggene pyntede med store Malerier, som det ret var en Fornøielse
at see paa. Midt i den største Sal pladskede et stort Springvand,
Straalerne stode høit op mod Glaskuppelen i Loftet, hvorigjennem
Solen skinnede paa Vandet og paa de deilige Planter, der voxte
i det store Bassin. |
| Now that she knew where
the prince lived, the little mermaid spent many evenings and
nights looking at the splendid palace. She swam nearer to the
land than any of her sisters had ever dared. There was a marble
balcony that cast its shadow across a narrow canal, and beneath
it she hid and watched the young prince, who thought that he
was all alone in the moonlight. |
Nu vidste hun, hvor
han boede, og der kom hun mangen Aften og Nat paa Vandet; hun
svømmede meget nærmere Land, end nogen af de andre havde vovet,
ja hun gik heelt op i den smalle Canal, under den prægtige Marmor
Altan, der kastede en lang Skygge hen over Vandet. Her sad hun
og saae paa den unge Prinds, der troede, han var ganske ene
i det klare Maaneskin. |
| Many an evening she
saw the prince sail with his musicians in his beautiful boat.
She peeped from behind the tall reeds; and if someone noticed
her silver-white veil, they probably thought that they had only
seen a swan stretching its wings. |
Hun saae ham mangen
Aften seile med Musik i sin prægtige Baad, hvor Flaggene vaiede;
hun tittede frem mellem de grønne Siv, og tog Vinden i hendes
lange sølvhvide Slør og Nogen saae det, tænkte de, det var en
Svane, som løftede Vingerne. |
| Many a night she heard
the fishermen talking to each other and telling about how kind
and good the prince was; and she was so glad that she had saved
his life when she had found him, half dead, drifting on the
waves. She remembered how his head had rested on her chest and
with what passion she had kissed him. But he knew nothing about
his rescue; he could not even dream about her. |
Hun hørte mangen Nat,
naar Fiskerne laae med Blus paa Søen, at de fortalte saa meget
godt om den unge Prinds, og det glædede hende, at hun havde
frelst hans Liv, da han halvdød drev om paa Bølgerne, og hun
tænkte paa, hvor fast hans Hoved havde hvilet paa hendes Bryst,
og hvor inderligt hun da kyssede ham; han vidste slet intet
derom, kunde ikke engang drømme om hende. |
| More and more she grew
to love human beings and wished that she could leave the sea
and live among them. It seemed to her that their world was far
larger than hers; on ships, they could sail across the oceans
and they could climb the mountains high up above the clouds.
Their countries seemed ever so large, covered with fields and
forests; she knew that they stretched much farther than she
could see. There was so much that she wanted to know; there
were many questions that her sisters could not answer. Therefore
she asked her old grandmother, since she knew much about the
"higher world," as she called the lands above the sea. |
Meer og meer kom hun
til at holde af Menneskerne, meer og meer ønskede hun at kunne
stige op imellem dem; deres Verden syntes hun var langt større,
end hendes; de kunde jo paa Skibe flyve hen over Havet, stige
paa de høie Bjerge høit over Skyerne, og Landene, de eiede,
strakte sig, med Skove og Marker, længer, end hun kunde øine.
Der var saa meget hun gad vide, men Søstrene vidste ikke at
give Svar paa Alt, derfor spurgte hun den gamle Bedstemoder
og hun kjendte godt til den høiere Verden, som hun meget rigtigt
kaldte Landene ovenfor Havet. |
| "If men are not so unlucky
as to drown," asked the little mermaid, "then do they live forever?
Don't they die as we do, down here in the sea?" |
"Naar Menneskene ikke
drukne," spurgte den lille Havfrue, "kunne de da altid leve,
døe de ikke, som vi hernede paa Havet?" |
| "Yes, they do," answered
her grandmother. "Men must also die and their life span is shorter
than ours. We can live until we are three hundred years old;
but when we die, we become the foam on the ocean. We cannot
even bury our loved ones. We do not have immortal souls. When
we die, we shall never rise again. We are like the green reeds:
once they are cut they will never be green again. But men have
souls that live eternally, even after their bodies have become
dust. They rise high up into the clear sky where the stars are.
As we rise up through the water to look at the world of man,
they rise up to the unknown, the beautiful world, that we shall
never see." |
"Jo!" sagde den gamle,
"de maae ogsaa døe, og deres Levetid er endogsaa kortere end
vor. Vi kunne blive tre hundrede Aar, men naar vi saa høre op
at være til her, blive vi kun Skum paa Vandet, have ikke engang
en Grav hernede mellem vore Kjære. Vi have ingen udødelig Sjæl,
vi faae aldrig Liv mere, vi ere lige som det grønne Siv, er
det engang skaaret over, kan det ikke grønnes igjen! Menneskene
derimod have en Sjæl, som lever altid, lever, efter at Legemet
er blevet Jord; den stiger op igjennem den klare Luft, op til
alle de skinnende Stjerner! ligesom vi dykke op af Havet og
see Menneskenes Lande, saaledes dykke de op til ubekjendte deilige
Steder, dem vi aldrig faae at see." |
| "Why do I not have an
immortal soul!" sighed the little mermaid unhappily. "I would
give all my three hundred years of life for only one day as
a human being if, afterward, I should be allowed to live in
the heavenly world." |
"Hvorfor fik vi ingen
udødelig Sjæl?" sagde den lille Havfrue bedrøvet, "jeg vilde
give alle mine tre hundrede Aar, jeg har at leve i, for blot
een Dag at være et Menneske og siden faae Deel i den himmelske
Verden!" |
| "You shouldn't think
about things like that," said her old grandmother. "We live
far happier down here than man does up there." |
"Det maa Du ikke gaae
og tænke paa!" sagde den Gamle, "vi have det meget lykkeligere
og bedre, end Menneskene deroppe!" |
| "I am going to die,
become foam on the ocean, and never again hear the music of
the waves or see the flowers and the burning red sun. Can't
I do anything to win an immortal soul?" |
"Jeg skal altsaa døe
og flyde som Skum paa Søen, ikke høre Bølgernes Musik, see de
deilige Blomster og den røde Sol! Kan jeg, da slet intet gjøre,
for at vinde en evig Sjæl!" |
| "No," said the old merwoman.
