| Far, far away where
the swallows are when we have winter, there lived a king who
had eleven sons and one daughter, Elisa. The eleven brothers
were all princes; and when they went to school, each wore a
star on his chest and a sword at his side. They wrote with diamond
pencils on golden tablets, and read aloud so beautifully that
everyone knew at once that they were of royal blood. Their sister
Elisa sat on a little stool made of mirrors and had a picture
book that had cost half the kingdom. |
Langtborte herfra, der
hvor Svalerne flyve hen, naar vi have Vinter, boede en Konge,
som havde elleve Sønner og een Datter, Elisa. De elleve Brødre,
Prindser vare de, gik i Skole med Stjerne paa Brystet og Sabel
ved Siden; de skreve paa Guldtavle med Diamantgriffel og læste
ligesaa godt udenad, som indeni; man kunde strax høre, at de
vare Prindser. Søsteren Elisa sad paa en lille Skammel af Speilglas
og havde en Billedbog, der Var kjøbt for det halve Kongerige. |
| How well those children
lived; but it did not last. |
0, de Børn havde det
saa godt, men saaledes skulde det ikke altid blive! |
| Their father, who was
king of the whole country, married an evil queen, and that boded
no good for the poor children. They found this out the first
day she came. The whole castle was decorated in honor of the
great event, and the children decided to play house. Instead
of the cakes and baked apples they usually were given for this
game-- and which were so easy to provide-- the queen handed
them a teacup full of sand and said that they should pretend
it was something else. |
Deres Fader, som var
Konge over hele Landet, giftede sig med en ond Dronning, der
slet ikke var de stakkels Børn god; allerede den første Dag
kunde de godt mærke det; paa hele Slottet var der stor Stads,
og saa legede Børnene: komme Fremmede; men istedetfor at de
ellers fik alle de Kager og stegte Æbler, der vare at overkomme,
gav hun dem kun Sand i en Thekop og sagde, at de kunde lade,
som om det var noget. |
| A week later little
Elisa was sent to live with some poor peasants; and the evil
queen made the king believe such dreadful. things about the
princes that soon he did not care for them any more. |
Ugen efter satte hun
den lille Søster Elisa ud paa Landet hos nogle Bønderfolk, og
længe varede det ikke, før hun fik Kongen indbildt saameget
om de stakkels Prindser, at han slet ikke brød sig mere om dem. |
| "Fly away, out into
the world with you and fend for yourselves! Fly as voiceless
birds!" cursed the queen; but their fate was not as terrible
as she would have liked it to be, for her power had its limits.
They became eleven beautiful, wild swans. With a strange cry,
they flew out of the castle window and over the park and the
forest. |
"Flyv I ud i Verden
og skyt jer selv!" sagde den onde Dronning; "flyv
som store Fugle, uden Stemme!" men hun kunde dog ikke gjøre
det saa slemt, som hun gjerne vilde; de bleve elleve deilige
vilde Svaner. Med et underligt Skrig fløi de ud af Slotsvinduerne
henover Parken og Skoven. |
| It was very early in
the morning when they flew over the farm where Elisa lived.
She was still asleep in her little bed. They circled low above
the roof of the farmhouse, turning and twisting their necks,
to catch a glimpse of their sister, while their great wings
beat the air. But no one was awake, and no one heard or saw
them. At last they had to fly away, high up into the clouds,
toward the great dark forest that stretched all the way to the
ocean. |
Det var endnu ganske
tidlig Morgen, da de kom forbi, hvor Søsteren Elisa laae og
sov i Bondens Stue; her svævede de over Taget, dreiede med deres
lange Halse, og sloge med Vingerne, men ingen hørte eller saae
det; de maatte igjen afsted, høit op imod Skyerne, langt ud
i den vide Verden, der fløi de ud i en stor mørk Skov, der strakte
sig lige til Stranden. |
| Poor little Elisa sat
on the floor playing with a leaf. She had no toys, so she had
made a hole in the leaf and was looking up at the sun through
it. She felt as though she were looking into the bright eyes
of her brothers; and when the warm sunbeams touched her cheeks,
she thought of all the kisses they had given her. |
Den stakkels lille Elisa
stod i Bondens Stue, og legede med et grønt Blad, andet Legetøi
havde hun ikke; og hun stak et Hul i Bladet, kikkede derigjennem
op paa Solen, og da var det ligesom om hun saae sine Brødres
klare Øine, og hver Gang de varme Solstraaler skinnede paa hendes
Kind, tænkte hun paa alle deres Kys. |
| The days passed, one
after another, and they all were allke. The wind blew through
the rosebush and whispered, "Who can be more lovely than you
are?" The roses shook their heads and replied: "Elisa!" On Sundays
the old woman at the farm would set her chair outside and sit
reading her psalmbook. The wind would turn the leaves and whisper,
"Who can be more saintly than you?" The psalmbook would answer
as truthfully as the roses had: "Elisa!" |
Den ene Dag gik ligesom
den anden. Blæste Vinden gjennem de store Rosenhækker udenfor
Huset, da hvidskede den til Roserne: "hvo kan være smukkere,
end I," men Roserne rystede med Hovedet og sagde: "Det
er Elisa." Og sad den gamle Kone om Søndagen i Døren og
læste i sin Psalmebog, da vendte Vinden Bladene, og sagde til
Bogen: "Hvo kan være frommere end Du?" - "Det
er Elisa!" sagde Psalmebogen, og det var den rene Sandhed,
hvad Roserne og Psalmebogen sagde. |
| When Elisa turned fifteen
she was brought back to the castle. As soon as the evil queen
saw how beautiful the girl was, envy and hate filled her evil
heart. She would gladly have transformed Elisa into a swan at
first sight; but the king had asked to see his daughter, and
the queen did not dare to disobey him. |
Da hun var femten Aar,
skulde hun hjem; og da Dronningen saae, hvor smuk hun var, blev
hun hende vred og hadefuld; gjerne havde hun forvandlet hende
til en vild Svane, ligesom Brødrene, men det turde hun ikke
strax, da jo Kongen vilde see sin Datter. |
| Early the next morning,
before Elisa was awake, the queen went into the marble bathroom,
where the floors were covered with costly carpets and the softest
pillows lay on the benches that lined the walls. She had three
toads with her. She kissed the first and said, "Sit on Elisa's
head that she may become as lazy as you are." Kissing the second
toad, she ordered, "Touch Elisa's forehead that she may
become as ugly as you are, so her father will not recognize
her." Then she kissed the third toad. "Rest next to Elisa's
heart, that her soul may become as evil as yours and give her
pain." She dropped the toads into the clear water and, instantly,
it had a greenish tinge. She sent for Elisa, undressed her,
and told her to step into the bath. As she slipped into the
water, the first toad leaped onto Elisa's head, the second touched
her forehead, and the third snuggled as close to her heart as
it could. But Elisa did not seem to notice them. When Elisa
rose from the bath, there floating on the water were three red
poppies. It the toads had not been made poisonous by the kiss
of the wicked queen, they would have turned into roses; but
they had become flowers when they touched Elisa. She was so
good and so innocent that evil magic could not harm her. |
I den tidlige Morgen
gik Dronningen ind i Badet, der var bygget af Marmor, og smykket
med bløde Hynder og de deiligste Tæpper, og hun tog tre Skruptudser,
kyssede paa dem, og sagde til den ene: "sæt Dig paa Elisas
Hoved, naar hun kommer i Badet, at hun kan blive dorsk, som
Du! Sæt Dig paa hendes Pande," sagde hun til den anden,
"at hun kan blive styg, som Du, saa at hendes Fader ikke
kjender hende! Hvil ved hendes Hjerte," hvidskede hun til
den tredie, "lad hende faae et ondt Sind, at hun kan have
Fine deraf!" Saa satte hun Skruptudserne ud i det klare
Vand, der strax fik en grønlig Farve, kaldte paa Elisa, klædte
hende af, og lod hende stige ned i Vandet, og i det hun dukkede,
satte den ene Skruptudse sig i hendes Haar, den anden paa hendes
Pande og den tredie paa Brystet, men Elisa syntes slet ikke
at mærke det; saasnart hun reiste sig op, flød der tre røde
Valmuer paa Vandet; havde Dyrene ikke været giftige og kyssede
af Hexen, da vare de blevne forvandlede til røde Roser, men
Blomster bleve de dog, ved at hvile paa hendes Hoved og ved
hendes Hjerte; hun var for from og uskyldig til at Trolddommen
kunde have Magt over hende. |
| When the wicked queen
realized this, she took the juice from walnut shells and rubbed
Elisa's body till it was streaked black and brown; then she
smeared an awful-smelling salve on the girl's face and filtered
ashes and dust through her hair. Now it was impossible for anyone
to recognize the lovely princess. |
Da den onde Dronning
saae det, gned hun hende ind med Valnød-Saft, saa hun blev ganske
sortbruun, strøg det smukke Ansigt over med en stinkende Salve
og lod det deilige Haar filtre sig; det var umuligt at kjende
den smukke Elisa igjen. |
| Her father got frightened
when he saw her, and said, "She is not my daughter." Only the
watchdog and the swallows recognized her; but they were only
animals and nobody paid any attention to them. |
Da derfor hendes Fader
saae hende, blev han ganske forskrækket, og sagde at det var
ikke hans Datter; Ingen vilde heller kjendes ved hende, uden
Lænkehunden og Svalerne, men de vare fattige Dyr og havde ikke
noget at sige. |
| Elisa wept bitterly
and thought of her eleven brothers who had disappeared. In despair,
she slipped out of the castle. She walked all day across fields
and swamps until she came to the great forest. She did not know
where she was going; she only knew that she was deeply unhappy
and she longed more than ever to see her brothers again. She
thought that they had been forced out into the world as she
had; and now she would try to find them. |
Da græd den stakkels
Elisa og tænkte paa sine elleve Brødre, der alle vare borte.
