LORD OLUF
Una
antichissima ballata popolare danese di cui si conoscono versioni in
Inghilterra e Germania. Quella che proponiamo è più recente e risale alla
poesia di Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803)
Anche
il nostro Carducci la tradusse con il titolo “La figlia del Re degli Elfi”.
Lord Oluf rides lat and far
to summon his wedding guest
Elves are dancing on a green bank
and erlking’s daughter says to him:
“Welcome, Lord Oluf, come dance with me
and I will give you two golden spurs”
I cannot dance, I don’t wish to dance
tomorrow is my wedding day
come closer Lord Oluf come dance with me,
and I’ll give you a shirt of silk
a shirt of silk so white and fine
my mother bleanched it with moonbeams
and I’ll give you a heap of gold”
“I would gladly take,
but I can’t and should not dance with you”
If you will not dance with me
Then plague and sickness will follow you.
She dealt him a blow to the heart
He had never felt such pain
Then she heaved him up on his horse
“Ride home, to your worthy lady”
And when he came to the door of his house
His mother, trembling, stood before him
“Tell me, my son, and tell me true,
why are you so pale and sick?
“And should I not be pale and sick?
I was in the erlking’s reign
Tell me, my son, tell me my dear,
What should I tell to your bride?”
“Tell her that I rode to the wood just now
to test my horse and hound”
His bride arrived with the wedding crowd
“Where is Lord Oluf, my bridegroom?”
She lifted up the cloth scarlet red
and there lay Lord oluf, he was dead
Sir Oluf cavalca di sera
tardi e lontano, per portare gli inviti per il suo matrimonio; danzano gli
Elfi sul prato verde, la figlia del Re degli Elfi gli stende la mano.
"Benvenuto, sir Oluf, balla con me! Ti regalerò due speroni d'oro!”
"Io non posso danzare, io non desidero danzare, domani mattina è il
giorno del mio matrimonio." “Vieni nel cerchio, sir Oluf, danza con me e
ti donerò una camicia di seta, una camicia così bianca e fine, che mia madre
la intinge nei raggi di luna, ti regalerò un mucchio d’oro!" "Lo
prenderei volentieri, ma ugualmente non posso e né desidero danzare!"
"E se non vuoi, sir
Oluf, danzare con me, ti devono seguire la piaga e la malattia!"
Ella gli battè un colpo sul cuore, ancora mai egli aveva avvertito un
siffatto dolore. Ella lo sollevò impallidito sul cavallo: "Cavalca ora
verso casa, dalla tua preziosa fidanzata!" E quando egli giunse davanti
alla porta di casa, sua madre stava lì davanti, tremante. "Ascolta,
figlio mio, dimmi esattamente, perché il tuo colore è pallido e
smunto?" "E non dovrebbe
essere pallido e smunto? Io mi sono imbattuto nel regno del Re degli
Elfi."
"Ascolta, figlio mio, così caro e amato, cosa devo dire ora alla tua
fidanzata?" "Dille, che per adesso io sono nel bosco, a passeggiare
con il mio cavallo ed il mio cane!" Arrivò la fidanzata con il corteo
nuziale. "Dov'è il sir Oluf, il mio promesso sposo?"
La fidanzata sollevò la
rossa cortina,
e morto giaceva sir Oluf.
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SIR OLUF AND THE ELF-KING'S DAUGHTER
(Versione molto antica)
Sir Oluf the hend has ridden sae wide,
All unto his
bridal feast to bid.
And lightly the elves,
sae feat and free,
They dance all
under the greenwood tree!
And there danced
four, and there danced five;
The Elf-King's
daughter she reekit bilive.
Her hand to Sir
Oluf sae fair and free:
"O welcome,
Sir Oluf, come dance wi' me!
"O welcome,
Sir Oluf! now lat thy love gae,
And tread wi' me
in the dance sae gay."
"To dance
wi' thee ne dare I, ne may;
The morn it is my
bridal day."
"O come, Sir
Oluf, and dance wi' me;
Twa buckskin
boots I'll give to thee;
"Twa
buckskin boots, that sit sae fair,
Wi' gilded spurs
sae rich and rare.
"And hear
ye, Sir Oluf! come dance wi' me;
And a silken sark
I'll give to thee;
"A silken
sark sae white and fine,
That my mother
bleached in the moonshine."
"I darena, I
maunna come dance wi' thee;
For the morn my
bridal day maun be."
"O hear ye,
Sir Oluf! come dance wi' me,
And a helmet o'
goud I'll give to thee."
"A helmet o'
goud I well may ha'e;
But dance wi'
thee ne dare I, ne may."
"And winna
thou dance, Sir Oluf, wi' me?
Then sickness and
pain shall follow thee!"
She's smitten Sir
Oluf – it strak to his heart;
He never before
had kent sic a smart;
Then lifted him
up on his ambler red;
"And now,
Sir Oluf, ride hame to thy bride."
And whan he came
till the castell yett,
His mither she
stood and leant thereat.
"O hear ye,
Sir Oluf, my ain dear son,
Whareto is your
lire sae blae and wan?"
"O well may
my lire be wan and blae,
For I ha'e been
in the elf-womens' play."
"O hear ye,
Sir Oluf, my son, my pride,
And what shall I
say to thy young bride?"
"Ye'll say,
that I've ridden but into the wood,
To prieve gin my
horse and hounds are good."
Ear on the morn,
whan night was gane,
The bride she cam
wi' the bridal train.
They skinked the
mead, and they skinked the wine:
"O whare is
Sir Oluf, bridegroom mine?"
"Sir Oluf
has ridden but into the wood,
To prieve gin his
horse and hounds are good."
And she took up
the scarlet red,
And there lay Sir
Oluf, and he was dead!
Ear on the morn,
whan it was day,
Three likes were
ta'en frae the castle away;
Sir Oluf the
leal, and his bride sae fair,
And his mither,
that died wi' sorrow and care.
And lightly the
elves sae feat and free,
They dance all
under the greenwood tree!
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