"Only if a man should fall so much in love with you that you
were dearer to him than his mother and father; and he cared
so much for you that all his thoughts were of his love for you;
and he let a priest take his right hand and put it in yours,
while he promised to be eternally true to you, then his soul
would flow into your body and you would be able to partake of
human happiness. He can give you a soul and yet keep his own.
But it will never happen. For that which we consider beautiful
down here in the ocean, your fishtail, they find ugly up above,
on earth. They have no sense; up there, you have to have two
clumsy props, which they call legs, in order to be called beautiful." |
"Nei!" sagde den Gamle,
"kun naar et Menneske fik dig saa kjær, at du var ham meer,
end Fader og Moder; naar han med hele sin Tanke og Kjærlighed
hang ved dig, og lod Præsten lægge sin høire Haand i din med
Løfte om Troskab her og i al Evighed, da flød hans Sjæl over
i dit Legeme og du fik ogsaa Deel i Menneskenes Lykke. Han gav
dig Sjæl og beholdt dog sin egen. Men det kan aldrig skee! Hvad
der just er deiligt her i Havet, din Fiskehale, finde de hæsligt
deroppe paa Jorden, de forstaae sig nu ikke bedre paa det, man
maa der have to klodsede Støtter, som de kalde Been, for at
være smuk!" |
| The little mermaid
sighed and glanced sadly down at her fishtail. |
Da sukkede den lille
Havfrue og saae bedrøvet paa sin Fiskehale. |
| "Let us be happy," said
her old grandmother. "We can swim and jump through the waves
for three hundred years, that is time enough. Tonight we are
going to give a court ball in the castle." |
"Lad os være fornøiede,"
sagde den Gamle, "hoppe og springe ville vi i de trehundrede
Aar, vi have at leve i, det er saa mæn en god Tid nok, siden
kan man desfornøieligere hvile sig ud i sin Grav. Iaften skal
vi have Hofbal! " |
| Such a splendor did
not exist up above on the earth. The walls and the ceilings
of the great hall were made of clear glass; four hundred giant
green and pink oyster shells stood in rows along the walls.
Blue flames rose from them and not only lighted the hall but
also illuminated the sea outside. Numberless fishes--both big
and small--swam close to the glass walls; some of them had purple
scales, others seemed to be of silver and gold. Through the
great hall flowed a moving current, and on that the mermen and
mermaids danced, while they sang their own beautiful songs.
Such lovely voices are never heard up on earth; and the little
mermaid sang most beautifully of them all. The others clapped
their hands when she had finished, and for a moment she felt
happy, knowing that she had the most beautiful voice both on
earth and in the sea. But soon she started thinking again of
the world above. She could not forget the handsome prince, and
mourned because she did not have an immortal soul like his.
She sneaked out of her father's palace, away from the ball,
from the gaiety, down into her little garden. From afar the
sound of music, of horns being played, came down to her through
the water; and she thought: "Now he is sailing up there, the
prince whom I love more than I love my father and mother: he
who is ever in my thoughts and in whose hands I would gladly
place all my hope of happiness. I would dare to do anything
to win him and an immortal soul! While my sisters are dancing
in the palace, I will go to the sea witch, though I have always
feared her, and ask her to help me." |
Det var ogsaa en Pragt,
som man aldrig seer den paa Jorden. Vægge og Loft i den store
Dandsesal vare af tykt men klart Glas. Flere hundrede kolossale
Muslingskaller, rosenrøde og græsgrønne, stode i Rækker paa
hver Side med en blaae brændende Ild, som oplyste den hele Sal
og skinnede ud gjennem Væggene, saa at Søen der udenfor var
ganske oplyst; man kunde see alle de utallige Fiske, store og
smaae, som svømmede henimod Glasmuren, paa nogle skinnede Skjællene
purpurrøde, paa andre syntes de Sølv og Guld. - Midt igjennem
Salen flød en bred rindende Strøm, og paa denne dandsede Havmænd
og Havfruer til deres egen deilige Sang. Saa smukke Stemmer
have ikke Menneskene paa Jorden. Den lille Havfrue sang skjønnest
af dem alle, og de klappede i Hænderne for hende, og et Øieblik
følte hun Glæde i sit Hjerte, thi hun vidste, at hun havde den
skjønneste Stemme af alle paa Jorden og i Havet! Men snart kom
hun dog igjen til at tænke paa Verden oven over sig; hun kunde
ikke glemme den smukke Prinds og sin Sorg over ikke at eie,
som han, en udødelig Sjæl. Derfor sneg hun sig ud af sin Faders
Slot, og mens Alt derinde var Sang og Lystighed, sad hun bedrøvet
i sin lille Have. Da hørte hun Valdhorn klinge ned igjennem
Vandet, og hun tænkte, "nu seiler han vist deroppe, ham som
jeg holder mere af end Fader og Moder, ham som min Tanke hænger
ved og i hvis Haand jeg vilde lægge mit Livs Lykke. Alt vil
jeg vove for at vinde ham og en udødelig Sjæl! Mens mine Søstre
dandse derinde i min Faders Slot, vil jeg gaae til Havhexen,
hende jeg altid har været saa angest for, men hun kan maaskee
raade og hjælpe!" |
| The little mermaid swam
toward the turbulent maelstrom; beyond it the sea witch lived.
In this part of the great ocean the little mermaid had never
been before; here no flowers or seaweeds grew, only the gray
naked sea bed stretched toward the center of the maelstrom,
that great whirlpool where the water, as if it had been set
in motion by gigantic mill wheels, twisted and turned: grinding,
tearing, and sucking anything that came within its reach down
into its depths. Through this turbulence the little mermaid
had to swim, for beyond it lay the bubbling mud flats that the
sea witch called her bog and that had to be crossed to come
to the place where she lived. The sea witch's house was in the
midst of the strangest forest. The bushes and trees were gigantic
polyps that were half plant and half animal. They looked like
snakes with hundreds of heads, but they grew out of the ground.
