| In China, as you know,
the emperor is Chinese, and so are his court and all his people.
This story happened a long, long time ago; and that is just
the reason why you should hear it now, before it is forgotten.
The emperor's palace was the most beautiful in the whole world.
It was made of porcelain and had been most costly to build.
It was so fragile that you had to be careful not to touch anything
and that can be difficult. The gardens were filled with the
loveliest flowers; the most beautiful of them had little silver
bells that tinkled so you wouldn't pass by without noticing
them. Everything in the emperor's garden was most cunningly
arranged. The gardens were so large that even the head gardener
did not know exactly how big they were. If you kept walking
you finally came to the most beautiful forest, with tall trees
that mirrored themselves in deep lakes. The forest stretched
all the way to the sea, which was blue and so deep that even
large boats could sail so close to the shore that they were
shaded by the trees. Here lived a nightingale who sang so sweetly
that even the fisherman, who came every night to set his nets,
would stop to rest when he heard it, and say: "Blessed God,
how beautifully it sings!" But he couldn't listen too long,
for he had work to do, and soon he would forget the bird. Yet
the next night when he heard it again, he would repeat what
he had said the night before: "Blessed God, how beautifully
it sings!" |
I China veed Du jo nok
er Keiseren en Chineser, og Alle de han har om sig ere Chinesere.
Det er nu mange Aar siden, men just derfor er det værd at høre
Historien, før man glemmer den! Keiserens Slot var det prægtigste
i Verden, ganske og aldeles af fiint Porcelain, saa kostbart,
men saa skjørt, saa vanskeligt at røre ved, at man maatte ordentlig
tage sig iagt. I Haven saae man de forunderligste Blomster,
og ved de allerprægtigste var der bundet Sølvklokker, der klingede,
for at man ikke skulde gaae forbi uden at bemærke Blomsten.
Ja, Alting var saa udspeculeret i Keiserens Have, og den strakte
sig saa langt, at Gartneren selv ikke vidste Enden paa den;
blev man ved at gaae, kom man i den deiligste Skov med høie
Træer og dybe Søer. Skoven gik lige ned til Havet, der var blaat
og dybt; store Skibe kunde seile lige ind under Grenene, og
i disse boede der en Nattergal, der sang saa velsignet, at selv
den fattige Fisker, der havde saa meget andet at passe, laae
stille og lyttede, naar han om Natten var ude at trække Fiskegarnet
op og da hørte Nattergalen. "Herre Gud, hvor det er kjønt!"
sagde han, men saa maatte han passe sine Ting og glemte Fuglen;
dog næste Nat naar den igjen sang, og Fiskeren kom derud, sagde
han det samme: "Herre Gud! hvor det dog er kjønt!" |
| From all over the world
travelers came to the emperor's city to admire his palace and
gardens; but when they heard the nightingale sing, they all
declared that it was the loveliest of all. |
Fra alle Verdens Lande
kom der Reisende til Keiserens Stad, og de beundrede den, Slottet
og Haven, men naar de fik Nattergalen at høre, sagde de Allesammen:
"Den er dog det bedste!" |
| When they returned to
their own countries, they would write long and learned books
about the city, the palace, and the garden; but they didn't
forget the nightingale. No, that was always mentioned in the
very first chapter. Those who could write poetry wrote long
odes about the nightingale who lived in the forest, on the shores
of the deep blue sea. |
Og de Reisende fortalte
derom, naar de kom hjem, og de Lærde skreve mange Bøger om Byen,
Slottet og Haven, men Nattergalen glemte de ikke, den blev sat
allerøverst; og de, som kunde digte, skrev de deiligste Digte,
allesammen om Nattergalen i Skoven ved den dybe Sø. |
| These books were read
the whole world over; and finally one was also sent to the emperor.
He sat down in his golden chair and started to read it. Every
once in a while he would nod his head because it pleased him
to read how his own city and his own palace and gardens were
praised; but then he came to the sentence: "But the song of
the nightingale is the loveliest of all." |
De Bøger kom Verden
rundt, og nogle kom da ogsaa engang til Keiseren. Han sad i
sin Guldstol, læste og læste, hvert Øieblik nikkede han med
Hovedet, thi det fornøiede ham at høre de prægtige Beskrivelser
over Byen, Slottet og Haven. "Men Nattergalen er dog det allerbedste!"
stod der skrevet. |
| "What!" said the emperor.
"The nightingale? I don't know it, I have never heard of it;
and yet it lives not only in my empire but in my very garden.
That is the sort of thing one can only find out by reading books."
|
"Hvad for Noget!" sagde
Keiseren, "Nattergalen! den kjender jeg jo slet ikke! er her
saadan en Fugl i mit Keiserdømme, ovenikjøbet i min Have! det
har jeg aldrig hørt! saadant noget skal man læse sig til!" |
| He called his chief
courtier, who was so very noble that if anyone of a rank lower
than his own, either talked to him, or dared ask him a question,
he only answered, "P." And that didn't mean anything at all.
|
Og saa kaldte han paa
sin Cavaleer, der var saa fornem, at naar nogen, der var ringere
end han, vovede at tale til ham, eller spørge om noget, saa
svarede han ikke andet, end "P!" og det har ikke noget at betyde.
|
| "There is a strange
and famous bird called the nightingale," began the emperor.
