"Hail, sittest thou, sweet King"s daughter, A-spinning the silken twine, It is King Hafbur sends me hither To learn the sewing fine."
Hath Hafbur sent thee here to me?
Then art thou a welcome guest, And all the sewing that I can Shall I learn thee at my best.
"And all the sewing that I can I shall learn thee lovingly, Out of one bowl shalt thou eat with me, And by my nurse shalt thou lie."
"King"s children have I eaten with, And lain down by their side: Must I lie abed now with a very nurse?
Then woe is me this tide!"
"Nay, let it pa.s.s, fair maiden!
Of me gettest thou no harm, Out of one bowl shalt thou eat with me And sleep soft upon mine arm."
There sat they, all the damsels, And sewed full craftily; But ever the King"s son Hafbur With nail in mouth sat he.
They sewed the hart, they sewed the hind, As they run through the wild-wood green, Never gat Hafbur so big a bowl But the bottom soon was seen.
In there came the evil nurse In the worst tide that might be: "Never saw I fair maiden Who could sew less craftily.
"Never saw I fair maiden Seam worse the linen fine, Never saw I n.o.ble maiden Who better drank the wine."
This withal spake the evil nurse, The nighest that she durst: "Never saw I yet fair maiden Of drink so sore athirst.
"So little a seam as ever she sews Goes the needle into her mouth, As big a bowl as ever she gets Out is it drunk forsooth.
"Ne"er saw I yet in maiden"s head Two eyes so bright and bold, And those two hands of her withal Are hard as the iron cold."
"Hearken, sweet nurse, whereso thou art, Why wilt thou mock me still?
Never cast I one word at thee, Went thy sewing well or ill.
"Still wilt thou mock, still wilt thou spy; Nought such thou hast of me, Whether mine eyes look out or look in Nought do they deal with thee."
O it was Hafbur the King"s son Began to sew at last; He sowed the hart, and he sewed the hind, As they flee from the hound so fast.
He sewed the lily, and he sewed the rose, And the little fowls of the air; Then fell the damsels a-marvelling, For nought had they missed him there.
Day long they sewed till the evening, And till the long night was deep, Then up stood dames and maidens And were fain in their beds to sleep.
So fell on them the evening-tide, O"er the meads the dew drave down, And fain was Signy, that sweet thing, With her folk to bed to be gone.
Therewith asked the King"s son Hafbur, "And whatten a bed for me?"
"O thou shalt sleep in the bower aloft, And blue shall thy bolster be."
She went before, sweet Signy, O"er the high-bower"s bridge aright, And after her went Hafbur Laughing from heart grown light.
Then kindled folk the waxlights, That were so closely twined, And after them the ill nurse went With an ill thought in her mind.
The lights were quenched, the nurse went forth, They deemed they were alone: Lord Hafbur drew off his kirtle red, Then first his sword outshone.
Lord Hafbur mid his longing sore Down on the bed he sat: I tell you of my soothfastness, His byrny clashed thereat.
Then spake the darling Signy, Out of her heart she said, "Never saw I so rough a shirt Upon so fair a maid."
She laid her hand on Hafbur"s breast With the red gold all a-blaze: "Why wax thy b.r.e.a.s.t.s in no such wise As they wax in other mays?"
"The wont it is in my father"s land For maids to ride to the Thing, Therefore my b.r.e.a.s.t.s are little of growth Beneath the byrny-ring."
And there they lay through the night so long, The King"s son and the may, In talk full sweet, but little of sleep, So much on their minds there lay.
"Hearken, sweet maiden Signy, As here alone we lie, Who is thy dearest in the world, And lieth thine heart most nigh?"
"O there is none in all the world Who lieth so near to my heart As doth the bold King Hafbur: Ne"er in him shall I have a part.
"As doth the bold King Hafbur That mine eyes shall never know: Nought but the sound of his gold-wrought horn As he rides to the Thing and fro."
"O, is it Hafbur the King"s son That thy loved heart holdeth dear?
Turn hither, O my well-beloved, To thy side I lie so near."
"If thou art the King"s son Hafbur, Why wilt thou shame me, love, Why ridest thou not to my father"s garth With hound, and with hawk upon glove?"
"Once was I in thy father"s garth, With hound and hawk and all; And with many mocks he said me nay, In such wise did our meeting fall."
All the while they talked together They deemed alone they were, But the false nurse ever stood close without, And nought thereof she failed to hear.
O shame befall that evil nurse, Ill tidings down she drew, She stole away his goodly sword, But and his byrny new.
She took to her his goodly sword, His byrny blue she had away, And she went her ways to the high bower Whereas King Siward lay.
"Wake up, wake up, King Siward!
Over long thou sleepest there, The while the King"s son Hafbur Lies abed by Signy the fair."
"No Hafbur is here, and no King"s son, That thou shouldst speak this word; He is far away in the east-countries, Warring with knight and lord.
"Hold thou thy peace, thou evil nurse, And lay on her no lie, Or else tomorn ere the sun is up In the bale-fire shall ye die."
"O hearken to this, my lord and king, And trow me nought but true; Look here upon his bright white sword, But and his byrny blue!"
Then mad of mind waxed Siward, Over all the house "gan he cry, "Rise up, O mighty men of mine, For a hardy knight is anigh:
"Take ye sword and shield in hand, And look that they be true; For Hafbur the King hath guested with us; Stiffnecked he is, great deeds to do."
So there anigh the high-bower door They stood with spear and glaive "Rise up, rise up, Young Hafbur, Out here we would thee have!"
That heard the goodly Signy, And she wrang her hands full sore: "Hearken and heed, O Hafbur, Who stand without by the door!"
Thank and praise to the King"s son Hafbur, Manly he played and stout!
None might lay hand upon him While the bed-post yet held out.