Bedrøvet listede hun sig udaf Slottet, gik hele Dagen over Mark
og Mose ind i den store Skov. Hun vidste slet ikke, hvor hun
vilde hen, men hun følte sig saa bedrøvet og længtes efter sine
Brødre, de vare vist ogsaa, ligesom hun, jaget ud i Verden,
dem vilde hun søge og finde. |
| As soon as she entered
the forest, night fell. She had come far away from any road
or path. She lay down on the soft moss to sleep. She said her
prayers and leaned her head against the stump of a tree. The
night was silent, warm, and still. Around her shone so many
glowworms that, when she touched the branch of a bush, the little
insects fell to the ground like shooting stars. |
Kun kort Tid havde hun
været i Skoven, før Natten faldt paa; hun var kommet reent bort
fra Vei og Sti; da lagde hun sig ned paa det bløde Mos, læste
sin Aftenbøn og hældede sit Hoved op til en Stub. Der var saa
stille, Luften var saa mild, og rundt omkring i Græsset og paa
Mosset skinnede, som en grøn Ild, over hundrede Sanet Hans-Orme;
da hun med Haanden sagte rørte ved een af Grenene, faldt de
lysende Insecter, som Stjerneskud, ned til hende. |
| That night she dreamed
about her brothers. Again they were children writing on their
golden tablets with diamond pens; and once more she looked at
the lovely picture book that had cost half the kingdom. But
on their tablets her brothers were not only doing their sums,
they wrote of all the great deeds they had performed. The pictures
in the book became alive: the birds sang, and the men and women
walked right out of the book to talk to Elisa. Every time she
was about to turn a leaf, they quickly jumped back onto the
page, so as not to get in the wrong picture. |
Hele Natten drømte hun
om sine Brødre; de legede igjen, som Børn, skrev med Diamantgriffel
paa Guldtavle og saae i den deilige Billedbog, der havde kostet
det halve Rige; men paa Tavlen skreve de ikke, som før, kun
Nuller og Streger, nei de dristigste Bedrifter de havde udført,
Alt hvad de havde oplevet og seet; og i Billedbogen var Alt
levende, Fuglene sang, og Menneskene gik ud af Bogen og talte
til Elisa og hendes Brødre, men naar hun vendte Bladet, sprang
de strax igjen ind, for at der ikke skulde komme Vildrede i
Billederne. |
| When she awoke, the
sun was already high in the heavens; but she couldn't see it,
for the forest was so dense that the branches of the tall trees
locked out the sky. But the sun rays shone through the leaves
and made a shimmering golden haze. The smell of greenness was
all around her, and the birds were so tame that they almost
seemed willing to perch on her shoulder. She heard the splashing
of water; and she found a little brook, and followed it till
it led her to a lovely little pool that was so clear, she could
see the sand bottom in a glance. It was surrounded by bushes;
but at one spot the deer, when they came down to drink, had
made a hole. Here Elisa kneeled down. Had the branches and their
leaves not been swayed gently by the wind, she would have believed
that they had been painted on the water, so perfectly were they
mirrored. Those upon which the sun shone glistened, and those
in the shade were a dark green. |
Da hun vaagnede, var
Solen allerede høit oppe; hun kunde rigtignok ikke see den,
de høie Træer bredte deres Grene tæt og fast ud, men Straalerne
spillede deroppe ligesom et viftende Guldflor; der var en Duft
af det Grønne, og Fuglene vare nær ved at sætte sig paa hendes
Skuldre. Hun hørte Vandet pladske, det var mange store Kildevæld,
som alle faldt ud i en Dam hvor der var den deiligste Sandbund;
rigtignok voxte her tætte Buske rundt om, men paa eet Sted havde
Hjortene gravet en stor Aabning og her gik Elisa hen til Vandet,
det var saa klart, at havde Vinden ikke rørt Grene og Buske
saaledes at de bevægede sig, da maatte hun have troet, at de
vare malede af nede paa Bunden, saa tydeligt speilede sig der
hvert Blad, baade det Solen skinnede igjennem og det der ganske
var i Skygge. |
| Then Elisa saw her own
face and was frightened: it was so dirty and ugly. She dipped
her hand into the water and rubbed her eyes, her cheeks, and
her forehead till she could see her own fresh skin again. She
undressed and bathed in the clear pool, and a more beautiful
princess than she, could not have been found in the whole world. |
Saasnart hun saae sit
eget Ansigt, blev hun ganske forskrækket, saa bruunt og fælt
var det, men da hun gjorde sin lille Haand vaad og gned Øine
og Pande, skinnede den hvide Hud frem igjen, da lagde hun alle
sine Klæder og gik ud i det friske Vand; et deiligere Kongebarn,
end hun var, fandtes der ikke i denne Verden. |
| When she had dressed,
braided her long hair, and drunk from the brook with her cupped
hand, she wandered farther and farther into the forest without
knowing where she was going. She thought about her brothers
and trusted that God would not leave her. There ahead of her
was a wild apple tree. Hadn't God let it grow there so that
the hungry could eat? Its branches were bent almost to the ground
under the weight of the fruit. Here Elisa rested and had her
midday meal; before she walked on, she found sticks and propped
up the heavily laden branches of the apple tree. The forest
grew darker and darker. It was so still that she could hear
her own footsteps: the sound of every little stick and leaf
crumbling under her foot. No birds were to be seen or heard,
no sunbeams penetrated the foliage. The trees grew so close
together that when she looked ahead she felt as if she were
imprisoned in a stockade. Oh, here she was more alone than she
had ever thought one could be! |
Da hun igjen var klædt
og havde flættet sit lange Haar, gik hun til det sprudlende
Væld, drak af sin hule Haand, og vandrede længere ind i Skoven,
uden selv at vide hvorhen. Hun tænkte paa sine Brødre, tænkte
paa den gode Gud, der vist ikke vilde forlade hende; han lod
de vilde Skovæbler groe, for at mætte den Hungrige; han viste
hende et saadant Træ, Grenene bugnede af Frugt, her holdt hun
sit Middagsmaaltid, satte Støtter under dets Grene og gik saa
ind i den mørkeste Deel af Skoven. Der var saa stille, at hun
hørte sine egne Fodtrin, hørte hvert lille vissent Blad der
bøiede sig under hendes Fod; ikke en Fugl var der at see, ikke
en Solstraale kunde trænge igjennem de store tætte Trægrene;
de høie Stammer stode saa nær ved hinanden, at naar hun saae
ligefrem, var det, som om det ene Bjelkegitter, tæt ved det
andet, omsluttede hende; o, her var en Eensomhed, hun aldrig
før havde kjendt. |
| Night came and not a
single glowworm shone in the darkness. When she lay down to
sleep she was hopelessly sad; but then the branches above her
seemed to be drawn aside like a curtain, and she saw God looking
down at her, with angels peeping over His shoulders and out
from under His arms. |
Natten blev saa mørk;
ikke en eneste lille Sanet Hansorm skinnede fra Mosset, bedrøvet
lagde hun sig ned for at sove; da syntes hun at Trægrenene oven
over hende gik til Side og vor Herre med milde Øine saae ned
paa hende, og smaa Engle tittede frem over hans Hoved og under
hans Arme. |
| And in the morning when
she awoke, she did not know whether she had really seen God
or it had merely been a dream. |
Da hun vaagnede om Morgenen,
vidste hun ikke, om hun havde drømt det, eller om det virkelig
var saa. |
| Elisa met an old woman
who was carrying a basket full of berries on her arm, and she
offered the girl some berries. Elisa thanked her and then asked
if she had seen eleven princes riding through the forest. |
Hun gik nogle Skridt
fremad, da mødte hun en gammel Kone med Bær i sin Kurv, den
Gamle gav hende nogle af disse. Elisa spurgte, om hun ikke havde
seet elleve Prindser ride igjennem Skoven. |
| "No," the old woman
replied. "But I have seen eleven swans with golden crowns on
their heads, swimming in a stream not far from here." |
"Nei", sagde
den Gamle, "men jeg saae igaar elleve Svaner med Guldkroner
paa Hovedet svømme ned af Aaen her tæt ved!" |
| She said she would show
Elisa the way and led her to a cliff. Below it a little river
twisted and turned its way through the forest. It seemed to
be flowing in a tunnel, for the trees that grew on either side
stretched their leafy branches toward each other and then intertwined.