"It is thought to be the most marvelous thing in my empire.
Why have I never heard of it?" |
"Her skal jo være en
høist mærkværdig Fugl, som kaldes Nattergal!" sagde Keiseren,
"man siger at den er det allerbedste i mit store Rige! hvorfor
har man aldrig sagt mig noget om den!" |
| "I have never heard
of it," answered the courtier. "It has never been presented
at court." |
"Jeg har aldrig før
hørt den nævne!" sagde Cavaleren, "den er aldrig blevet præsenteret
ved Hoffet!" |
| "I want it to come this
evening and sing for me," demanded the emperor. "The whole world
knows of it but I do not." |
"Jeg vil at den skal
komme her i Aften og synge for mig!" sagde Keiseren. "Der veed
hele Verden hvad jeg har, og jeg veed det ikke!" |
| "I have never heard
it mentioned before," said the courtier, and bowed. "But I shall
search for it and find it." |
"Jeg har aldrig før
hørt den nævne!" sagde Cavaleren, "jeg skal søge den, jeg skal
finde den!" |
| But that was more easily
said than done. The courtier ran all through the palace, up
the stairs and down the stairs, and through the long corridors,
but none of the people whom he asked had ever heard of the nightingale.
He returned to the emperor and declared that the whole story
was nothing but a fable, invented by those people who had written
the books. "Your Imperial Majesty should not believe everything
that is written. A discovery is one thing and artistic imagination
something quite different; it is fiction." |
Men hvor var den at
finde; Cavaleren løb op og ned af alle Trapper, gjennem Sale
og Gange, ingen af alle dem, han traf paa, havde hørt tale om
Nattergalen, og Cavaleren løb igjen til Keiseren og sagde, at
det vist maatte være en Fabel af dem, der skrev Bøger. "Deres
keiserlige Majestæt skal ikke troe hvad der skrives! det er
Opfindelser og noget, som kaldes den sorte Kunst!" |
| "The book I have just
read," replied the emperor, "was sent to me by the great Emperor
of Japan; and therefore, every word in it must be the truth.
I want to hear the nightingale! And that tonight! If it does
not come, then the whole court shall have their stomachs thumped,
and that right after they have eaten." |
"Men den Bog, hvori
jeg har læst det," sagde Keiseren, "er sendt mig fra den stormægtige
Keiser af Japan, og saa kan det ikke være Usandhed. Jeg vil
høre Nattergalen! den skal være her i Aften! den har min høieste
Naade! og kommer den ikke, da skal hele Hoffet dunkes paa Maven,
naar det har spiist Aftensmad." |
| "Tsing-pe!" said the
courtier. He ran again up and down the stairs and through the
corridors; and half the court ran with him, because they didn't
want their stomachs thumped. Everywhere they asked about the
nightingale that the whole world knew about, and yet no one
at court had heard of. |
"Tsing-pe!" sagde Cavaleren,
og løb igjen op og ned af alle Trapper, gjennem alle Sale og
Gange; og det halve Hof løb med, for de vilde ikke gjerne dunkes
paa Maven. Der var en Spørgen efter den mærkelige Nattergal,
som hele Verden kjendte, men Ingen ved Hoffet. |
| At last they came to
the kitchen, where a poor little girl worked, scrubbing the
pots and pans. "Oh, I know the nightingale," she said, "I know
it well, it sings so beautifully. Every evening I am allowed
to bring some leftovers to my poor sick mother who lives down
by the sea. Now it is far away, and as I return I often rest
in the forest and listen to the nightingale. I get tears in
my eyes from it, as though my mother were kissing me." |
Endelig traf de en lille,
fattig Pige i Kjøkkenet, hun sagde: "0 Gud, Nattergalen! den
kjender jeg godt! ja, hvor den kan synge! hver Aften har jeg
Lov til at bringe lidt af Levningerne fra Bordet hjem til min
stakkels syge Moder, hun boer nede ved Stranden, og naar jeg
saa gaaer tilbage, er træt og hviler i Skoven, saa hører jeg
Nattergalen synge! jeg faaer Vandet i Øinene derved, det er
ligesom om min Moder kyssede mig!" |
| "Little kitchenmaid,"
said the courtier, "I will arrange for a permanent position
in the kitchen for you, and permission to see the emperor eat,
if you will take us to the nightingale; it is summoned to court
tonight." |
"Lille Kokkepige!" sagde
Cavaleren, "jeg skal skaffe hende fast Ansættelse i Kjøkkenet
og Lov til at see Keiseren spise, dersom hun kan føre os til
Nattergalen, for den er tilsagt til i Aften!" |
| Half the court went
to the forest to find the nightingale. As they were walking
along a cow began to bellow. |
Og saa droge de Allesammen
ud i Skoven, hvor Nattergalen pleiede at synge; det halve Hof
var med. Som de allerbedst gik, begyndte en Ko at brøle. |
| "Oh!" shouted all the
courtiers. "There it is. What a marvelously powerful voice the
little animal has; we have heard it before." |
"0!" sagde Hofjunkerne,
"nu har vi den! det er dog en mærkelig Kraft i et saadant, lille
Dyr! jeg har ganske bestemt hørt den før!" |
| "That is only a cow,"
said the little kitchenmaid. "We are still far from where the
nightingale lives." |
"Nei, det er Køerne,
som brøle!" sagde den lille Kokkepige, "vi ere endnu langt fra
Stedet!" |
| They passed a little
pond; the frogs were croaking. |
Frøerne qvækkede nu
i Kjæret. |
| "Lovely," sighed the
Chinese imperial dean. "I can hear her, she sounds like little
church bells ringing." |
"Deiligt!" sagde den
chinesiske Slotsprovst, "nu hører jeg hende, det er ligesom
smaa Kirkeklokker!" |
| "No, that is only the
frogs," said the little kitchenmaid, "but any time now we may
hear it." |
"Nei, det er Frøerne!"