Their branches were long slimy arms, and they had fingers as
supple as worms; every limb was in constant motion from the
root to the utmost point. Everything they could reach they grasped,
and never let go of it again. With dread the little mermaid
stood at the entrance to the forest; her heart was beating with
fear, she almost turned back. But then she remembered her prince
and the soul she wanted to gain and her courage returned. She
braided her long hair and bound it around her head, so the polyps
could not catch her by it. She held her arms folded tightly
across her breast and then she flew through the water as fast
as the swiftest fish. The ugly polyps stretched out their arms
and their fingers tried to grasp her. She noticed that every
one of them was holding, as tightly as iron bands, onto something
it had caught. Drowned human beings peeped out as white skeletons
among the polyps' arms. There were sea chests, rudders of ships,
skeletons of land animals; and then she saw a poor little mermaid
who had been caught and strangled; and this sight was to her
the most horrible. |
Nu gik den lille Havfrue
ud af sin Have hen imod de brusende Malstrømme, bag hvilke Hexen
boede. Den Vei havde hun aldrig før gaaet, der voxte ingen Blomster,
intet Søegræs, kun den nøgne graae Sandbund strakte sig hen
imod Malstrømmene, hvor Vandet, som brusende Møllehjul, hvirvlede
rundt og rev alt, hvad de fik fat paa, med sig ned i Dybet;
midt imellem disse knusende Hvirvler maatte hun gaae, for at
komme ind paa Havhexens Distrikt, og her var et langt Stykke
ikke anden Vei, end over varmt boblende Dynd, det kaldte Hexen
sin Tørvemose. Bag ved laae hendes Huus midt inde i en sælsom
Skov. Alle Træer og Buske vare Polyper, halv Dyr og halv Plante,
de saae ud, som hundredhovede Slanger, der voxte ud af Jorden;
alle Grene vare lange slimede Arme, med Fingre som smidige Orme,
og Leed for Leed bevægede de sig fra Roden til den yderste Spidse.
Alt hvad de i Havet kunde gribe fat paa, snoede de sig fast
om og gav aldrig mere Slip paa. Den lille Havfrue blev ganske
forskrækket staaende der udenfor; hendes Hjerte bankede af Angest,
nær havde hun vendt om, men saa tænkte hun paa Prindsen og paa
Menneskets Sjæl, og da fik hun Mod. Sit lange flagrende Haar
bandt hun fast om Hovedet, for at Polyperne ikke skulde gribe
hende deri, begge Hænder lagde hun sammen over sit Bryst, og
fløi saa afsted, som Fisken kan flyve gjennem Vandet, ind imellem
de hæslige Polyper, der strakte deres smidige Arme og Fingre
efter hende. Hun saae, hvor hver af dem havde noget, den havde
grebet, hundrede smaae Arme holdt det, som stærke Jernbaand.
Mennesker, som vare omkomne paa Søen og sjunkne dybt derned,
tittede, som hvide Beenrade frem i Polypernes Arme. Skibsroer
og Kister holdte de fast, Skeletter af Landdyr og en lille Havfrue,
som de havde fanget og qvalt, det var hende næsten det forskrækkeligste. |
| At last she came to
a great, slimy, open place in the middle of the forest. Big
fat eels played in the mud, showing their ugly yellow stomachs.
Here the witch had built her house out of the bones of drowned
sailors, and there she sat letting a big ugly toad eat out of
her mouth, as human beings sometimes let a canary eat sugar
candy out of theirs. The ugly eels she called her little chickens,
and held them close to her spongy chest. |
Nu kom hun til en stor
slimet Plads i Skoven, hvor store, fede Vandsnoge baltrede sig
og viste deres stygge hvidgule Bug. Midt paa Pladsen var reist
et Huus af strandede Menneskers hvide Been, der sad Havhexen
og lod en Skruptudse spise af sin Mund, ligesom Menneskene lader
en lille Kanarifugl spise Sukker. De hæslige fede Vandsnoge
kaldte hun sine smaae Kyllinger og lod dem vælte sig paa hendes
store, svampede Bryst. |
| "I know what you want,"
she cackled. "And it is stupid of you. But you shall have your
wish, for it will bring you misery, little princess. You want
to get rid of your fishtail, and instead have two stumps to
walk on as human beings have, so that the prince will fall in
love with you; and you will gain both him and an immortal soul."
The witch laughed so loudly and evilly that the toad and eels
she had had on her lap jumped down into the mud. "You came at
the right time," she said. "Tomorrow I could not have helped
you; you would have had to wait a year. I will mix you a potion.
Drink it tomorrow morning before the sun rises, while you are
sitting on the beach. Your tail will divide and shrink, until
it becomes what human beings call 'pretty legs.' It will hurt;
it will feel as if a sword were going through your body. All
who see you will say that you are the most beautiful human child
they have ever seen. You will walk more gracefully than any
dancer; but every time your foot touches the ground it will
feel as though you were walking on knives so sharp that your
blood must flow. If you are willing to suffer all this, then
I can help you." |
"Jeg veed nok, hvad
du vil!" sagde Havhexen, "det er dumt gjort af dig! alligevel
skal du faae din Villie, for den vil bringe dig i Ulykke, min
deilige Prindsesse. Du vil gjerne af med din Fiskehale og istedetfor
den have to Stumper at gaae paa ligesom Menneskene, for at den
unge Prinds kan blive forliebt i dig og du kan faae ham og en
udødelig Sjæl!" idetsamme loe Hexen saa høit og fælt,
at Skruptudsen og Snogene faldt ned paa Jorden og væltede sig
der. "Du kommer netop i rette Tid," sagde Hexen, "imorgen, naar
Sol staaer op, kunde jeg ikke hjælpe dig, før igjen et Aar var
omme. Jeg skal lave dig en Drik, med den skal du, før Sol staaer
op, svømme til Landet, sætte dig paa Bredden der og drikke den,
da skilles din Hale ad og snerper ind til hvad Menneskene kalde
nydelige Been, men det gjør ondt, det er som det skarpe Sværd
gik igjennem dig. Alle, som see dig, ville sige, du er det deiligste
Menneskebarn de have seet! du beholder din svævende Gang, ingen
Dandserinde kan svæve som du, men hvert Skridt du gjør, er som
om du traadte paa en skarp Kniv, saa dit Blod maatte flyde.