Where the branches were not long enough to span the stream,
the trunks had pulled up part of their roots, in order to lean
farther out over the water so the branches could meet. |
Og hun førte Elisa et
Stykke længer frem til en Skrænt; nedenfor denne bugtede sig
en Aa; Træerne paa dens Bredder strakte deres lange bladfulde
Grene over imod hinanden, og hvor de, efter deres naturlige
Vext, ikke kunde naae sammen, der havde de revet Rødderne løse
fra Jorden og heldede ud over Vandet med Grenene flettede i
hinanden. |
| Elisa said good-by to
the old woman and followed the stream until its water ran out
into the sea. |
Elisa sagde Farvel til
den Gamle og gik langs med Aaen, til hvor denne flød ud i den
store, aabne Strand. |
| Before her lay the beautiful
ocean. There was not a sail to be seen nor any boat along the
shore. She could not go any farther. How would she ever be able
to find her brothers? She looked down. The shore was covered
with pebbles: all the little stones were round; they had been
made so by the sea. Iron, glass, stones, everything that lay
at her feet had been ground into its present shape by water
that was softer than her own delicate hand. "The waves roll
on untiringly, and grind and polish the hardest stone. I must
learn to be as untiring as they. Thank you for the lesson you
have taught me, waves; and I am sure that one day you will carry
me to my dear brothers." |
Hele det deilige Hav
laae for den unge Pige; men ikke en Seiler viste sig derude,
ikke en Baad var der at see, hvor skulde hun dog komme længer
bort. Hun betragtede de utallige Smaastene paa Bredden; Vandet
havde slebet dem alle runde. Glas, Jern, Stene, Alt hvad der
laae skyllet op, havde taget Skikkelse af Vandet, der dog var
langt blødere end hendes fine Haand. "Det bliver utrætteligt
ved at rulle, og saa jevner sig det Haarde, jeg vil være liggesaa
utrættelig! tak for Eders Lærdom, I klare, rullende Bølger;
engang, det siger mit Hjerte mig, ville I bære mig til mine
kjære Brødre!" |
| Among the dried-out
seaweed on the beach she found eleven swans' feathers. She picked
them up; to each of them clung a drop of water, whether it was
dew or a tear she did not know. Although she was alone, Elisa
did not feel lonely for she could watch the ever changing scene
before her. The sea transforms itself more in an hour than a
lake does in a year. When the clouds above it are dark, then
the sea becomes as black as they are; and yet it will put on
a dress of white if the wind should suddenly come and whip the
waves. In the evening when the winds sleep and the clouds have
turned pink, the sea will appear like the petal of a giant rose.
Blue, white, green, red: the sea contains all colors; and even
when it is calm, standing at the shore's edge, you will notice
that it is moving like the breast of a sleeping child. |
Paa den opskyllede Tang
laae elleve hvide Svanefjer; hun samlede dem i en Bouquet, der
laae Vanddraaber paa dem, om det var Dug eller Taarer, kunde
ingen see. Eensomt var der ved Stranden, men hun følte det ikke;
thi Havet frembød en evig Afvexling, ja i nogle faa Timer flere,
end de ferske Indsøer kunne vise i et heelt Aar. Kom der en
stor sort Sky, saa var det, som Søen vilde sige: jeg kan ogsaa
see mørk ud, og da blæste Vinden og Bølgerne vendte det Hvide
ud; men skinnede Skyerne røde og Vindene sov, saa var Havet
som et Rosenblad; nu blev det grønt, nu hvidt, men i hvor stille
det hvilede, var der dog ved Bredden en sagte Bevægelse; Vandet
hævede sig svagt, som Brystet paa et sovende Barn. |
| When the sun began to
slide down behind the sea, Elisa saw eleven wild swans, with
golden crowns on their heads, flying toward the beach. Like
a white ribbon being pulled across the sky, they flew one after
the other. Elisa hid behind some bushes. The swans landed nearby,
still flapping their great white wings. |
Da Solen var ved at
gaae ned, saae Elisa elleve vilde Svaner med Guldkroner paa
Hovedet flyve mod Land, de svævede den ene bag den anden; det
saae ud som et langt hvidt Baand; da steg Elisa op paa Skrænten
og skjulte sig bag en Busk; Svanerne satte sig nær ved hende
og sloge med deres store, hvide Vinger. |
| At the moment when the
sun finally sank below the horizon, the swans turned into eleven
handsome princes, Elisa's brothers. She shrieked with joy when
she saw them. Although they had grown up since she had seen
them last, she recognized them immediately and ran out from
her hiding place to throw herself in their arms. They were as
happy to see her as she was to see them. They laughed and cried,
as they told each other of the evil deeds of their wicked stepmother. |
I det Solen var under
Vandet, faldt pludseligt Svanehammen og der stode elleve deilige
Prindser, Elisas Brødre. Hun ud stødte et høit Skrig; thi uagtet
de havde forandret sig meget, vidste hun, at det var dem, følte,
at det maatte være dem; og hun sprang i deres Arme, kaldte dem
ved Navn og de bleve saa lyksalige, da de saae og kjendte deres
lille Søster, der nu var saa stor og deilig. De loe og de græd,
og snart havde de forstaaet hinanden, hvor ond deres Stedmoder
havde været imod dem Alle. |
| "We must fly as wild
swans as long as the sun is in the sky," explained the oldest
brother. "Only when night has come do we regain our human shape;
that is why we must never be in flight at sunset, for should
we be up among the clouds, like any other human beings, we would
fall and be killed. We do not live here, but in a country on
the other side of the ocean. The sea is vast. It is far, far
away; and there is no island where we can rest during our long
journey. But midway in the ocean, a solitary rock rises above
the waves. It is so tiny that we can just stand on it; and when
the Waves break against it, the water splashes up over us. Yet
we thank God for that ragged rock, for if it were not there
we should never be able to visit again the country where we
were born. As it is, we only dare attempt the flight during
the longest days of the year. We stay here eleven summer days
and then we must return. Only for such a short time can we fly
over the great forest and see our father's castle, and circle
above the church where our mother is buried. It is as if every
tree, every bush, in our native land were part of us. The wild
horses gallop across the plains today as they did yesterday
when we were children, and the gypsies still sing the songs
we know. That is why we must come back-- if only once a year.