sagde den lille Kokkepige. "Men nu tænker jeg snart vi hører
den!" |
| Just then the nightingale
began singing. |
Saa begyndte Nattergalen
at synge. |
| "There it is!" said
the little girl. "Listen. Listen. It is up there on that branch."
And she pointed to a little gray bird sitting amid the greenery. |
"Den er det," sagde
den lille Pige, "hør! hør! og der sidder den!" og saa pegede
hun paa en lille, graa Fugl oppe i Grenene. |
| "Is that possible?"
exclaimed the chief courtier. "I had not imagined it would look
like that. It looks so common! I think it has lost its color
from shyness and out of embarrassment at seeing so many noble
people at one time." |
"Er det muligt!" sagde
Cavaleren, "saaledes havde jeg nu aldrig tænkt mig den! hvor
den seer simpel ud! den har vist mistet Couleur over at see
saa mange fornemme Mennesker hos sig!" |
| "Little nightingale,"
called the kitchenimaid, "our emperor wants you to sing for
him." |
"Lille Nattergal!" raabte
den lille Kokkepige ganske høit, "vor naadige Keiser vil saa
gjerne, at De skal synge for ham!" |
| "With pleasure," replied
the nightingale, and sang as lovely as he could. |
"Med største Fornøielse!"
sagde Nattergalen og sang, saa at det var en Lyst. |
| "It sounds like little
glass bells," sighed the chief courtier. "Look at its little
throat, how it throbs. It is strange that we have never heard
of it before; it will be a great success at court." |
"Det er ligesom Glasklokker!"
sagde Cavaleren, "og see den lille Strube, hvor den bruger sig!
det er mærkværdigt, vi aldrig har hørt den før! den vil gjøre
en stor succes ved Hoffet!" |
| "Shall I sing another
song for the emperor?" asked the nightingale, who thought that
the emperor was there. |
"Skal jeg synge endnu
engang for Keiseren?" spurgte Nattergalen, der troede at Keiseren
var med. |
| "Most excellent little
nightingale," began the chief courtier, "I have the pleasure
to invite you to attend the court tonight, where His Imperial
Majesty, the Emperor of China, wishes you to enchant him with
your most charming art." |
"Min fortræffelige lille
Nattergal!" sagde Cavaleren, "jeg har den store Glæde at skulle
tilsige Dem til en Hoffest i Aften, hvor De vil fortrylle hans
høie keiserlige Naade med Deres charmante Sang!" |
| "It sounds best in the
green woods," said the nightingale; but when he heard that the
emperor insisted, he followed them readily back to the palace. |
"Den tager sig bedst
ud i det Grønne!" sagde Nattergalen, men den fulgte dog gjerne
med, da den hørte, at Keiseren ønskede det. |
| There every room had
been polished and thousands of little golden lamps reflected
themselves in the shiny porcelain walls and floors. In the corridors
stood all the most beautiful flowers, the ones with silver bells
on them; and there was such a draft from all the servants running
in and out, and opening and closing doors, that all the bells
were tinkling and you couldn't hear what anyone said. |
Paa Slottet var der
ordentligt pudset op! Vægge og Gulv, der var af Porcelain, skinnede
ved mange tusinde Guldlamper! de deiligste Blomster, som ret
kunde klinge, vare stillede op i Gangene; der var en Løben og
en Trækvind, men saa klang just alle Klokkerne, man kunde ikke
høre Ørelyd. |
| In the grand banquet
hall, where the emperor's throne stood, a little golden perch
had been hung for the nightingale to sit on. The whole court
was there and the little kitchenmaid, who now had the tide of
Imperial Kitchenmaid, was allowed to stand behind one of the
doors and listen. Everyone was dressed in their finest clothes
and they all were looking at the little gray bird, toward which
the emperor nodded very kindly. |
Midt inde i den store
Sal, hvor Keiseren sad, var der stillet en Guldpind, og paa
den skulde Nattergalen sidde; hele Hoffet var der, og den lille
Kokkepige havde faaet Lov til at staae bag ved Døren, da hun
nu havde Titel af virkelig Kokkepige. Alle vare de i deres største
Pynt, og alle saae de paa den lille graae Fugl, som Keiseren
nikkede til. |
| The nightingale's song
was so sweet that tears came into the emperor's eyes; and when
they ran down his cheeks, the little nightingale sang even more
beautifully than it had before. His song spoke to one's heart,
and the emperor was so pleased that he ordered his golden slipper
to be hung around the little bird's neck. There was no higher
honor. But the nightingale thanked him and said that he had
been honored enough already. |
Og Nattergalen sang
saa deiligt, at Keiseren fik Taarer i Øinene, Taarerne trillede
ham ned over Kinderne, og da sang Nattergalen endnu smukkere,
det gik ret til Hjertet; og Keiseren var saa glad, og han sagde,
at Nattergalen skulde have hans Guldtøffel at bære om Halsen.