Vil du lide alt dette, saa skal jeg hjælpe dig?" |
| "I will," whispered
the little mermaid, and thought of her prince and how she would
win an immortal soul. |
"Ja!" sagde den lille
Havfrue med bævende Stemme, og tænkte paa Prindsen og paa at
vinde en udødelig Sjæl. |
| "But remember," screeched
the witch, "that once you have a human body you can never become
a mermaid again. Never again shall you swim through the waters
with your sisters to your father's castle. If you cannot make
the prince fall so much in love with you that he forgets both
his father and mother, because his every thought concerns only
you, and he orders the priest to take his right hand and place
it in yours, so that you become man and wife; then, the first
morning after he has married another, your heart will break
and you will become foam on the ocean." |
"Men husk paa," sagde
Hexen, "naar du først har faaet menneskelig Skikkelse, da kan
du aldrig mere blive en Havfrue igjen! du kan aldrig stige ned
igjennem Vandet til dine Søstre og til din Faders Slot, og vinder
du ikke Prindsens Kjærlighed, saa han for dig glemmer Fader
og Moder, hænger ved dig med sin hele Tanke og lader Præsten
lægge Eders Hænder i hinanden, saa at I blive Mand og Kone,
da faaer du ingen udødelig Sjæl! den første Morgen efter at
han er gift med en anden, da maa dit Hjerte briste, og du bliver
Skum paa Vandet." |
| "I still want to try,"
said the little mermaid, and her face was as white as a corpse. |
"Jeg vil det!" sagde
den lille Havfrue og var bleg, som en Død. |
| "But you will have to
pay me, too," grinned the witch. "And I want no small payment.
You have the most beautiful voice of all those who live in the
ocean. I suppose you have thought of using that to charm your
prince; but that voice you will have to give to me. I want the
most precious thing you have to pay for my potion. It contains
my own blood, so that it can be as sharp as a double-edged sword."
|
"Men mig maa du ogsaa
betale!" sagde Hexen, "og det er ikke Lidet, hvad jeg forlanger.
Du har den deiligste Stemme af alle hernede paa Havets Bund,
med den troer du nok at skulle fortrylle ham, men den Stemme
skal du give mig. Det Bedste du eier vil jeg have for min kostelige
Drik i mit eget Blod maa jeg jo give dig deri, at Drikken kan
blive skarp, som et tveægget Sværd!" |
| "But if you take my
voice," said the little mermaid, "what will I have left?" |
"Men naar du tager min
Stemme," sagde den lille Havfrue, "hvad beholder jeg da tilbage?" |
| "Your beautiful body,"
said the witch. "Your graceful walk and your lovely eyes. Speak
with them and you will be able to capture a human heart. Have
you lost your courage? Stick out your little tongue, and let
me cut it off in payment, and you shall have the potion." |
"Din deilige Skikkelse,"
sagde Hexen, "din svævende Gang og dine talende Øine, med dem
kan du nok bedaare et Menneskehjerte. Naa, har du tabt Modet!
ræk frem din lille Tunge, saa skjærer jeg den af, i Betaling,
og du skal faae den kraftige Drik!" |
| "Let it happen," whispered
the little mermaid. The witch took out a caldron in which to
make the magic potion. "Cleanliness is a virtue," she said.
And before she put the pot over the fire, she scrubbed it with
eels, which she had made into a whisk. She cut her chest and
let her blood drip into the vessel. The steam that rose became
strange figures that were terrifying to see. Every minute, the
witch put something different into the caldron. When the brew
reached a rolling boil, it sounded as though a crocodile were
crying. At last the potion was finished. It looked as clear
and pure as water. |
"Det skee!" sagde den
lille Havfrue, og Hexen satte sin Kjedel paa, for at koge Trolddrikken.
"Reenlighed er en god Ting!" sagde hun og skurede Kjedelen af
med Snogene, som hun bandt i Knude; nu ridsede hun sig selv
i Brystet og lod sit sorte Blod dryppe derned, Dampen gjorde
de forunderligste Skikkelser, saa man maatte blive angest og
bange. Hvert Øieblik kom Hexen nye Ting i Kjedelen, og da det
ret kogte, var det, som naar Crokodillen græder. Tilsidst var
Drikken færdig, den saae ud som det klareste Vand! |
| "Here it is," said the
witch, and cut out the little mermaid's tongue. Now she was
mute, she could neither speak nor sing. |
"Der har du den!" sagde
Hexen og skar Tungen af den lille Havfrue, som nu var stum,
kunde hverken synge eller tale. |
| "If any of the polyps
should try to grab you, on your way back through my forest,"
said the witch, "you need only spill one drop of the potion
on it and its arms and fingers will splinter into a thousand
pieces. But the little mermaid didn't have to do that. Fearfully,
the polyps drew away when they saw what she was carrying in
her hands; the potion sparkled as though it were a star. Safely,
she returned through the forest, the bog, and the maelstrom. |
"Dersom Polyperne skulde
gribe dig, naar du gaaer tilbage igjennem min Skov," sagde Hexen,
"saa kast kun een eneste Draabe af denne Drik paa dem, da springe
deres Arme og Fingre i tusinde Stykker!" men det behøvede den
lille Havfrue ikke, Polyperne trak sig forskrækkede tilbage
for hende, da de saae den skinnende Drik, der lyste i hendes
Haand, ligesom det var en funklende Stjerne. Saaledes kom hun
snart igjennem Skoven, Mosen og de brusende Malstrømme. |
| She could see her father's
palace. The lights were extinguished in the great hall. Everyone
was asleep; and yet she did not dare to seek out her sisters;
now that she was mute and was going away from them forever.
She felt as if her heart would break with sorrow. She sneaked
down into the garden and picked a flower from each of her sisters'
gardens; then she threw a thousand finger kisses toward the
palace and swam upward through the deep blue sea. |
Hun kunde see sin Faders
Slot; Blussene vare slukkede i den støre Dandsesal; de sov vist
Alle derinde, men hun vovede dog ikke at søge dem, nu hun var
stum og vilde for altid gaae bort fra dem. Det var, som hendes
Hjerte skulde gaae itu af Sorg. Hun sneeg sig ind i Haven, tog
een Blomst af hver af sine Søstres Blomsterbed, kastede med
Fingren tusinde Kys henimod Slottet og steeg op igjennem den
mørkeblaa Sø. |
| The sun had not yet
risen when she reached the prince's castle and sat down on the
lowest step of the great marble stairs. The moon was still shining
clearly. The little mermaid drank the potion and it felt as
if a sword were piercing her little body. She fainted and lay
as though she were dead. When the sun's rays touched the sea
she woke and felt a burning pain; but the young prince stood
in front of her and looked at her with his coal-black eyes.
