The Songs of Ranild   By: George Henry Borrow (1803-1881)

BY GEORGE BORROW

LONDON: PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION

1913

THE SONGS OF RANILD.

SONG THE FIRST.

Up Riber’s street the dance they ply, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! There dance the knights most merrily, For young King Erik Erikson .

On Riber’s bridge the dance it goes, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! There dance the knights in scollop’d shoes, For young King Erik Erikson .

’Twas Riber Wolf the dance who led, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! In faith to his King he had been bred, For young King Erik Erikson .

And next him danced the Tage Mouse, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! Who Seneschal was in Ribe house, For young King Erik Erikson .

And then danced bold Sir Saltensee, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! Followed by wealthy kinsmen three, For young King Erik Erikson .

The noble Limbekk dances next, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! Whose power the King had often vext, For young King Erik Erikson .

After him danced the Byrge Green, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! Then many a knight of handsome mien, For young King Erik Erikson .

And then came dancing Hanke Kann, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! His Lady followed, good Dame Ann, For young King Erik Erikson .

The next that came was the Ridder Rank, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! His Lady behind him, Berngard Blank, For young King Erik Erikson .

And then the high Volravn came, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! His wife behind, who has no name, For young King Erik Erikson .

And then came dancing Sir Iver Helt, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! Who followed his sovereign over the Belt, For young King Erik Erikson .

Long stood the Ranild Lang apart, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! Ere he to join the dance had heart, For young King Erik Erikson .

“And were it not for my lovely hair, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! In that brave dance I’d have a share, For young King Erik Erikson .

“But for my cheeks so rosy red, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! The foremost in that dance I’d tread,” For young King Erik Erikson .

Then Ranild Lang to dance began, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! And a ditty sang as he led the van, For young King Erik Erikson .

Sweet he warbled, light he sprang, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! After him every warrior sang, For young King Erik Erikson .

Then up the Spendel Sko arose, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! And on Ranild Lang her troth bestows, For young King Erik Erikson .

With silk was snooded her hair of gold, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! She danced before them free and bold, For young King Erik Erikson .

And into the Castle they dance their way, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! With drawn swords ’neath their scarlet array. For young King Erik Erikson .

Never, I ween, was a braver dance, The Castle’s won , the Castle’s won ! It wins the Castle of Rosenkrands, For young King Erik Erikson .

SONG THE SECOND.

To saddle his courser Ranild cried: For thus the tale was told to me — “To visit the rich Greve I will ride, Though banish’d from the land we be.”

To the house came Ranild spurring hard, For thus the tale was told to me — There stood the Greve arrayed in mard, Though banish’d from the land we be.