Men Nattergalen takkede, den havde allerede faaet Belønning
nok. |
| "I have seen tears in
the eyes of an emperor, and that is a great enough treasure
for me. There is a strange power in an emperor's tears and God
knows that is reward enough." Then he sang yet another song.
|
"Jeg har seet Taarer
i Øinene paa Keiseren, det er mig den rigeste Skat! en Keisers
Taarer har en forunderlig Magt! Gud veed, jeg er nok belønnet!"
og saa sang den igjen med sin søde, velsignede Stemme. |
| "That was the most charming
and elegant song we have ever heard," said all the ladies of
the court. And from that time onward they filled their mouths
with water, so they could make a clucking noise, whenever anyone
spoke to them, because they thought that then they sounded like
the nightingale. Even the chambermaids and the lackeys were
satisfied; and that really meant something, for servants are
the most difficult to please. Yes, the nightingale was a success.
|
"Det er det elskeligste
Koketteri jeg kjender!" sagde Damerne rundtom, og saa toge de
Vand i Munden for at klukke, naar nogen talte til dem: de troede
da ogsaa at være Nattergaler; ja Laqvaierne og Kammerpigerne
lode mælde, at ogsaa de vare tilfredse, og det vil sige meget,
thi de ere de allervanskeligste at gjøre tilpas. Jo, Nattergalen
gjorde rigtignok Lykke! |
| He was to have his own
cage at court, and permission to take a walk twice a day and
once during the night. Twelve servants were to accompany him;
each held on tightly to a silk ribbon that was attached to the
poor bird's legs. There wasn't any pleasure in such an outing. |
Den skulde nu blive
ved Hoffet, have sit eget Buur, samt Frihed til at spadsere
ud to Gange om Dagen og een Gang om Natten. Den fik tolv Tjenere
med, alle havde de et Silkebaand om Benet paa den og holdt godt
fast. Der var slet ingen Fornøielse ved den Tour. |
| The whole town talked
about the marvelous bird. Whenever two people met in the street
they would sigh; one would say, "night," and the other, "gale";
and then they would understand each other perfectly. Twelve
delicatessen shop owners named their children "Nightingale,"
but not one of them could sing. |
Hele Byen talte om den
mærkværdige Fugl, og mødte to hinanden, saa sagde den Ene ikke
andet end: "Nat-!" og den Anden sagde "gal!" og saa sukkede
de og forstode hinanden, ja elleve Spekhøkerbørn bleve opkaldte
efter den, men ikke een af dem havde en Tone i Livet. |
| One day a package arrived
for the emperor; on it was written: "Nightingale." |
En Dag kom en stor Pakke
til Keiseren, udenpaa stod skrevet: Nattergal. |
| "It is probably another
book about our famous bird," said the emperor., But he was wrong;
it was a mechanical nightingale. It lay in a little box and
was supposed to look like the real one, though it was made of
silver and gold and studded with sapphires, diamonds, and rubies.
When you wound it up, it could sing one of the songs the real
nightingale sang; and while it performed its little silver tail
would go up and down. Around its neck hung a ribbon on which
was written: "The Emperor of Japan's nightingale is inferior
to the Emperor of China's." |
"Der har vi nu en ny
Bog om vor berømte Fugl!" sagde Keiseren; men det var ingen
Bog, det var et lille Kunststykke der laae i en Æske, en kunstig
Nattergal, der skulde ligne den levende, men var overalt besat
med Diamanter, Rubiner og Saphirer; saasnart man trak Kunstfuglen
op, kunde den synge et af de Stykker, den virkelige sang, og
saa gik Halen op og ned og glindsede af Sølv og Guld. Om Halsen
hang et lille Baand, og paa det stod skrevet: "Keiseren af Japans
Nattergal er fattig imod Keiserens af China." |
| "It is beautiful!" exclaimed
the whole court. And the messenger who had brought it had the
title of Supreme Imperial Nightingale Deliverer bestowed upon
him at once. |
"Det er deiligt!" sagde
de allesammen, og den, som havde bragt den kunstige Fugl, fik
strax Titel af Over-keiserlig-nattergale-bringer. |
| "They ought to sing
together, it will be a duet," said everyone, |
"Nu maae de synge sammen!
hvor det vil blive en Duet!" |
| and they did. But that
didn't work out well at all; for the real bird sang in his own
manner and the mechanical one had a cylinder inside its chest
instead of a heart. "It is not its fault," said the imperial
music master. "It keeps perfect time, it belongs to my school
of music." Then the mechanical nightingale had to sing solo.