She looked downward and saw then that she no longer had a fishtail
but the most beautiful, little, slender legs that any girl could
wish for. She was naked; and therefore she took her long hair
and covered herself with it. The prince asked her who she was
and how she had got there. She looked gently and yet ever so
sadly up at him with her deep blue eyes, for she could not speak.
He took her by the hand and led her up to his castle. And just
as the witch had warned, every step felt as though she were
walking on sharp knives. But she suffered it gladly. Gracefully
as a bubble rising in the water, she walked beside the prince;
and everyone who saw her wondered how she could walk so lightly. |
Solen var endnu ikke
kommet frem, da hun saae Prindsens Slot og besteg den prægtige
Marmortrappe. Maanen skinnede deiligt klart. Den lille Havfrue
drak den brændende skarpe Drik, og det var, som gik et tveægget
Sværd igjennem hendes fine Legeme, hun besvimede derved og laae,
som død. Da Solen skinnede hen over Søen, vaagnede hun op, og
hun følte en sviende Smerte, men lige for hende stod den deilige
unge Prinds, han fæstede sine kulsorte Øine paa hende, saa hun
slog sine ned og saae, at hendes Fiskehale var borte, og at
hun havde de nydeligste smaae, hvide Been, nogen lille Pige
kunde have, men hun var ganske nøgen, derfor svøbte hun sig
ind i sit store, lange Haar. Prindsen spurgte, hvem hun var,
og hvorledes hun var kommet her, og hun saae mildt og dog saa
bedrøvet paa ham med sine mørkeblaae Øine, tale kunde hun jo
ikke. Da tog han hende ved Haanden og førte hende ind i Slottet.
Hvert Skridt hun gjorde, var, som Hexen havde sagt hende forud,
som om hun traadte paa spidse Syle og skarpe Knive, men det
taalte hun gjerne; ved Prindsens Haand steeg hun saa let, som
en Boble, og han og alle undrede sig over hendes yndige, svævende
Gang. |
| In the castle, she was
clad in royal clothes of silk and muslin. She was the most beautiful
of all, but she was mute and could neither sing nor speak. Beautiful
slave girls, clad in silken clothes embroidered with gold, sang
for the prince and his royal parents. One sang more beautifully
than the rest, and the prince clapped his hands and smiled to
her; then the little mermaid was filled with sorrow, for she
knew that she had once sung far more beautifully. And she thought,
"Oh, if he only knew that to be with him I have given away my
voice for all eternity." |
Kostelige Klæder af
Silke og Musselin fik hun paa, i Slottet var hun den skjønneste
af Alle, men hun var stum, kunde hverken synge eller tale. Deilige
Slavinder, klædte i Silke og Guld, kom frem og sang for Prindsen
og hans kongelige Forældre; een sang smukkere end alle de andre
og Prindsen klappede i Hænderne og smilede til hende, da blev
den lille Havfrue bedrøvet, hun vidste, at hun selv havde sjunget
langt smukkere! hun tænkte, "0 han skulde bare vide, at jeg,
for at være hos ham, har givet min Stemme bort i al Evighed!" |
| Now the slave girls
danced, gracefully they moved to the beautiful music. Suddenly
the little mermaid lifted her hands and rose on the tips of
her toes. She floated more than danced across the floor. No
one had ever seen anyone dance as she did. Her every movement
revealed her loveliness and her eyes spoke far more eloquently
than the slave's song. |
Nu dandsede Slavinderne
i yndige svævende Dandse til den herligste Musik, da hævede
den lille Havfrue sine smukke hvide Arme, reiste sig paa Taaspidsen
og svævede hen over Gulvet, dandsede, som endnu ingen havde
dandset; ved hver Bevægelse blev hendes Deilighed endnu mere
synlig, og hendes Øine talte dybere til Hjertet, end Slavindernes
Sang. |
| Everyone was delighted,
especially the prince. He called her his little foundling. She
danced again and again, even though each time her little foot
touched the floor she felt as if she had stepped on a knife.
The prince declared that she should never leave him, and she
was given permission to sleep in front of his door on a velvet
pillow. |
Alle vare henrykte derover,
især Prindsen, som kaldte hende sit lille Hittebarn, og hun
dandsede meer og meer, skjøndt hver Gang hendes Fod rørte Jorden,
var det, som om hun traadte paa skarpe Knive. Prindsen sagde,
at hun skulde alletider være hos ham, og hun fik Lov at sove
udenfor hans Dør paa en Fløiels Pude. |
| The prince had men's
clothes made for her, so that she could accompany him when he
went horseback riding. Through the sweetsmelling forest they
rode, where green branches touched their shoulders and little
birds sang among the leaves. Together they climbed the high
mountains and her feet bled so much that others noticed it;
but she smiled and followed her prince up ever higher until
they could see the clouds sail below them, like flocks of birds
migrating to foreign lands. |
Han lod hende sye en
Mandsdragt, for at hun til Hest kunde følge ham. De rede gjennem
de duftende Skove, hvor de grønne Grene sloge hende paa Skulderen
og de smaae Fugle sang bag de friske Blade. Hun klattrede med
Prindsen op paa de høie Bjerge, og skjønt hendes fine Fødder
blødte, saa de Andre kunde see det, loe hun dog deraf og fulgte
ham, til de saae Skyerne seile nede under sig, som var det en
Flok Fugle, der drog til fremmede Lande. |
| At night in the castle,
while the others slept, she would walk down the broad marble
stairs to the sea and cool her poor burning feet in the cold
water. Then she would think of her sisters, down in the deep
sea. |
Hjemme paa Prindsens
Slot, naar om Natten de andre sov, gik hun ud paa den brede
Marmortrappe, og det kjølede hendes brændende Fødder, at staae
i det kolde Søvand, og da tænkte hun paa dem dernede i Dybet. |
| One night they came;
arm in arm they rose above the surface of the water, singing
ever so sadly. She waved to them, and they recognized her, and
they told her how much sorrow she had brought them. After that
they visited her every night; and once she saw, far out to sea,
her old grandmother. It had been years since she had stuck her
head up into the air; and there, too, was her father the mer-king
with his crown on his head. They stretched their hands toward
her but did not dare come as near to the land as her sisters. |
Een Nat kom hendes Søstre
Arm i Arm, de sang saa sorrigfuldt, idet de svømmede over Vandet,
og hun vinkede af dem, og de kjendte hende og fortalte, hvor
bedrøvet hun havde gjort dem allesammen. Hver Nat besøgte de
hende siden, og een Nat saae hun, langt ude, den gamle Bedstemoder,
som i mange Aar ikke havde været over Havet, og Havkongen, med
sin Krone paa Hovedet, de strakte Hænderne hen mod hende, men
vovede sig ikke saa nær Landet, som Søstrene. |
| Day by day the prince
grew fonder and fonder of her; but he loved her as he would
have loved a good child, and had no thought of making her his
queen. And she had to become his wife or she would never have
an immortal soul, but on the morning after his marriage would
become foam on the great ocean. |
Dag for Dag blev hun
Prindsen kjærere, han holdt af hende, som man kan holde af et
godt, kjært Barn, men at gjøre hende til sin Dronning, faldt
ham slet ikke ind, og hans Kone maatte hun blive, ellers fik
hun ingen udødelig Sjæl, men vilde paa hans Bryllups Morgen
blive Skum paa Søen. |
| "Don't you love me more
than you do all others?" was the message in the little mermaid's
eyes when the prince kissed her lovely forehead. |
"Holder du ikke meest
af mig, blandt dem allesammen!" syntes den lille Havfrues Øine
at sige, naar han tog hende i sine Arme og kyssede hendes smukke
Pande. |
| "Yes, you are the dearest
to me," said the prince, "for you have the kindest heart of
them all. You are devoted to me and you look like a young girl
I once saw, and will probably never see again. I was in a shipwreck.