And now we have found you, our little sister. But we can only
stay here two more days; then we must fly across the ocean to
that fair land where we live now. How shall we be able to take
you along? We have neither ship nor boat!" |
"Vi Brødre,"
sagde den ældste, "flyve, som vilde Svaner, saalænge Solen
staaer paa Himlen; naar den er nede, faae vi vor menneskelige
Skikkelse; derfor maae vi altid ved Sol-Nedgang passe paa at
have Hvile for Foden; for flyve vi da oppe mod Skyerne, maae
vi, som Mennesker, styrte ned i Dybet. Her boe vi ikke; der
ligger et ligesaa skjønt Land, som dette, hiin Side Søen; men
Veien der hen er lang, det store Hav maae vi over, og der findes
ingen Ø paa vor Vei, hvor vi kunne overnatte, kun en eensom
lille Klippe rager op midt derude; den er ei større, end at
vi Side om Side kunne hvile paa den; gaaer Søen stærk saa sprøiter
Vandet høit over os; men dog takke vi vor Gud for den. Der overnatte
vi i vor Skikkelse som Menneske, uden den kunde vi aldrig gjæste
vort kjære Fædreland, thi to af Aarets længste Dage bruge vi
til vor Flugt. Kun eengang om Aaret er det forundt os at besøge
vort Fædrenehjem, elleve Dage tør vi blive her, flyve henover
denne store Skov, hvorfra vi kunne Øine Slottet, hvor vi bleve
fødte og hvor vor Fader boer, see det høie Taarn af Kirken,
hvor Moder er begravet. - Her synes vi Træer og Buske ere i
Sleegt med os, her løbe de vilde Heste hen over Sletterne, som
vi saae det i vor Barndom; her synger Kulbrænderen de gamle
Sange, vi dandsede efter som Børn, her er vort Fædreland, her
drages vi hen og her have vi fundet Dig Du kjære, lille Søster!
to Dage endnu tør vi blive her, saa maae vi bort over Havet
til et deiligt Land, men som ikke er vort Fædreland! hvorledes
faae vi Dig med? Vi have hverken Skib eller Baad!" |
| "What can I do to break
the spell that the queen has cast?" asked Elisa. |
"Hvorledes skal
jeg kunne frelse Eder!" sagde Søsteren. |
| They talked almost the
whole night through; only for a while did they doze. |
Og de talte sammen næsten
den hele Nat, der blev kun blundet nogle Timer. |
| Elisa was awakened by
the sound of wings beating the air. Her brothers had turned
into swans again. They flew in circles above her and then disappeared
over the forest. But her youngest brother had stayed behind.
He rested his white head in her lap, and she stroked his strong
white wings. Just before sunset, the others returned; and when
twilight came, they were princes once more. |
Elisa vaagnede ved Lyden
af Svanevingerne, der susede over hende. Brødrene vare igjen
forvandlede og de fløi i store Kredse og tilsidst langtbort,
men een af dem, den yngste, blev tilbage; og Svanen lagde sit
Hoved i hendes Skjød og hun klappede dens hvide Vinger; hele
Dagen vare de sammen. Mod i Aften kom de Andre tilbage, og da
Solen var nede, stode de i deres naturlige Skikkelse. |
| "Tomorrow we must begin
the flight back to our new homeland," said the oldest brother.
"We dare not stay longer; but how can we leave you behind, Elisa?
It will be a whole year before we can return. My arms when I
am a man are strong enough to carry you through the forest;
wouldn't the wings of all of us be strong enough to carry you
over the sea when we are swans?" |
"Imorgen flyve
vi herfra, tør ikke komme tilbage før om et heelt Aar, men Dig
kunne vi ikke saaledes forlade! har Du Mod at følge med? Min
Arm er stærk nok til at bære Dig gjennem Skoven, skulle vi da
ikke Alle have stærke Vinger nok til at flyve med Dig over Havet." |
| "I'll go with you!"
exclaimed Elisa. |
"Ja, tag mig med!"
sagde Elisa. |
| They worked all night,
weaving a net of reeds and willow branches. Just before sunrise,
Elisa lay down upon it; and she was so tired that she fell asleep.
When the sun rose, and the princes changed into swans again,
they picked up the net with their bills and new up into the
clouds with their sleeping sister. The burning rays of the sun
fell on her face, so one of the swans flew above her, to shade
her with his great wings. |
Den hele Nat tilbragte
de med at flette et Net af den smidige Pilebark og de seige
Siv, og det blev stort og stærkt; paa dette lagde Elisa sig,
og da Solen saa kom frem, og Brødrene forvandledes til vilde
Svaner, grebe de i Nettet med deres Næb, og fløi høit mod Skyerne
med den kjære Søster, der sov endnu. Solstraalerne faldt lige
paa hendes Ansigt, derfor fløi een af Svanerne over hendes Hoved,
at dens brede Vinger kunde give Skygge. |
| They were far out over
the ocean When Elisa awoke. So strange did it feel to be carried
through the air that at first she thought she was dreaming.
Some berries and roots lay beside her. Her youngest brother
had collected this provision for her journey, and it was he
who now flew above her and shaded her from the sun. |
De vare langt fra Land,
da Elisa vaagnede; hun troede endnu at drømme, saa underligt
forekom det hende, at bæres over Havet, høit igjennem Luften.
Ved hendes Side laae en Green med deilige modne Bær, og et Bundt
velsmagende Rødder; dem havde den yngste af Brødrene samlet
og lagt til hende, og hun tilsmilede ham taknemlig, thi hun
kjendte, det var ham, som fløi lige over hendes Hoved, og skyggede
med Vingerne. |
| |
De vare saa høit oppe,
at det første Skib, de saae under dem, syntes en hvid Maage,
der laae paa Vandet. En stor Sky stod bagved dem, det var et
heelt Bjerg, og paa den saae Elisa Skyggen af sig selv, og af
de elleve Svaner, saa kjæmpestore fløi de der; det var et Skilderi,
prægtigere end hun havde seet noget før; men altsom Solen steeg
høiere og Skyen blev længere bagved dem, forsvandt det svævende
Skyggebillede. |
| The whole day they flew
as swiftly as arrows through the air; yet their flight would
have been even faster had they not been carrying Elisa. Soon
the sun would begin to set. Dark clouds on the horizon warned
of a coming storm. Elisa looked down; there was only the endless
ocean; she saw no lonely rock. It seemed to her that the wings
were beating harder now. She would be the cause of her brothers'
deaths. When the sun set, they would turn into men again; then
they would fall into the sea and be drowned. She prayed to God,
but still there was no rocky islet to be seen. Black clouds
filled the sky; soon the breath of the storm would be upon them.
The waves seemed as heavy as lead, and in the clouds lightning
flashed. |
Den hele Dag fløi de
afsted, som en susende Piil gjennem Luften, men dog var det
langsommere end ellers, nu havde de Søsteren at bære. Der trak
et ondt Veir op, Aftenen nærmede sig; angst saae Elisa Solen
synke, og endnu var ei den eensomme Klippe i Havet at Øine;
det forekom hende, at Svanerne gjorde stærkere Slag med Vingerne.
Ak! hun var Skyld i, at de ei kom hurtigt nok afsted; naar Solen
var nede, vilde de blive til Mennesker, styrte i Havet, og drukne.
Da bad hun i sit Hjertes Inderste en Bøn til vor Herre, men
endnu øinede hun ingen Klippe; den sorte Sky kom nærmere; de
stærke Vindpust forkyndte en Storm; Skyerne stode i een eneste
stor truende Bølge, der fast som Bly skjød fremad; Lyn blinkede
paa Lyn. |
| The rim of the sun touched
the sea. Elisa trembled with fear. Suddenly the swans dove down
so fast that she thought that they were falling; but then they
spread out their wings again. Half of the sun had disappeared
when Elisa saw the little rock. Looking down from the air, she
thought that it looked more like a seal who had raised his head
above the water. Just as the sun vanished they landed on the
rock; and when the last of its light, like a piece of paper
set aflame, flared up and then was gone, her brothers stood
around her arm in arm. The island was so tiny that they had
to stand holding onto each other all night. The lightning made
the sky bright and the thunder roared. They held each other's
hands and sang a psalm, which comforted them and gave them courage. |
Nu var Solen lige ved
Randen af Havet. Elisas Hjerte bævede; da skjøde Svanerne nedad,
saa hastigt at hun troede at falde; men nu svævede de igjen.