Everyone agreed that its song was just as beautiful as the real
nightingale's; and besides, the artificial bird was much pleasanter
to look at, with its sapphires, rubies, and diamonds that glittered
like bracelets and brooches. |
Og saa maatte de synge
sammen, men det vilde ikke rigtig gaae, thi den virkelige Nattergal
sang paa sin Maneer, og Kunstfuglen gik paa Valser; "den har
ingen Skyld," sagde Spillemesteren, "den er særdeles taktfast
og ganske af min Skole!" Saa skulde Kunstfuglen synge alene.
- Den gjorde ligesaa megen Lykke som den virkelige, og saa var
den jo ogsaa saa meget mere nydelig at see paa: den glimrede
som Armbaand og Brystnaale. |
| The mechanical nightingale
sang its song thirty-three times and did not grow tired. The
court would have liked to hear it the thirty-fourth time, but
the emperor thought that the real nightingale ought to sing
now. But where was it? Nobody had noticed that he had flown
out through an open window, to his beloved green forest. |
Tre og tredive Gange
sang den eet og det samme Stykke, og den var dog ikke træt;
Folk havde gjerne hørt den forfra igjen, men Keiseren meente,
at nu skulde ogsaa den levende Nattergal synge lidt - - men
hvor var den? Ingen havde bemærket, at den var fløiet ud af
det aabne Vindue, bort til sine grønne Skove. |
| "What is the meaning
of this!" said the emperor angrily, and the whole court blamed
the nightingale and called him an ungrateful creature. "But
the best bird remains," they said, and the mechanical bird sang
its song once more. It was the same song, for it knew no other;
but it was very intricate, so the courtiers didn't know it by
heart yet. The imperial music master praised the bird and declared
that it was better than the real nightingale, not only on the
outside where the diamonds were, but also inside. |
"Men hvad er dog det
for noget!" sagde Keiseren; og alle Hoffolkene skjændte og meente,
at Nattergalen var et høist utaknemmeligt Dyr. "Den bedste Fugl
have vi dog!" sagde de, og saa maatte igjen Kunstfuglen synge,
og det var den fire og tredivte Gang de fik det samme Stykke,
men de kunde det ikke heelt endnu, for det var saa svært, og
Spillemesteren roste saa overordentlig Fuglen, ja forsikkrede,
at den var bedre end den virkelige Nattergal, ikke blot hvad
Klæderne angik og de mange deilige Diamanter, men ogsaa indvortes. |
| "Your Imperial Majesty
and gentlemen: you understand that the real nightingale cannot
be depended upon. One never knows what he will sing; whereas,
in the mechanical bird, everything is determined. There is one
song and no other! One can explain everything. We can open it
up to examine and appreciate how human thought has fashioned
the wheels and the cylinder, and put them where they are, to
turn just as they should." |
"Thi seer De, mine Herskaber,
Keiseren fremfor Alle! hos den virkelige Nattergal kan man aldrig
beregne, hvad der vil komme, men hos Kunstfuglen er Alt bestemt!