The waves carried me ashore, where a holy temple lay. Many young
girls were in service there; one of them, the youngest of them
all, found me on the beach and saved my life. I saw her only
twice, but she is the only one I can love in this world; and
you look like her. You almost make her picture disappear from
my soul. She belongs to the holy temple and, therefore, good
fortune has sent you to me instead, and we shall never part."-"Oh,
he does not know that it was I who saved his life," thought
the little mermaid. "I carried him across the sea to the forest
where the temple stood. I hid behind the rocks and watched over
him until he was found. I saw that beautiful girl whom he loves
more than me!" And the little mermaid sighed deeply, for cry
she couldn't. "He has said that the girl belongs to the holy
temple and will never come out into the world, and they will
never meet again. But I am with him and see him every day. I
will take care of him, love him, and devote my life to him." |
"Jo, du er mig kjærest,"
sagde Prindsen, "thi du har det bedste Hjerte af dem Alle, du
er mig meest hengiven, og du ligner en ung Pige jeg engang saae,
men vistnok aldrig mere finder. Jeg var paa et Skib, som strandede,
Bølgerne dreve mig i Land ved et helligt Tempel, hvor flere
unge Piger gjorde Tjeneste, den yngste der fandt mig ved Strandbredden
og reddede mit Liv, jeg saae hende kun to Gange; hun var den
eneste, jeg kunde elske i denne Verden, men du ligner hende,
du næsten fortrænger hendes Billede i min Sjæl, hun hører det
hellige Tempel til, og derfor har min gode Lykke sendt mig dig,
aldrig ville vi skilles!" - "Ak, han veed ikke, at jeg har reddet
hans Liv!" tænkte den lille Havfrue, "jeg bar ham over Søen
hen til Skoven, hvor Templet staaer, jeg sad bag Skummet og
saae efter, om ingen Mennesker vilde komme. Jeg saae den smukke
Pige, som han holder mere af, end mig!" og Havfruen sukkede
dybt, græde kunde hun ikke. "Pigen hører det hellige Tempel
til, har han sagt, hun kommer aldrig ud i Verden, de mødes ikke
mere, jeg er hos ham, seer ham hver Dag, jeg vil pleie ham,
elske ham, ofre ham mit Liv!" |
| Everyone said that the
young prince was to be married; he was to have the neighboring
king's daughter, a beautiful princess. A magnificent ship was
built and made ready. It was announced that the prince was traveling
to see the neighboring kingdom, but that no one believed. "It
is not the country but the princess he is to inspect," they
all agreed. The little mermaid shook her head and smiled; she
knew what the prince thought, and they didn't. "I must go,"
he had told her, "I must look at the beautiful princess, my
parents demand it. But they won't force me to carry her home
as my bride. I can't love her. She does not look like the girl
from the temple as you do. If I ever marry, I shall most likely
choose you, my little foundling with the eloquent eyes." And
he kissed her on her red lips and played with her long hair,
and let his head rest so near her heart that it dreamed of human
happiness and an immortal soul. |
Men nu skal Prindsen
givtes og have Nabokongens deilige Datter! fortalte man, derfor
er det, at han udruster saa prægtigt et Skib. Prindsen reiser
for at see Nabokongens Lande, hedder det nok, men det er for
at see Nabokongens Datter, et stort Følge skal han have med;
men den lille Havfrue rystede med Hovedet og loe; hun kjendte
Prindsens Tanker meget bedre, end alle de Andre. "Jeg maa reise!"
havde han sagt til hende, "jeg maa see den smukke Prindsesse,
mine Forældre forlange det, men tvinge mig til at føre hende
her hjem, som min Brud, ville de ikke! jeg kan ikke elske hende!
