Horpa (The Harp) "Norsk folkediktning VI - Folkeviser I" 1967
Horpa (The Harp)
I.
1. Der var tvo systar i ei borg,
- Ved sande -
Den eine volde den andre sorg
- Båra ber'e så vent eit viv frå lande.
2. Den yngre kunna spinne lin,
Den eldre kunna kje stie svin.
3. Den yngre kunna spinne gull,
Den eldre var alltid svevnefull.
4. Den yngre kunna skipa mat,
Den eldre kunna kje två eit fat.
II.
5. Syster tala til syster så:
"Me vil okkon til Sjoar-å"
6. "Hot sko me 'kon til Sjoar-å?"
me hava der ingji klede två."
7. "Me wil två 'kon kvite,
me er tvo systar like."
8. "Du må två deg nott og dag,
du tvær kje av det Gud deg gav.
9. Om du tvær deg kvit som krit,
Alli vert du di syster lik.
10. Du må två så kvit som du kan,
Alli fær du en festarmann.
11. Om du tvær deg kvit som bein
Alli fær du ein festarsvein."
12. Den yngre gjekk fyre som ei sol,
Den eldre gjekk etter som orm i jord.
13. Den yngre gjekk fyre med utslegje hår,
Den eldre gjekk etter med falske råd.
14. Då dei kom åt Sjoar-å
Så for dei til å vaske og två.
15. Den yngre sette seg på ein stein,
Den eldre skuva ho ut fyr mein.
16. Ho rette opp si kvite hånd:
"Å hjarte syster, hjelp i land!"
17. "Ligg du der, og få du skam,
eg vil hava din festarmann."
18. "Eg sko gjeva deg gull og jord,
om du vil hjelpe meg opp or fjord!"
19. "Ligg der du der, og hav du mein,
eg vil hava din festarsvein."
20. "Eg sko gjeva deg meire:
eit skip med gogn og greie.
21. Eg sko gjeva deg be're:
Alle mi brureklede."
22. "Inkje eg hjelper deg i land,
utan eg fær din festarmann!"
23. "Fyrr du sko få min festarmann,
fyrr sko eg reka så langt eg kan."
III.
24. Den eldre blei kledd i brurehus,
Dei bar for henne dei håge voksljus.
25. "De tek inkje av dei sløri små,
eg toler inkje soli sjå."
26. "Vel du toler soli skin,
verre det er for festarmann din."
IV
27. Der kom vind av norde,
Dreiv det likjet til fjorde.
28. Der kom vind av austre
Dreiv det likjet til nauste.
29. Der kom vind av are land,
Dreiv det likjet på kvitan sand.
30. Der gjekk tvo pilgrimar ut med å,
Dei såg det likjet på sanden låg.
31. Dei toke hennar kvite kropp,
Der gjorde dei av ein horpestokk.
32. Dei toke hennar gule hår,
Gjorde dei horpestrengjir små.
33. Dei toke hennar festar-ring
Og gylte horpa rundt ikring.
34. "Der sko vera bryllaup i neste by,
no vil me prøve 'kons horpe ny."
35. Dei tok den horpa unde skinn,
Så gjekk dei i bryllaupsstoga inn.
36. Dei sette seg i duragått:
"Lyster de høyre ein horpeslått?"
37. Til svara strengjen fysste:
"Bruri ho var mi syste."
38. Til svara strengjen are:
"Bruri ho var min bane."
39. Til svara strengjen tre'e:
"Brudgommen var min bele."
40. Mælte no bruri raud som blod
"Hav ut den horpa, ho gjere uljod!"
41. Svara det brudgommen, bleik som bast:
"Slå meir på horpa, og slå vel fast!"
42. Til svara strengjen fjorde:
"Bruri ho meg forgjorde."
43. Til svara strengjen femte:
"Bruri på å meg spente."
44. Til svara strengjen sette:
"Brudgomen meg forgjette."
45. Bruri tro på spilemanns fot,
Så blodet sårang av naglerot.
46. Bruri tro på spilemanns tå:
"De slå den horpa i stykkje små!"
47. Dei toke horpa slo imot jord,
Så blei derav ei jomfru god.
48. Brudgomen heitar på sveinar två:
"De gangje åt skogjen og hogge bål!
49. Hogge no older og eikje
Og hente nå never og kveikje."
V.
50. Sundag sat bruri i høgsete boll,
- Ved sande -
Om måndagjen lå ho i oske og kol.
- Båra ber'e så vent eit viv frå lande.