saaledes bliver det og ikke anderledes! man kan gjøre rede for
det, man kan sprætte den op og vise den menneskelige Tænkning,
hvorledes Valserne ligge, hvorledes de gaae, og hvordan det
ene følger af det andet -!" |
| "Precisely what I was
thinking!" said the whole court in a chorus. And the Imperial
music master was given permission to show the new nightingale
to the people on the following Sunday. The emperor thought that
they, too, should hear the bird. They did and they were as delighted
as if they had gotten drunk on too much tea. It was all very
Chinese. They pointed with their licking fingers toward heaven,
nodded, and said: "Oh!" But the poor fisherman, who had heard
the real nightingale, mumbled, "It sounds beautiful and like
the bird's song, but something is missing, though I don't know
what it is." |
"Det er ganske mine
Tanker!" sagde de Allesammen, og Spillemesteren fik Lov til,
næste Søndag, at holde Fuglen frem for Folket; de skulde ogsaa
høre den synge, sagde Keiseren; og de hørte den, og de bleve
saa fornøiede, som om de havde drukket sig lystige i Theevand,
for det er nu saa ganske chinesisk, og Alle sagde da "o!" og
stak i Veiret den Finger, man kalder "Slikpot," og saa nikkede
de; men de fattige Fiskere, som havde hørt den virkelige Nattergal,
sagde: "det klinger smukt nok, det ligner ogsaa, men der mangler
noget, jeg veed ikke hvad!" |
| The real nightingale
was banished from the empire. |
Den virkelige Nattergal
var forviist fra Land og Rige. |
| The mechanical bird
was given a silk pillow to rest upon, close to the emperor's
bed; and all the presents it had received were piled around
it. Among them were both gold and precious stones. Its title
was Supreme Imperial Night-table Singer and its rank was Number
One to the Left.--The emperor thought the left side was more
distinguished because that is the side where the heart is, even
in an emperor. The imperial music master wrote a work in twenty-five
volumes about the mechanical nightingale. It was not only long
and learned but filled with the most difficult Chinese words,
so everyone bought it and said they had read and understood
it, for otherwise they would have been considered stupid and
had to have their stomachs poked. |
Kunstfuglen havde sin
Plads paa en Silkepude tæt ved Keiserens Seng; alle de Presenter,
den havde faaet, Guld og Ædelstene, laae rundt omkring den,
og i Titel var den steget til "Høikeiserlig Natbord-Sanger,"
i Rang Nummer eet til venstre Side, for Keiseren regnede den
Side for at være mest fornem, paa hvilken Hjertet sad, og Hjertet
sidder til Venstre ogsaa hos en Keiser. Og Spillemesteren skrev
fem og tyve Bind om Kunstfuglen, det var saa lærd og saa langt,
og med de allersværeste chinesiske Ord, saa alle Folk sagde,
at de havde læst og forstaaet det, for ellers havde de jo været
dumme og vare da blevne dunkede paa Maven. |
| A whole year went by.
The emperor, the court, and all the Chinese in China knew every
note of the supreme imperial night-table singer's song by heart;
but that was the very reason why they liked it so much: they
could sing it themselves, and they did. The street urchins sang:
"Zi-zi-zizzi, cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck." And so did the emperor.
Oh, it was delightful! |
Saaledes gik der et
heelt Aar; Keiseren, Hoffet og alle de andre Chinesere kunde
udenad hvert lille Kluk i Kunstfuglens Sang, men just derfor
syntes de nu allerbedst om den; de kunde selv synge med, og
det gjorde de. Gadedrengene sang "zizizi! klukklukkluk!" og
Keiseren sang det -! jo det var bestemt deiligt! |
| But one evening, when
the bird was singing its very best and the emperor was lying
in bed listening to it, something said: "Clang," inside it.
It was broken! All the wheels whirred around and then the bird
was stiff. |
Men en Aften, som Kunstfuglen
bedst sang, og Keiseren laae i Sengen og hørte paa den, sagde
det "svup!" inden i Fuglen; der sprang noget: "surrrrrr!" alle
Hjulene løb rundt, og saa stod Musiken. |
| The emperor jumped out
of bed and called his physician but he couldn't do anything,
so the imperial watchmaker was fetched. After a great deal of
talking and tinkering, he repaired the bird, but he declared
that the cylinders were worn and new ones could not be fitted.
The bird would have to be spared; it could not be played so
often. It was a catastrophe. Only once a year was the mechanical
bird allowed to sing, and then it had difficulty finishing its
song. But the imperial music master made a speech wherein he
explained, using the most difficult words, that the bird was
as good as ever; and then it was. |
Keiseren sprang strax
ud af Sengen og lod sin Livlæge kalde, men hvad kunde han hjælpe!
saa lod de Uhrmageren hente, og efter megen Tale og megen Seenefter,
fik han Fuglen nogenlunde istand, men han sagde, at der maatte
spares meget paa den, thi den var saa forslidt i Tapperne og
det var ikke muligt at sætte nye, saaledes at det gik sikkert
med Musikken. Det var en stor Bedrøvelse! kun een Gang om Aaret
turde man lade Kunstfuglen synge, og det var strængt nok endda;
men saa holdt Spillemesteren en lille Tale med de svære Ord
og sagde, at det var ligesaa godt, som før, og saa var det ligesaa
godt som før. |
| Five years passed and
a great misfortune happened. Although everyone loved the old
emperor, he had fallen ill; and they all agreed that he would
not get well again. It was said that a new emperor had already
been chosen; and when people in the street asked the chief courtier
how the emperor was, he would shake his head and say: "P." |
Nu vare fem Aar gaaet,
og hele Landet fik en rigtig stor Sorg, thi de holdt i Grunden
Allesammen af deres Keiser; nu var han syg og kunde ikke leve,
sagde man, en ny Keiser var allerede valgt, og Folk stode ude
paa Gaden og spurgte Cavaleren hvorledes det var med deres Keiser. |
| |
"P!" sagde han og rystede
med Hovedet. |
| Pale and cold, the emperor
lay in his golden bed. The whole court believed him to be already
dead and they were busy visiting and paying their respects to
the new emperor. The lackeys were all out in the street gossiping,
and the chambermaids were drinking coffee. All the floors in
the whole palace were covered with black carpets so that no
one's steps would disturb the dying emperor; and that's why
it was as quiet as quiet could be in the whole palace. But the
emperor was not dead yet. Pale and motionless he lay in his
great golden bed; the long velvet drapes were drawn, and the
golden tassels moved slowly in the wind, for one of the windows
was open. The moon shone down upon the emperor, and its light
reflected in the diamonds of the mechanical bird. |
Kold og bleg laae Keiseren
i sin store, prægtige Seng, hele Hoffet troede ham død, og enhver
af dem løb hen for at hilse paa den nye Keiser; Kammertjenerne
løbe ud for at snakke om det, og Slotspigerne havde stort Caffeselskab.