hun ligner ikke den smukke Pige i Templet, som du ligner, skulde
jeg engang vælge en Brud, saa blev det snarere dig, mit stumme
Hittebarn med de talende Øine!" og han kyssede hendes røde Mund,
legede med hendes lange Haar og lagde sit Hoved ved hendes Hjerte,
saa det drømte om Menneske-Lykke og en udødelig sjæl. |
| "Are you afraid of the
ocean, my little silent child?" asked the prince as they stood
on the deck of the splendid ship that was to sail them to the
neighboring kingdom. He told the little mermaid how the sea
can be still or stormy, and about the fishes that live in it,
and what the divers had seen underneath the water. She smiled
as he talked, for who knew better than she about the world on
the bottom of the ocean? |
"Du er dog ikke bange
for Havet, mit stumme Barn!" sagde han, da de stode paa det
prægtige Skib, som skulde føre ham til Nabokongens Lande; og
han fortalte hende om Storm og Havblik, om sælsomme Fiske i
Dybet og hvad Dykkeren der havde seet, og hun smilte ved hans
Fortælling, hun vidste jo bedre, end nogen Anden, Besked om
Havets Bund. |
| In the moonlit night,
when everyone slept but the sailor at the rudder and the lookout
in the bow, she sat on the bulwark and looked down into the
clear water. She thought she saw her father's palace; and on
the top of its tower her old grandmother was standing with her
silver crown on her head, looking up through the currents of
the sea, toward the keel of the ship. Her sisters came; they
looked at her so sorrowfully and wrung their white hands in
despair; she waved to them and smiled. She wanted them to know
that she was happy, but just at that moment the little cabin
boy came and her sisters dived down under the water; he saw
nothing but some white foam on the ocean. |
I den maaneklare Nat,
naar de alle sov, paa Styrmanden nær, som stod ved Roret, sad
hun ved Reelingen af Skibet og stirrede ned igjennem det klare
Vand, og hun syntes at see sin Faders Slot, øverst deroppe stod
den gamle Bedstemoder med Sølvkronen paa Hovedet og stirrede
op igjennem de stride Strømme mod Skibets Kjøl. Da kom hendes
Søstre op over Vandet, de stirrede sorrigfuldt paa hende og
vrede deres hvide Hænder, hun vinkede ad dem, smilte og vilde
fortælle, at Alt gik hende godt og lykkeligt, men Skibsdrengen
nærmede sig hende og Søstrene dykkede ned, saa han blev i den
Tro, at det Hvide, han havde seet, var Skum paa Søen. |
| The next morning the
ship sailed into the harbor of the great town that belonged
to the neighboring king. All the church bells were ringing,
and from the tall towers trumpets blew, while the soldiers stood
at attention, with banners flying and bayonets on their rifles.
Every day another banquet was held, and balls and parties followed
one after the other. But the princess attended none of them,
for she did not live in the palace; she was being educated in
the holy temple, where she was to learn all the royal virtues.
But at last she came. |
Næste Morgen seilede
Skibet ind i Havnen ved Nabokongens prægtige Stad. Alle Kirkeklokker
ringede, og fra de høie Taarne blev blæst i Basuner, mens Soldaterne
stode med vaiende Faner og blinkende Bajonetter. Hver Dag havde
en Fest. Bal og Selskab fulgte paa hinanden, men Prindsessen
var der endnu ikke, hun opdroges langtderfra i et helligt Tempel,
sagde de, der lærte hun alle kongelige Dyder. Endelig indtraf
hun. |
| The little mermaid wanted
ever so much to see her; and when she finally did, she had to
admit that a more beautiful girl she had never seen before.
Her skin was so delicate and fine, and beneath her long dark
lashes smiled a pair of faithful, dark blue eyes. |
Den lille Havfrue stod
begjærlig efter at see hendes Skjønhed, og hun maatte erkjende
den, en yndigere Skikkelse havde hun aldrig seet. Huden var
saa fiin og skjær, og bag de lange mørke Øienhaar smilede et
Par sorteblaae trofaste Øine! |
| "It is you!" exclaimed
the prince. "You are the one who saved me, when I lay half dead
on the beach!" And he embraced his blushing bride. "Oh, now
I am too happy," he said to the little mermaid. "That which
I never dared hope has now happened! You will share my joy,
for I know that you love me more than any of the others do."
The little mermaid kissed his hand; she felt as if her heart
were breaking. His wedding morning would bring her death and
she would be changed into foam of the ocean. |
"Det er dig!" sagde
Prindsen, "dig, som har frelst mig, da jeg laae som et Liig
ved Kysten!" og han trykkede sin rødmende Brud i sine Arme.
"0 jeg er altfor lykkelig!" sagde han til den lille Havfrue.
"Det Bedste, det jeg aldrig turde haabe, er blevet opfyldt for
mig. Du vil glæde dig ved min Lykke, thi du holder meest af
mig blandt dem Alle!" Og den lille Havfrue kyssede hans Haand,
og hun syntes alt at føle sit Hjerte briste. Hans Bryllups Morgen
vilde jo give hende Døden og forvandle hende til Skum paa Søen. |
| All the churchbells
rang and heralds rode through the streets and announced the
wedding to the people. On all the altars costly silver lamps
burned with fragrant oils. The priests swung censers with burning
incense in them, while the prince and the princess gave each
other their hands, and the bishop blessed them. The little mermaid,
dressed in silk and gold, held the train of the bride's dress,
but her ears did not hear the music, nor did her eyes see the
holy ceremony, for this night would bring her death, and she
was thinking of all she had lost in this world. |
Alle Kirkeklokker ringede,
Herolderne rede om i Gaderne og forkyndte Trolovelsen. Paa alle
Altre brændte duftende Olie i kostelige Sølvlamper. Præsterne
svingede Røgelsekar og Brud og Brudgom rakte hinanden Haanden
og fik Biskoppens Velsignelse. Den lille Havfrue stod i Silke
og Guld og holdt Brudens Slæb, men hendes Øre hørte ikke den
festlige Musik, hendes Øie saae ikke den hellige Ceremonie,
hun tænkte paa sin Dødsnat, paa Alt hvad hun havde tabt i denne
Verden. |
| The bride and bridegroom
embarked upon the prince's ship; cannons saluted and banners
flew. On the main deck, a tent of gold and scarlet cloth had
been raised; there on the softest of pillows the bridal couple
would sleep. |
Endnu samme Aften gik
Brud og Brudgom ombord paa Skibet, Kanonerne løde, alle Flagene
vaiede, og midt paa Skibet var reist et kosteligt Telt af Guld
og Purpur og med de deiligste Hynder, der skulde Brudeparret
sove i den stille, kjølige Nat. |
| The sails were unfurled,
and they swelled in the wind and the ship glided across the
transparent sea. |
Seilene svulmede i Vinden,
og Skibet gled let og uden stor Bevægelse hen over den klare
Sø. |
| When it darkened and
evening came, colored lamps were lit and the sailors danced
on the deck. The little mermaid could not help remembering the
first time she had emerged above the waves, when she had seen
the almost identical sight. She whirled in the dance, glided
as the swallow does in the air when it is pursued. Everyone
cheered and applauded her. Never had she danced so beautifully;
the sharp knives cut her feet, but she did not feel it, for
the pain in her heart was far greater. She knew that this was
the last evening that she would see him for whose sake she had
given away her lovely voice and left her home and her family;
and he would never know of her sacrifice. It was the last night
that she would breathe the same air as he, or look out over
the deep sea and up into the star-blue heaven. A dreamless,
eternal night awaited her, for she had no soul and had not been
able to win one. Until midnight all was gaiety aboard the ship,
and the mermaid danced and laughed with the thought of death
in her heart. Then the prince kissed his bride and she fondled
his long black hair and, arm in arm, they walked into their
splendorous tent, to sleep. |
Da det mørknedes, tændtes
brogede Lamper og Søfolkene dandsede lystige Dandse paa Dækket.