THE HARP or THE TWO SISTERS
The following is pretty much a literal translation, if not word for word. I've tried to give the sense of the Norwegian lines without adding too much explanatory English. Some of the verses really demand a complete rewrite; since I take it you're interested in what the norwegian version actually says, some of the verses ended up being poor english, but are close in structure to the original norwegian. Verses 24 - 26 are fragments of a larger segment which is lost: the gist of this part is the older sister is pretending to be her dead younger sister at the wedding, but the servants are aware that something is wrong. There is an old vinyl from the 60's with Ingebjørg Liestøl singing among other things about 10 verses or so of "Horpa". [Mudcat]
The Harp or The Two Sisters
1. There were two sisters in a castle
- by the sands
One of them caused the other great sorrow
- the sea swells carry the fair young maiden from shore.
2. The younger one could spin flax
The older one couldn't herd swine.
3. The younger one could spin gold,
The older one was always sleepy.
4. The younger one could set a table,
The older one couldn't wash a dish.
5. One sister said to the other
Let us go to the Sjoar brook
6. Why should we og to Sjoar brook?
We have no washing to do there.
7. "We will wash ourselves white
We are two sisters alike (?)
8. You may wash both night and day
You'll never wash off what God has given you.
9. Though you wash yourself as white as chalk
You'll never be like your sister (the same as your sister, the equal of your sister)
10. You can wash yourself as clean as you can
You'll never get a man (betrothed, fiancé)
11. You can wash yourself as white as bone
You'll never get a man (betrothed, fiancé).
12. The younger one came first like a sun
The older one came after like a snake in the jord.
13. The younger one came first with her hair down
The older one came after with bad counsel.
14. When they came to Sjoar brook
They began to wash and clean.
15. The younger one sat on a rock
The older one pushed her in (the brook).
16. She reached out her white hand
"Oh sister of my heart, help me ashore.
17. "You can lie there and have the shame (direct translation)
I will have you fiancé.
18. "I will give you gold and land
If you will help me up from the fjord."
19. "You can lie there and suffer the hurt
I will have your fiancé."
20. I will give you more:
A ship all fitted out.
21. I will give you something even better
All my bridal gowns.
22. I won't help you ashore
Unless you let me have your fiancé.
23. Before I'd let you have my fiancé,
I would drift in the sea as far as I can.
24. The older one was dressed in the bridal house
They carried tall wax candles to her.
25. "Don't take off my little veils,
I can't stand to see the sun."
26. "You can stand the sunlight on you
It's worse for your fiancé." (that is, he won't like what he sees)
27. The wind came from the north
The corpse drifted along the fjord.
28. The wind came from the east
The corpse drifted to a boatshed.
29. The wind came from other lands
The corpse drifted to the white sands.
30. Two pilgrims walked along a brook
They saw the body/corpse lying on the sand.
31. They took her white body
And made it into a harp.
32. They took her yellow hair
And made it into little harp strings.
33. They took her betrothal ring
And gilded the harp all over.
34. "There's a wedding in the nest town
Let's try our new harp (there).
35. They carried the harp under a hide
And entered the "wedding house"
36. They sat on the doorstep
"Would you like to hear a harp tune?"
37. The first string sounded thus (svara=answered, responded)
"The bride was my sister."
38. The second string sounded thus
"The bride was my bane" (in the original sense = took my life)
39. The third string sounded thus
"The bridegroom courted me/was my courter"
40. The bride then said, red as blood
"Throw out that harp, it's making noise/a racket."
41. The bridegroom answered, pale as straw*,
"Play more on the harp and play well".
42. The fourth string sound thus:
"The bride did away with me".
43. The fifth string sounded thus:
"The bride pushed me into the brook."
44. The sixth string sounded thus:
The bridegroom enchanted me (?)
45. The bride stomped on the harpist's foot
So blood spurted from the toenails.
46. The bride stomped on the harpist's foot
"Crush that harp into little pieces!"
47. They took the harp and threw it to the ground
It turned into a fair maiden (uncertain of the meaning of this line)
48. The bridegroom called to two servants
"Go to the forest and chop firewood"
49. "Chop down alder and oak
and bring birchbark and tinder."
50. On Sunday the bride sat in the seat of honor
- by the sands-
On Monday she lay in ashes and coals
- The sea swells carry the fair young maiden from shore.
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*("bast" is actually the fibrous layer between the bark and wood, used in preindustrial times in Norway for making rope among other things)