Rundtom i alle Sale og Gange var lagt Klæde, for at man ikke
skulde høre Nogen gaae, og derfor var der saa stille, saa stille.
Men Keiseren var endnu ikke død; stiv og bleg laae han i den
prægtige Seng med de lange Fløielsgardiner og de tunge Guldqvaste;
høit oppe stod et Vindue aabent, og Maanen skinnede ind paa
Keiseren og Kunstfuglen. |
| The emperor could hardly
breathe; he felt as though someone were sitting on his chest.
He opened his eyes. Death was sitting there. He was wearing
the emperor's golden crown and held his gold saber in one hand
and his imperial banner in the other. From the folds of the
curtains that hung around his bed, strange faces looked down
at the emperor. Some of them were frighteningly ugly, and others
mild and kind. They were the evil and good deeds that the emperor
had done. Now, while Death was sitting on his heart, they were
looking down at him. |
Den stakkels Keiser
kunde næsten ikke trække Veiret, det var ligesom om der sad
noget paa hans Bryst; han slog Øinene op, og da saae han, at
det var Døden, der sad paa hans Bryst og havde taget hans Guldkrone
paa, og holdt i den ene Haand Keiserens Guldsabel, i den anden
hans prægtige Fane; og rundtom i Folderne af de store Fløiels
Sengegardiner stak der forunderlige Hoveder frem, nogle ganske
fæle, andre saa velsignede milde: det var alle Keiserens onde
og gode Gjerninger, der saae paa ham, nu da Døden sad paa hans
Hjerte: |
| "Do you remember?" whispered
first one and then another. And they told him things that made
the cold sweat of fear appear on his forehead. |
"Husker Du det?" hviskede
den ene efter den anden. "Husker Du det!" og saa fortalte de
ham saa meget, saa at Sveden sprang ham ud af Panden. |
| "No, no, I don't remember!
It is not true!" shouted the emperor. "Music, music, play the
great Chinese gong," he begged, "so that I will not be able
to hear what they are saying." |
"Det har jeg aldrig
vidst!" sagde Keiseren; "Musik, Musik, den store chinesiske
Tromme!" raabte han, "at jeg dog ikke skal høre alt det, de
sige!" |
| But the faces kept talking
and Death, like a real Chinese, nodded his head to every word
that was said. |
Og de bleve ved, og
Døden nikkede ligesom en Chineser ved alt, hvad der blev sagt.
|
| "Little golden nightingale,
sing!" demanded the emperor. "I have given you gold and precious
jewels and with my own hands have I hung my golden slipper around
your neck. Sing! Please sing!" |
"Musik, Musik!" skreg
Keiseren. "Du lille velsignede Guldfugl! syng dog, syng! jeg
har givet Dig Guld og Kostbarheder, jeg har selv hængt Dig min
Guldtøffel om Halsen, syng dog, syng!" |
| But the mechanical nightingale
stood as still as ever, for there was no one to wind it up;
and then, it couldn't sing. Death kept staring at the emperor
out of the empty sockets in his skull; and the palace was still,
so terrifyingly still. |
Men Fuglen stod stille,
der var Ingen til at trække den op, og ellers sang den ikke;
men Døden blev ved at see paa Keiseren med sine store, tomme
Øienhuler, og der var saa stille, saa skrækkeligt stille. |
| All at once the most
beautiful song broke the silence. It was the nightingale, who
had heard of the emperor's illness and torment. He sat on a
branch outside his window and sang to bring him comfort and
hope. As he sang, the faces in the folds of the curtains faded
and the blood pulsed with greater force through the emperor's
weak body. Death himself listened and said, "Please, little
nightingale, sing on!" |
Da lød i det samme,
tæt ved Vinduet, den deiligste Sang: det var den lille, levende
Nattergal, der sad paa Grenen uden for; den havde hørt om sin
Keisers Nød, og var derfor kommet at synge ham Trøst og Haab;
og alt som den sang, bleve Skik kelserne mere og mere blege,
Blodet kom raskere og raskere i Gang i Keiserens svage Lemmer,
og Døden selv lyttede og sagde: "bliv ved lille Nattergal! bliv
ved!" |
| "Will you give me the
golden saber? Will you give me the imperial banner? Will you
give me the golden crown?" |
"Ja vil Du give mig
den prægtige Guldsabel! ja vil Du give mig den rige Fane! vil
Du give mig Keiserens Krone!" |
| Death gave each of his
trophies for a song; and then the nightingale sang about the
quiet churchyard, where white roses grow, where fragrant elderberry
trees are, and where the grass is green from the tears of those
who come to mourn. Death longed so much for his garden that
he flew out of the window, like a white cold mist. |
Og Døden gav hvert Klenodie
for en Sang, og Nattergalen blev ved endnu at synge, og den
sang om den stille Kirkegaard, hvor de hvide Roser groe, hvor
Hyldetræet dufter, og hvor det friske Græs vandes af de Efterlevendes
Taarer; da fik Døden Længsel efter sin Have og svævede, som
en kold, hvid Taage, ud af Vinduet. |
| "Thank you, thank you,"
whispered the emperor, "you heavenly little bird, I remember
you. You have I banished from my empire and yet you came to
sing for me; and when you sang the evil phantoms that taunted
me disappeared, and Death himself left my heart. How shall I
reward you?" |
"Tak, Tak!" sagde Keiseren,
"Du himmelske lille Fugl, jeg kjender Dig nok! Dig har jeg jaget
fra mit Land og Rige! og dog har Du sjunget de onde Syner fra
min Seng, faaet Døden fra mit Hjerte! Hvorledes skal jeg lønne
Dig?" |
| "You have rewarded me
already," said the nightingale. "I shall never forget that,
the first time I sang for you, you gave me the tears from your
eyes; and to a poet's heart, those are jewels. But sleep so
you can become well and strong; I shall sing for you." |
"Du har lønnet mig!"