Den lille Havfrue maatte tænke paa den første Gang hun dykkede
op af Havet og saae den samme Pragt og Glæde, og hun hvirvlede
sig med i Dandsen, svævede, som Svalen svæver naar den forfølges,
og alle tiljublede hende Beundring, aldrig havde hun dandset
saa herligt; det skar som skarpe Knive i de fine Fødder, men
hun følte det ikke; det skar hende smerteligere i Hjertet. Hun
vidste, det var den sidste Aften hun saae ham, for hvem hun
havde forladt sin Slægt og sit Hjem, givet sin deilige Stemme
og daglig lidt uendelige Qvaler, uden at han havde Tanke derom.
Det var den sidste Nat, hun aandede den samme Luft som han,
saae det dybe Hav og den stjerneblaae Himmel, en evig Nat uden
Tanke og Drøm ventede hende, som ei havde Sjæl, ei kunde vinde
den. Og Alt var Glæde og Lystighed paa Skibet til langt over
Midnat, hun loe og dandsede med Dødstanken i sit Hjerte. Prindsen
kyssede sin deilige Brud, og hun legede med hans sorte Haar,
og Arm i Arm gik de til Hvile i det prægtige Telt. |
| The ship grew quiet.
Only the sailor at the helm and the little mermaid were awake.
She stood with her white arms resting on the railing and looked
toward the east. She searched the horizon for the pink of dawn;
she knew that the first sunbeams would kill her. Out of the
sea rose her sisters, but the wind could no longer play with
their long beautiful hair, for their heads had been shorn. |
Der blev tyst og stille
paa Skibet, kun Styrmanden stod ved Røret, den lille Havfrue
lagde sine hvide Arme paa Reelingen og saae mod Østen efter
Morgenrøden, den første Solstraale, vidste hun, vilde dræbe
hende. Da saae hun sine Søstre stige op af Havet, de vare blege,
som hun; deres lange smukke Haar flagrede ikke længer i Blæsten,
det var afskaaret. |
| "We have given our hair
to the sea witch, so that she would help you and you would not
have to die this night. Here is a knife that the witch has given
us. Look how sharp it is! Before the sun rises, you must plunge
it into the heart of the prince; when his warm blood sprays
on your feet, they will turn into a fishtail and you will be
a mermaid again. You will be able to live your three hundred
years down in the sea with us, before you die and become foam
on the ocean. Hurry! He or you must die before the sun rises.
Our grandmother mourns; she, too, has no hair; hers has fallen
out from grief. Kill the prince and come back to us! Hurry!
See, there is a pink haze on the horizon. Soon the sun will
rise and you will die." The little mermaid heard the sound of
her sisters' deep and strange sighing before they disappeared
beneath the waves. |
"Vi have givet det til
Hexen, for at hun skulde bringe Hjælp, at du ikke denne Nat
skal døe! Hun har givet os en Kniv, her er den! seer du hvor
skarp? Før Sol staaer op, maa du stikke den i Prindsens Hjerte,
og naar da hans varme Blod stænker paa dine Fødder, da voxe
de sammen til en Fiskehale og du bliver en Havfrue igjen, kan
stige ned i Vandet til os og leve dine tre Hundrede Aar, før
du bliver det døde, salte Søeskum. Skynd dig! han eller du maa
døe, før Sol staaer op! vor gamle Bedstemoder sørger, saa hendes
hvide Haar er faldet af, som vort faldt for Hexens Sax. Dræb
Prindsen og kom tilbage! Skynd dig, seer du den røde Stribe
paa Himlen? Om nogle Minuter stiger Solen, og da maa du døe!"
og de udstødte et forunderligt dybt Suk og sank i Bølgerne. |
| She pulled aside the
crimson cloth of the tent and saw the beautiful bride sleeping
peacefully, with her head resting on the prince's chest. The
little mermaid bent down and kissed his handsome forehead. She
turned and looked at the sky; more and more, it was turning
red. She glanced at the sharp knife; and once more she looked
down at the prince. He moved a little in his sleep and whispered
the name of his bride. Only she was in his thoughts, in his
dreams! The little mermaid's hand trembled as it squeezed the
handle of the knife, then she threw the weapon out into the
sea. The waves turned red where it fell, as if drops of blood
were seeping up through the water. Again she looked at the prince;
her eyes were already glazed in death. She threw herself into
the sea and felt her body changing into foam. |
Den lille Havfrue trak
Purpurtæppet bort fra Teltet, og hun saae den deilige Brud sove
med sit Hoved ved Prindsens Bryst, og hun bøiede sig ned, kyssede
ham paa hans smukke Pande, saae paa Himlen, hvor Morgenrøden
lyste meer og meer, saae paa den skarpe Kniv og fæstede igjen
Øinene paa Prindsen, der i Drømme nævnede sin Brud ved Navn,
hun kun var i hans Tanker, og Kniven zittrede i Havfruens Haand,
- men da kastede hun den langt ud i Bølgerne, de skinnede røde,
hvor den faldt, det saae ud, som piblede der Blodsdraaber op
af Vandet. Endnu engang saae hun med halvbrustne Blik paa Prindsen,
styrtede sig fra Skibet ned i Havet, og hun følte, hvor hendes
Legeme opløste sig i Skum. |
| The sun rose out of
| |