Solen var halvt nede i Vandet; da først øinede hun den lille
Klippe under sig, den saae ud, ikke større, end om det var en
Sælhund, der stak Hovedet op af Vandet. Solen sank saa hurtigt;
nu var den kun, som en Stjerne; da rørte hendes Fod ved den
faste Grund, Solen slukkedes liig den sidste Gnist i det brændende
Papir; Arm i Arm saae hun Brødrene staae omkring sig; men mere
Plads, end netop til dem og hende, var der heller ikke. Søen
slog mod Klippen, og gik som en Skylregn hen over dem; Himlen
skinnede i een altid flammende Ild og Slag paa Slag rullede
Tordenen; men Søster og Brødre holdt hinanden i Hænderne og
sang en Psalme, hvoraf de fik Trøst og Mod. |
| At dawn the storm was
over and the air was fresh and clear. The swans flew away from
the rock, carrying Elisa. The sea was still turbulent. The white
surf looked like millions of swans swimming on a raging green
ocean. |
I Dagningen var Luften
reen og stille; saasnart Solen steeg, fløi Svanerne med Elisa
bort fra Øen. Havet gik endnu stærkt, det saae ud, da de vare
høit i Veiret, som om den hvide Skum paa den sortegrønne Sø
var Millioner Svaner, der fløde paa Vandet. |
| When the sun was high
in the sky, Elisa saw a strange landscape. There was a mountain
range covered with ice and snow. Halfway down the mountainsides
was a huge palace, miles long, made of arcades, one on top of
the other. And below that was a forest of gently waving palm
trees, in which there were flowers with faces as large as millstones.
She asked if that were the country where they lived, and the
swans shook their heads. What she was seeing was a fata morgana:
a mirage, an ever changing castle in the air to which no human
being could gain admittance. As Elisa stared at it, the mountains,
the castle, and the forest disappeared. It melted together and
now there were twenty proud churches, every one alike, with
high towers and tall windows. She thought she heard their organs
playing, but it was the sound of the sea beating far below.
The churches, in turn, changed into ships with towering sails.
She was just above them; but when she looked down, she saw only
fog driven by wind over the waves. The world of the sea and
the air is always changing, ever in motion. At last she saw
the shores of the real country that was their destination. The
mountains, which were covered with forests of cedar, were blue
in the afternoon light; and she could see castles and towns.
Before the sun had set, the swans alighted in front of a cave;
its walls were covered with vines and plants that had intertwined
and looked like tapestries. |
Da Solen kom høiere,
saae Elisa foran sig, halv svømmende i Luften, et Bjergland,
med skinnende Iismasser paa Fjeldene og midt derpaa strakte
sig et vist milelangt Slot, med den ene dristige Søilegang ovenpaa
den anden; nedenfor gyngede Palmeskove og Pragtblomster, store,
som Møllehjul. Hun spurgte, om det var Landet, hun skulde til,
men Svanerne rystede med Hovedet, thi det, hun saae, var Fata
Morganas deilige, altid omvexlende Skyslot; derind turde de
intet Menneske bringe. Elisa stirrede derpaa; da styrtede Bjerge,
Skove og Slot sammen, og der stode tyve stolte Kirker, alle
hinanden lige, med høie Taarne, og spidse Vinduer. Hun syntes
at høre Orgelet klinge, men det var Havet, hun hørte. Nu vare
hun Kirkerne ganske nær, da bleve disse til en heel Flaade der
seilede hen under hende; hun saae ned, og det var kun Havtaage,
der jog hen over Vandet. Ja en evig Afvexling havde hun for
Øie, og nu saae hun det virkelige Land, hun skulde til; der
reiste sig de deilige blaa Bjerge, med Cederskove, Byer og Slotte.
Længe før Solen gik ned, sad hun paa Fjeldet foran en stor Hule,
der var begroet med fine, grønne Slyngplanter; det saae ud,
som det var broderede Tæpper. |
| "Tomorrow you must tell
us what you have dreamed," said her youngest brother, showing
her the part of the cave that was to be her bedchamber. |
"Nu skal vi see,
hvad Du drømmer her inat!" sagde den yngste Broder og viste
hende hendes Sovekammer. |
| "May I dream how I can
break the spell that the wicked queen cast," she said fervently;
and that thought absorbed her so completely that she prayed
to God and begged Him to help her; and while she was falling
asleep she kept on praying. Elisa felt as though she were flying
into the fata morgana, the castle in the air; and a fairy came
to welcome her who was young and beautiful, and yet somehow
resembled the old woman whom Elisa had met in the forest and
who had told her about the eleven swans with golden crowns on
their heads. |
"Gid jeg maatte
drømme, hvorledes jeg skulde frelse Eder!" sagde hun; og
denne Tanke beskjeftigede hende saa levende; hun bad saa inderlig
til Gud om hans Hjælp, ja selv isøvne vedblev hun sin Bøn; da
forekom det hende, at hun fløi høit op i Luften, til Fata Morganas
Skyslot, og Feen kom hende imøde, saa smuk og glimrende, og
dog lignede hun ganske den gamle Kone, der gav hende Bær i Skoven,
og fortalte hende om Svanerne med Guldkronerne paa. |
| "Your brothers can escape
their fate," began the fairy, "if you have enough courage and
endurance. The waves of the ocean are softer than your hands,
yet they can form and shape hard stones; but they cannot feel
the pain that your fingers will feel. They have no hearts and
therefore they do not know fear: the suffering that you must
endure. Look at the nettle that I hold in my hand! Around the
cave where you are sleeping grow many of them; only those nettles
or the ones to be found in churchyards may you use. You must
pick them, even though they blister and burn your hands; then
you must stamp on them with your bare feet until they become
like flax. And from that you must twine thread with which to
knit eleven shirts with long sleeves. If you cast one of these
shirts over each of the eleven swans, the spell will be broken.
But remember, from the moment you start your work until it is
finished, you must be silent and never speak to anyone-- even
if it takes you years, you must be mute! If you speak one word,
that word will send a knife into the hearts of your brothers.
Their lives depend on your tongue: remember!" |
"Dine Brødre kan
frelses!" sagde hun, "men har Du Mod og Udholdenhed.
Vel er Havet blødere end dine fine Hænder, og omformer dog de
haarde Stene, men det føler ikke den Smerte, dine Fingre vilde
føle; det har intet Hjerte, lider ikke den Angest og Qval, Du
maa udholde. Seer Du denne Brændenælde, jeg holder i min Haand!
af denne Slags voxe mange rundt om Hulen, hvor Du sover; kun
de der, og de, som skyde frem paa Kirkegaardens Grave, ere brugelige,
mærk Dig det; dem maa Du plukke, skjøndt de vil brænde din Hud
i Vabler; bryd Nælderne med dine Fødder, da faaer Du Hør; med
den skal Du snoe og binde elleve Pantserskjorter, med lange
Ærmer, kast disse over de elleve vilde Svaner, saa er Trolddommen
løst. Men husk vel paa, at fra det Øieblik, Du begynder dette
Arbeide, og lige til det er fuldendt, om der endog gaaer Aar
imellem, maa Du ikke tale; det første Ord, Du siger, gaaer som
en dræbende Dolk i dine Brødres Hjerte; ved Din Tunge hænger
deres Liv. Mærk Dig Alt dette!" |
| The fairy touched Elisa's
hand with the nettle. It felt like fire and she woke. It was
bright daylight. Near her lay a nettle like the one she had
seen in her sleep. She fell on her knees and said a prayer of
thanks; then she walked outside to begin her work. |
Og hun rørte i det samme
ved hendes Haand med Nælden; den var som en brændende Ild, Elisa
vaagnede derved. Det var lys Dag, og tæt ved, hvor hun havde
sovet, laae en Nælde, som den, hun havde seet i Drømme. Da faldt
hun paa sine Knæ, takkede vor Herre, og gik ud af Hulen, for
at begynde paa sit Arbeide. |
| Her delicate hands picked
the horrible nettles, and it felt as if her hands were burning
and big blisters rose on her arms and hands. But she did not
mind the pain if she could save her brothers. She broke every
nettle and stamped on it with her bare feet until it became
as fine as flax and could be twined into green thread. |
Med de fine Hænder greb
hun ned i de hæslige Nælder, de vare som Ild; store Vabler brændte
de paa hendes Hænder og Arme, men gjerne vilde hun lide det,
kunde hun frelse de kjære Brødre. Hun brød hver Nælde med sine
nøgne Fødder, og snoede den grønne Hør. |
| When the sun set, her
brothers came. At first they feared that some spell had been
cast upon their sister by their evil stepmother, for Elisa was
silent and would not answer their questions. But when they saw
her hands covered with blisters, they understood the work she
was doing was for their sake. The youngest of her brothers cried
and his tears fell on her hands; the pain ceased and the burning
blisters disappeared. |
Da Solen var nede, kom
Brødrene, og de bleve forskrækkede ved at finde hende saa taus;
de troede at det var en ny Trolddom af den onde Stedmoder; men
da de saae hendes Hænder, begreb de, hvad hun gjorde for deres
Skyld, og den yngste Broder græd, og hvor hans Taarer faldt,
der følte hun ingen Smerter, der forsvandt de brændende Vabler. |
| That night she could
not sleep; she worked the whole night through. She felt that
she could not rest until her brothers were free. The following
day she was alone, but time passed more swiftly. By sunset the
first of the nettle shirts was finished. |
Natten tilbragte hun
med sit Arbeide, thi hun havde ingen Ro, før hun havde frelst
de kjære Brødre; hele den følgende Dag, medens Svanerne vare
borte, sad hun i sin Eensomhed, men aldrig havde Tiden fløiet
saa hurtig. Een Pantserskjorte var alt færdig, nu begyndte hun
paa den næste. |
| The next day she heard
the sound of hunters' horns coming from the mountains. They
came nearer and nearer and soon she could hear dogs barking.