sagde Nattergalen, "jeg har faaet Taarer af Dine Øine første
Gang jeg sang, det glemmer jeg Dig aldrig! det er de Juveler,
der gjør et Sanger-Hjerte god-! men sov nu og bliv frisk og
stærk! jeg skal synge for Dig!" |
| The little gray bird
sang; and the emperor slept, so blessedly, so peacefully. |
Og den sang - og Keiseren
faldt i en sød Søvn, saa mild og velgjørende var Søvnen. |
| The sun was shining
in through the window when he woke; he did not feel ill any
more. None of his servants had come, for they thought that he
was already dead; but the nightingale was still there and he
was singing. |
Solen skinnede ind af
Vinduerne til ham, da han vaagnede styrket og sund; ingen af
hans Tjenere vare endnu komne tilbage, thi de troede, han var
død, men Nattergalen sad endnu og sang. |
| "You must come always,"
declared the emperor. "I shall only ask you to sing when you
want to. And the mechanical bird I shall break in a thousand
pieces." |
"Altid maa Du blive
hos mig!" sagde Keiseren, "Du skal kun synge, naar Du selv vil,
og Kunstfuglen slaaer jeg i tusinde Stykker." |
| "Don't do that," replied
the nightingale. "The mechanical bird sang as well as it could,
keep it. I can't build my nest in the palace; let me come to
visit you when I want to, and I shall sit on the branch outside
your window and sing for you. And my song shall make you happy
and make you thoughtful. I shall sing not only of those who
are happy but also of those who suffer. I shall sing of the
good and of the evil that happen around you, and yet are hidden
from you. For a little songbird flies far. I visit the poor
fishermens cottages and the peasant's hut, far away from your
palace and your court. I love your heart more than your crown,
and yet I feel that the crown has a fragrance of something holy
about it. I will come! I will sing for you! Only one thing must
you promise me." |
"Gjør ikke det!" sagde
Nattergalen, "den har jo gjort det Gode, den kunde! behold den
som altid! jeg kan ikke bygge og boe paa Slottet, men lad mig
komme, naar jeg selv har Lyst, da vil jeg om Aftenen sidde paa
Grenen der ved Vinduet og synge for Dig, at Du kan blive glad
og tankefuld tillige! jeg skal synge om de Lykkelige, og om
dem, som lide! jeg skal synge om Ondt og Godt, der rundtom Dig
holdes skjult! den lille Sangfugl flyver vidt omkring til den
fattige Fisker, til Bondemandens Tag, til hver, der er langt
fra Dig og Dit Hof! jeg elsker Dit Hjerte meer end Din Krone,
og dog har Kronen en Duft af noget Helligt om sig! - jeg kommer,
jeg synger for Dig! men eet maa Du love mig!" |
| "I will promise you
anything," said the emperor, who had dressed himself in his
imperial clothes and was holding his golden saber and pressing
it against his heart. |
- "Alt!" sagde Keiseren,
og stod der i sin keiserlige Dragt, som han selv havde iført
sig og holdt Sabelen, der var tung af Guld, op mod sit Hjerte. |
| "I beg of you never
tell anyone that you have a little bird that tells you everything,
for then you will fare even better." |
"Eet beder jeg Dig om!
fortæl Ingen, at Du har en lille Fugl, der siger Dig Alt, saa
vil det gaae endnu bedre!" |
| And with those words
the nightingale flew away. |
Og da fløi Nattergalen
bort. |
| The servants entered
the room to look at their dead master. There they stood gaping
when the emperor said: "Good morning." |
Tjenerne kom ind for
at see til deres døde Keiser; - - jo der stode de, og Keiseren
sagde: "god Morgen!" |