Transcribed from the 1914 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by DavidPrice,
by
GEORGE BORROW
London:
printed for private circulation
1914
p. 4Copyright inthe United States of America
by Houghton, Mifflin & Co. for ClementShorter.
The King he o’er the castle rules,
He rules o’er all the land;
O’er many a hardy hero too,
With naked sword in hand.
Let the courtier govern his steed,
The boor his thatchèd cot,
But Denmark’s King o’er castles rules,
For nobler is his lot.
King Diderik sits on Brattingsborg,
And round he looks with pride:
“No one I know of in the world
Would me in fight abide.”
p.6Then answered Brand Sir Viferlin,
Had been in many a land:
“Methinks I know a warrior stout
Would thee in fight withstand.
“He’s Ifald call’d, a king is he,
In Birting’s land afar;
And he has fellows following him
With savage wolves who war.
“O he has fellows following him
’Gainst teeth of bears who fight;
The food in which he most delights
Is flesh of Christian wight.
“Every day in the East that dawns
His mouth he’s wont to cool
With serpents, toads, and other filth,
That come from the hellish pool.”
As Ifald sat on his throne that day
He thus was heard to cry:
“Let some one bid my little foot page
To come to me instantly.
p.7“Now list to me, thou little foot page,
On my errand thee I’ll send
Unto the King of Brattingsborg,
To whom I am no friend.
“Tell him that he must tribute pay,
Or for bloody war prepare;
Forsooth if him in the field I meet
I him will little spare.”
Then answered straight the little foot page
And a gallant answer he gave:
“My Lord thy message I’ll carry forth,
Though they lay me in my grave.”
In came he, the little foot page,
And stood before the board:
“Now list to me, King Diderik,
My master has sent you word.
“Either tribute thou shalt pay,
As thou didst last year agree,
Or thou shalt meet us in the field,
And bloodshed there shall be.”
p.8“I will not tribute pay, forsooth,
I scorn to stoop so low;
Nay, rather unto Birting’s land
With sword unsheathed I go.”
Then answer’d Vitting Helfredson,
And loud he laughed with glee:
“If ye fare this year into Birting’s land
I too of the troop shall be.
“Last year wast thou in Birting’s land,
And there didst lose thy steed;
Thou hadst better stay in Brattingsborg
Than again seek Birting’s mead.”
“On me, if I stay in Brattingsborg,
Be every malison;
If I have no horse on which to ride
I have legs on which to run.”
There rode out from Brattingsborg
So many a knight renown’d;
The rocks were split ’neath the coursers’ feet,
And quaked the startled ground.
p.9There rode forth King Diderik,
The lion upon his shield;
And there too glittered t