Frightened, she bound the nettles she had collected into a bundle
with the thread she had already twined and the finished shirt;
then she fled into the cave and sat down on the nettle heap. |
Da klang Jagthorn mellem
Bjergene; hun blev ganske angest; Lyden kom nærmere; hun hørte
Hunde gjøe; forskrækket søgte hun ind i Hulen, bandt Nælderne,
hun havde samlet og heglet, i et Bundt, og satte sig derpaa. |
| Out of the thicket sprang
a large dog; then came another and another. Barking, they ran
back and forth in front of the entrance to the cave. Within
a few minutes the hunters followed. The handsomest among them
was the king of the country. He entered the cave and found Elisa.
Never before had he seen a girl lovelier than she. |
I det samme kom en stor
Hund springende frem fra Krattet, og strax efter een, og endnu
een; de gjøede høit, løb tilbage, og kom frem igjen. Det varede
ikke mange Minuter, saa stode alle Jægerne udenfor Hulen, og
den smukkeste iblandt dem var Landets Konge, han traadte hen
til Elisa, aldrig havde han seet en skjønnere Pige. |
| "Why are you hiding
here, beautiful child?" he asked. Elisa shook her head. She
dared not speak because her brothers' lives depended upon her
silence. She hid her hands behind her back so that the king
might not see how she suffered. |
"Hvor er Du kommet
her, Du deilige Barn!" sagde han. Elisa rystede med Hovedet,
hun turde jo ikke tale, det gjaldt hendes Brødres Frelse og
Liv; og hun skjulte sine Hænder under Forklædet, at Kongen ikke
skulde see, hvad hun maatte lide. |
| "You cannot stay here,"
he said. "Follow me, and if you are as good as you are beautiful,
then you shall be clad in velvet and silk, wear a golden crown
on your head, and call the loveliest of my castles your home."
He lifted her up on his horse. Elisa cried and wrung her hands.
The king would not set her down again. "I only want to make
you happy," he said. "Someday you will thank me for what I have
done." Then he spurred his horse and galloped away with Elisa.
The other hunters followed him. |
"Følg med mig!"
sagde han, "her maa Du ikke blive! er Du god, som Du er
smuk, da vil jeg klæde Dig i Silke og Fløiel, sætte Guldkronen
paa dit Hoved, og Du skal boe og bygge i mit rigeste Slot!"
- og saa løftede han hende op paa sin Hest; hun græd, vred sine
Hænder, men Kongen sagde: "Jeg vil kun din Lykke! eengang
skal Du takke mig derfor!" og saa foer han afsted mellem
Bjergene, og holdt hende foran paa Hesten, og Jægerne joge bagefter. |
| By evening they reached
the royal city with its many churches and palaces. The king
led her into his castle with its lofty halls, where the waters
of the fountains splashed into marble basins, and where the
ceilings and the walls were beautifully painted. But none, of
this did Elisa notice, for she was crying so sorrowfully, so
bitterly. Silently but good-naturedly, she let the maids dress
her in regal gowns, braid her hair with pearls, and pull long
gloves over her blistered hands. |
Da Solen gik ned, laae
den prægtige Kongestad, med Kirker og Kupler foran, og Kongen
førte hende ind i Slottet, hvor store Vandspring pladskede i
de høie Marmorsale, hvor Vægge og Loft prangede med Malerier,
men hun havde ikke Øine derfor, hun græd og sørgede; godvillig
lod hun Qvinderne iføre hende de kongelige Klæder, flette Perler
i hendes Haar, og trække fine Handsker over de forbrændte Fingre. |
| When she entered the
great hall, dressed so magnificently, she was so beautiful that
the whole court bowed and curtsied. The king declared that she
was to be his queen. Only the archbishop shook his head and
whispered that he believed the little forest girl to be a witch
who had cast a spell over the king. |
Da hun stod der i al
sin Pragt, var hun saa blændende smuk, at Hoffet bøiede sig
endnu dybere for hende, og Kongen kaarede hende til sin Brud;
skjøndt Erke-Biskoppen rystede med Hovedet, og hvidskede, at
den smukke Skovpige vist var en Hex, hun blændede deres Øine,
og bedaarede Kongens Hjerte. |
| The king did not listen
to him. He ordered the musicians to play and the feast to begin.
Dancing girls danced for Elisa; and the king showed her the
fragrant gardens, and the grand halls of his castle. But neither
her lips nor her eyes smiled. Sorrow had printed its eternal
mark on her face. Finally the king showed her a little chamber.
Its walls and floor were covered by costly green carpets. It
looked like the cave where she had been with her brothers. In
a corner lay the green thread which she had spun from the nettles,
and from the ceiling hung the one shirt that she had already
knitted. One of the hunters had taken it all along as a curiosity. |
Men Kongen hørte ikke
derpaa, lod Musiken klinge, de kosteligste Retter frembære,
de yndigste Piger dandse om hende, og hun blev ført gjennem
duftende Haver ind i prægtige Sale; men ikke et Smiil gik over
hendes Læber, eller frem paa hendes Øine, Sorgen stod der, som
evig Arv og Eie. Nu aabnede Kongen et lille Kammer, tætved hvor
hun skulde sove; her var pyntet med kostelige grønne Tæpper,
og lignede ganske Hulen, hvori hun havde været; paa Gulvet laae
det Bundt Hør, hun havde spundet af Nælderne, og under Loftet
hang Pantserskjorten, der var strikket færdig; Alt dette havde
en af Jægerne taget til sig, som noget Curiøst. |
| "Here you can dream
yourself back to your former home," remarked the king. "Here
is the work you used to do; it will amuse you amid present splendor
to think of the past." |
"Her kan Du drømme
Dig tilbage i dit fordum Hjem!" sagde Kongen. "Her
er det Arbeide, som der beskjæftigede Dig; nu, midt i al din
Pragt, vil det more Dig at tænke tilbage paa hiin Tid." |
| A sweet smile played
for a moment on Elisa's lips when she saw what was nearest and
dearest to her heart restored to her. The color returned to
her cheeks. She thought of her brothers, and she kissed the
king's hand. He pressed her to his breast and ordered that all
the church bells be rung and their wedding proclaimed. The silent
girl from the woods was to become the queen. |
Da Elisa saae dette,
der laae hendes Hjerte saa nært, spillede et Smiil om hendes
Mund, og Blodet vendte tilbage i Kinderne; hun tænkte paa sine
Brødres Frelse, kyssede Kongens Haand, og han trykkede hende
til sit Hjerte, og lod alle Kirkeklokker forkynde Bryllups Fest.
