Proud Margaret

PROUD MARGERET

 

PROUD Margaret's [a] father of wealth had store,
Time with me goes slow.--
And he was a king seven kingdoms o'er,
But that grief is heavy I know. [b]

To her came wooing good earls two,
Time with me goes slow.--
But neither of them would she hearken unto,
But that grief is heavy I know.

To her came wooing princes five,
Time with me goes slow.--
Yet not one of them would the maiden have,
But that grief is heavy I know.

To her came wooing kings then seven,
Time with me goes slow.--
But unto none her hand has she given,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king asked his mother to read,
Time with me goes slow.--
How to win proud Margaret he might speed,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And say how much thou wilt give unto me,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"That herself may into the hill come to thee?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"Thee will I give the ruddiest gold,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"And thy chests full of money as they can hold,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

One Sunday morning it fell out so,
Time with me goes slow.--
Proud Margaret unto the church should go,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And all as she goes, and all as she stays,
Time with me goes slow.--
All the nearer she comes where the high hill lay,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So she goeth around the hill compassing,
Time with me goes slow.--
So there openeth a door, and thereat goes she in,
But that grief is heavy I know.

Proud Margaret stept in at the door of the hill,
Time with the goes slow.--
And the hill-king salutes her with eyes joyful,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So he took the maiden upon his knee,
Time with me goes slow.--
And took the gold rings and therewith her wed be,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So he took the maiden his arms between,
Time with me goes slow.--
He gave her a gold crown and the name of queen,
But that grief is heavy I know.

So she was in the hill for eight round years,
Time with me goes slow.--
There bare she two sons and a daughter so fair,
But that grief is heavy I know.

When she had been full eight years there,
Time with me goes slow.--
She wished to go home to her mother so dear,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king spake to his footpages twain,
Time with me goes slow.--
"Put ye the gray pacers now unto the wain," [c]
But that grief is heavy I know.

And Margaret out at the hill-door stept,
Time with me goes slow.--
And her little children they thereat wept,
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king her in his arms has ta'en,
Time with me goes slow.--
So he lifteth her into the gilded wain,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And hear now thou footpage what I unto thee say,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Thou now shalt drive her to her mother's straightway,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

Proud Margaret stept in o'er the door-sill,
Time with me goes slow.--
And her mother saluteth her with eyes joyful,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And where heat thou so long stayed?"
Time with me goes slow.--
"I have been in the flowery meads,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"What veil is that thou wearest on thy hair?"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Such as women and mothers use to wear,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"Well may I wear a veil on my head,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Me hath the hill-king both wooed and wed,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"In the hill have I been these eight round years,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"There have I two sons and a daughter so fair,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"There have I two sons and a daughter so fair,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"The loveliest maiden the world doth bear,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And hear thou, proud Margaret, what I say unto thee,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Can I go with thee home thy children to see?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king stept now in at the door,
Time with me goes slow.--
And Margaret thereat fell down on the floor,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And stayest thou now here complaining of me,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Camest thou not of thyself into the hill to me?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And stayest thou now here and thy fate dost deplore?"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Camest thou not of thyself in at my door?"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The hill-king struck her on the cheek rosie,
Time with me goes slow.--
"And pack to the hill to thy children wee,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The hill-king struck her with a twisted root,
Time with me goes slow.--
"And pack to the hill without any dispute,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

And the hill-king her in his arms has ta'en,
Time with me goes slow.--
And lifted her into the gilded wain,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"And hear thou my footpage what I unto thee say,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Thou now shalt drive her to my dwelling straightway,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

Proud Margaret stept in at the bill door,
Time with me goes slow.--
And her little children rejoiced therefòre,
But that grief is heavy I know.

"It is not worth while rejoicing for me,"
Time with me goes slow.--
"Christ grant that I never a mother had been,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The one brought out a gilded chair,
Time with me goes slow.--
"O rest you, my sorrow-bound mother, there,"
But that grief is heavy I know.

The one brought out a filled up horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
The other put therein a gilded corn,
But that grief is heavy I know.

The first drink she drank out of the horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
She forgot straightway both heaven and earth,
But that grief is heavy I know.

The second drink she drank out of the horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
She forgot straightway both God and his word,
But that grief is heavy I know.

The third drink she drank out of the horn,
Time with me goes slow.--
She forgot straightway both sister and brother,
But that grief is heavy I knew.

She forgot straightway both sister and brother,
Time with me goes slow.--
But she never forgot her sorrow-bound mother,
But that grief is heavy I know. [d]

 

[a] Niebuhr, speaking of the Celsi Ramnes, says, "With us the salutation of blood relations was Willkommen stolze Vetter (Welcome, proud cousins) and in the Danish ballads, proud (stolt) is a noble appellation of a maiden."--Römische Geschichte, 2d edit. vol. i. p. 316.

It may be added, that in English, proud and the synonymous terni stout (stolz, stolt) had also the sense of noble, high-born.

Do now your devoir, yonge knightes proud.
Knight's Tale.

Up stood the queen and ladies stout.
Launfal.

[b] Men jag vet a sorge är tung.

[c] Wain, our readers hardly need be informed, originally signified any kind of carriage: see Faerie Queene, passim. It is the Ang. Sax. páen, and not a contraction of waggon.

[d] From Vermland and Upland.