Den deilige stumme Pige fra Skoven var Landets Dronning. |
| The archbishop whispered
evil words in the king's ear, but they did not penetrate his
heart. The marriage ceremony was held, and the archbishop himself
had to crown the queen. He pressed the golden band down on her
head, so hard that it hurt. But she did not feel the pain, for
sorrow's band squeezed her heart and made her suffer far more.
She must not speak a word or her brothers would die. But her
eyes spoke silently of the love she felt for the king, who did
everything he could to please her. Every day she loved him more.
If only she could tell him of her anguish. But mute she must
be until her task was finished. At night while the king slept,
she would leave their bed and go to the chamber with the green
carpets, and make the nettle shirts for her brothers. But when
she had finished the sixth shirt she had no more green thread
with which to knit. |
Da hvidskede Erke-Biskoppen
onde Ord i Kongens Øre, men de sank ikke ned til hans Hjerte,
Brylluppet skulde staae, Erke-Biskoppen selv maatte sætte hende
Kronen paa Hovedet, og han trykkede med ond Uvillie den snævre
Ring fast ned over Panden, saa det gjorde ondt; dog der laae
en tungere Ring om hendes Hjerte, Sorgen over hendes Brødre;
hun følte ikke den legemlige Pine. Hendes Mund var stum, et
eneste Ord vilde jo skille hendes Brødre ved Livet, men i hendes
Øine laae der en dyb Kjærlighed til den gode, smukke Konge,
der gjorde Alt for at glæde hende. Med hele sit Hjerte blev
hun ham Dag for Dag mere god; o, at hun turde blot betroe sig
til ham, sige ham sin Lidelse! men stum maatte hun være, stum
maatte hun fuldføre sit Værk. Derfor listede hun sig om Natten
fra hans Side, gik ind i det lille Lønkammer, der var smykket,
som Hulen, og hun strikkede den ene Pantserskjorte færdig efter
den anden; men da hun begyndte paa den syvende, havde hun ikke
mere Hør. |
| She knew that in the
churchyard grew the nettles that she needed. She had to pick
them herself. But how was she to go there without anyone seeing
her? |
Paa Kirkegaarden vidste
hun de Nælder groede, som hun skulde bruge, men selv maatte
hun plukke dem, hvorledes skulde hun komme derud. |
| "What is the pain in
my hands compared to the pain I feel in my heart?" she thought.
"I must attempt it and God will help me." As if it were an evil
deed she was about to perform, she sneaked fearfully out of
the castle late at night. She crossed the royal park and made
her way through the empty streets to the churchyard. The moon
was out; and on one of the large tombstones she saw a group
of lamias sitting. They are those dreadful monsters with the
bodies of snakes and the breasts and heads of women. They dig
up the graves of those who have just died, to eat the flesh
of the corpses. Elisa had to walk past them. She said her prayers,
and though they kept their terrible gaze upon her, they did
her no harm. She picked her nettles and returned to the castle. |
"0, hvad er Smerten
i mine Fingre, mod den Qval mit Hjerte lider!" tænkte hun,
"jeg maa vove det! Vor Herre vil ikke slaae Haanden af
mig!" med en Hjerte-Angest, som var det en ond Gjerning
hun havde for, listede hun sig, i den maaneklare Nat, ned i
Haven, gik gjennem de lange Alleer, ud paa de eensomme Gader,
hen til Kirkegaarden. Der saae hun paa en af de bredeste Ligstene
sad en Kreds Lamier, hæslige Hexe, de toge deres Pjalter af,
som om de vilde bade sig, og saa gravede de med de lange magre
Fingre ned i de friske Grave, toge Ligene frem og aade deres
Kjød. Elisa maatte dem tæt forbi, og de fæstede deres onde Øine
paa hende, men hun læste sin Bøn, samlede de brændende Nælder,
og bar dem hjem til Slottet. |
| Only one person had
seen her: the archbishop, for he was awake when everyone else
was sleeping. Now he thought that what he had said was proven
true: the queen was a witch who had cast her spell on the king
and all his subjects. |
Kun eet eneste Menneske
havde seet hende, Erke-Biskoppen, han var oppe, naar de andre
sov; nu havde han dog faaet ret i hvad han meente: at det ikke
var, som det skulde, med Dronningen; hun var en Hex, derfor
havde hun bedaaret Kongen og det hele Folk. |
| When next the king came
to confession, the archbishop told him what he had seen and
what he feared. He spoke his condemning words so harshly that
the carved sculptures of the saints shook their heads as though
they were saying: "It is not true. Elisa is innocent!" But that
was not the way the archbishop interpreted it; he said that
the saints were shaking their heads because of their horror
at her sins. Two tears rolled down-the king's cheeks, and with
a heavy heart he returned to the castle. That night he only
pretended to sleep and, when Elisa rose, he followed her. Every
night she went on with her work; and every night the king watched
her disappear into the little chamber. |
I Skriftestolen sagde
han til Kongen, hvad han havde seet, og hvad han frygtede, og
da de haarde Ord kom fra hans Tunge, rystede de udskaarne Helgenbilleder
med Hovedet, som om de vilde sige: det er ikke saa, Elisa er
uskyldig! men Erke-Biskoppen lagde det anderledes ud, meente,
at de vidnede imod hende, at de rystede med Hovedet over hendes
Synd. Da rullede to tunge Taarer ned over Kongens Kinder, han
gik hjem med Tvivl i sit Hjerte; og han lod som om han sov om
Natten, men der kom ingen rolig, Søvn i hans Øine, han mærkede,
hvorledes Elisa stod op, og hver Nat gjentog hun dette og hver
Gang fulgte han sagte efter, og saae at hun forsvandt i sit
Lønkammer. |
| The face of the king
grew dark and troubled. Elisa noticed it, though she did not
know its cause; and this new sorrow was added to her fear for
her brothers' fate. On her royal velvet dress fell salt tears,
and they looked like diamonds on the purple material, making
it even more splendid. And all the women of the court wished
that they were queens and could wear such magnificent clothes.
Soon Elisa's work would be over. She had to knit only one more
shirt; but she had no more nettles from which to twine thread.
Once more, for the last time, she would have to go to the churchyard.
She shook with fear when she thought of walking alone past the
horrible lamias, but she gathered courage when she thought of
her brothers and her own faith in God. |
Dag for Dag blev hans
Mine mere mørk, Elisa saae det, men begreb ikke hvorfor, men
det ængstede hende, og hvad leed hun ikke i sit Hjerte for Brødrene!
paa det kongelige Fløiel og Purpur randt hendes salte Taarer,
de laae der som glimrende Diamanter, og Alle som saae den rige
Pragt, ønskede at være Dronningen. Snart var hun imidlertid
tilende med sit Arbejde, kun een Pantserskjorte manglede endnu;
men Hør havde hun heller ikke meer; og ikke en eneste Nælde.
Eengang, kun denne sidste, maatte hun derfor paa Kirkegaarden
og plukke nogle Haandfulde. Hun tænkte med Angest paa den eensomme
Van dring, og paa de skrækkelige Lamier; men hendes Villie var
fast, som hendes Tillid til vor Herre. |
| Elisa went; and secretly
the king and the archbishop followed her. They saw her disappear
through the gates of the churchyard. The same terrifying lamias
were there, and they were sitting near the place where the nettles
grew. The king saw her walk toward them, and he turned away
as his heart filled with repulsion, for he thought that Elisa,
his queen-- who that very night had rested in his arms-- had
come to seek the company of these monsters. |
Elisa gik, men Kongen
og Erke-Biskoppen fulgte efter, de saae hende forsvinde ved
Gitterporten ind til Kirkegaarden og da de nærmede sig den,
sad paa Gravstenen Lamierne, som Elisa havde seet dem, og Kongen
vendte sig bort; thi mellem disse tænkte han sig hende, hvis
Hoved endnu i denne Aften havde hvilet ved hans Bryst. |
| "Let the people judge
her," said he. And the people judged her guilty and condemned
her to the stake. |
"Folket maa dømme
hende!" sagde han, og Folket dømte, hun skal brændes i
de røde Luer. |
| She was taken from the
great halls of the castle and thrown into a dungeon, where the
wind whistled through the grating that barred the window. Instead
of a bed with silken sheets and velvet pillows, they gave her
the nettles she had picked as a pillow and the shirts she had
knitted as a cover. They could have given her no greater gift.
She prayed to God and started work on the last of the shirts.
Outside in the streets, the urchins sang songs that mocked and
scorned her, while no one said a word of comfort to her. |
Fra de prægtige Kongesale
blev hun ført hen i et mørkt, fugtigt Hul, hvor Vinden peeb
ind af det gittrede Vindue; istedetfor Fløiel og Silke gav de
hende det Bundt Nelder hun havde samlet, det kunde hun lægge
sit Hoved paa; de haarde brændende Pantserskjorter, hun havde
strikket, skulde være Dyne og Teppe, men intet kjærere kunde
de skjænke hende, hun tog igjen fat paa sit Arbeide og bad til
sin Gud. Udenfor sang Gadedrengene Spotteviser om hende; ingen
Sjæl trøstede hende med et kjærligt Ord. |
| Just before sunset,
she heard the sound of swan's wings beating before her window.
It was her youngest brother who had found her. She wept for
happiness, even though she knew that this might be the last
night of her life. Her work was almost done and her brothers
were near her. |
Da susede mod Aften,
tæt ved Gitteret, en Svanevinge, det var den yngste af Brødrene,
han havde fundet Søsteren; og hun hulkede høit af Glæde, skjøndt
hun vidste, at Natten, som kom, muligt var den sidste hun havde
at leve i; men nu var jo Arbeidet ogsaa næsten fuldført og hendes
Brødre vare her. |
| The archbishop had promised
the king that he would be with Elisa during the last hours of
her life. But when he came, she shook her head and pointed toward
the door, to tell him to go. Her work must be finished that
night or all her suffering, all her tears, all her pain would
be in vain. The archbishop spoke some unkind words to her and
left. Poor Elisa, who knew that she was innocent but could not
say a word to prove it, set to work knitting the, last shirt. |
Erke-Biskoppen kom for
at være den sidste Time hos hende, det havde han lovet Kongen,
men hun rystede paa Hovedet, bad med Blik og Miner at han vilde
gaae; i denne Nat maatte hun jo ende sit Arbeide, ellers var
Alt til Unytte; Alt, Smerte, Taarer og de søvnløse Nætter; Erke-Biskoppen
gik bort med onde Ord imod hende, men den stakkels Elisa vidste,
hun var uskyldig, og vedblev sit Arbeide. |
| Mice ran across the
floor and fetched the nettles for her; they wanted to help.
And the thrush sang outside the iron bars of the window, as
gaily as it could, so that she would not lose her courage. |
De smaa Muus løb paa
Gulvet, de slæbte Nælderne hen for hendes Fødder, for dog at
hjælpe lidt, og Droslen satte sig ved Vinduets Gitter, og sang
den hele Nat, saa lystigt den kunde, at hun ikke skulde tabe
Modet. |
| One hour before sunrise,
her brothers came to the castle and demanded to see the king.
But they were refused, for it was still night and the guards
did not dare wake the king. Elisa's brothers begged and threatened;
they made so much noise that the captain of the guard came and,
finally, the king himself. But at that moment the sun rose;
the brothers were gone but high above the royal castle flew
eleven white swans. |
Det var endnu ikke mere
end Dagning, først om en Time vilde Solen komme op, da stode
de elleve Brødre ved Slottets Port, forlangte at føres for Kongen,
men det kunde ikke skee, blev der svaret, det var jo Nat endnu,
Kongen sov og turde ikke vækkes. De bade, de truede, Vagten
kom, ja selv Kongen traadte ud, og spurgte hvad det betød; da
kom Solen i det samme op, og der vare ingen Brødre at see, men
hen over Slottet fløi elleve vilde Svaner. |
| A stream of people rushed
through the gates of the city. Everyone wanted to see the witch
being burned. An old worn-out mare drew the cart in which Elisa
sat. She was clad in sackcloth; her hair hung loose and framed
her beautiful face, which was deadly pale. Her lips moved; she
was mumbling a prayer while she knitted the last shirt. The
other ten lay at her feet. Even on the way to her death she
did not cease working. The mob that lined the road jeered and
mocked her. |
Ud af Byens Port strømmede
det hele Folk, de vilde see Hexen blive brændt. En ussel Hest
trak Karren, hvori hun sad; man havde givet hende en Kittel
paa, af grovt Sækketøi; hendes deilige lange Haar hang løst
om det smukke Hoved; hendes Kinder vare dødblege, hendes Læber
bevægede sig sagte, mens Fingrene snoede den grønne Hør; selv
paa Veien til sin Død slap hun ikke det begyndte Arbeide, de
ti Pantserskjorter laae ved hendes Fødder, den ellevte strikkede
hun paa. Pøbelen forhaanede hende. |
| "Look at the witch,
she is mumbling her spells!" they screamed. "See what she has
in her hands! It is no hymnbook; it is witchcraft! Get it away
from her and tear it into a thousand pieces!" |
"See til Hexen,
hvor hun mumler! ikke en Psalmebog har hun i Haanden, nei sit
lede Kogleri sidder hun med, riv det fra hende i tusinde Stykker!" |
| And the rabble tried
to stop the cart and tear Elisa's knitting out of her hands.
But at that moment eleven white swans flew down and perched
on the railing of the cart; they beat the air with their strong
wings. The people drew back in fear. |
Og de trængte Alle ind
paa hende og vilde sønderrive det; da kom elleve hvide Svaner
flyvende, de satte sig rundt om hende paa Karren og sloge med
deres store Vinger. Da veeg Hoben forfærdet til Side. |
| "It is a sign from heaven
that she is innocent," some of them whispered; but not one of
them dared say it aloud. |
"Det er et Tegn
fra Himlen! hun er vist uskyldig!" hvidskede mange, men
de vovede ikke høit at sige det. |
| The executioner took
her hand to lead her to the stake, but she freed herself from
him, grabbed the eleven shirts, and cast them over the swans.
There stood eleven princes, handsome and fair. But the youngest
of them had a swan's wing instead of an arm, for Elisa had not
been able to finish one of the sleeves of the last shirt. |
Nu greb Bøddelen hende
ved Haanden, da kastede hun ihast de elleve Skjorter over Svanerne
og der stod elleve deilige Prindser, men den yngste havde en
Svanevinge istedetfor sin ene Arm, thi der manglede et Ærme
i hans Pantser-Skjorte, det havde hun ikke faaet færdig. |
| "Now I dare speak!"
she cried. "I am innocent!" |
"Nu tør jeg tale!"
sagde hun, "jeg er uskyldig!" |
| The people, knowing
that a miracle had taken place, kneeled down before her as they
would have for a saint. But Elisa, worn out by fear, worry,
and pain, fainted lifelessly into the arms of one of her brothers. |
Og Folket som saae,
hvad der var skeet, bøiede sig for hende som for en Helgeninde;
men hun sank livløs i Brødrenes Arme, saaledes havde Spænding,
Angest og Smerte virket paa hende. |
| "Yes, she is innocent!"
cried the oldest brother; and he addressed himself to the king
and told of all that had happened to himself, his brothers,
and their sister Elisa. While he spoke a fragrance of millions
of roses spread from the wood that had been piled high around
the stake. Every stick, every log had taken root and set forth
vines. They were a hedge of the loveliest red roses, and on
the very top bloomed a single white rose. It shone like a star.
The king plucked it and placed it on Elisa's breast. She woke;
happiness and peace were within her. |
"Ja, uskyldig er
hun!" sagde den ældste Broder, og nu fortalte han Alt hvad
der var skeet, og medens han talte, udbredte sig en Duft, som
af Millioner Roser, thi hvert Brændestykke i Baalet havde slaaet
Rødder og skudt Grene; der stod en duftende Hæk, saa høi og
stor med røde Roser; øverst sad een Blomst, hvid og skinnende,
den lyste, som en Stjerne, den brød Kongen, satte den paa Elisas
Bryst, da vaagnede hun med Fred og Lyksalighed i sit Hjerte. |
| The church bells in
the city started to peal, though no bell ringers pulled their
ropes, and great flocks of birds flew in the sky. No one has
ever seen a gayer procession than the one that now made its
way to the royal castle. |
Og alle Kirkeklokker
ringede af sig selv og Fuglene kom i store Flokke; det blev
et Bryllupstog tilbage til Slottet, som endnu ingen Konge havde
seet det. |
|