The Project Gutenberg eBook, Hafbur and Signe, Edited by Thomas J. Wise,
Translated by George Borrow

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Title: Hafbur and Signe
a ballad

Editor: Thomas J. Wise

Release Date: December 9, 2008 [eBook #27473]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HAFBUR AND SIGNE***

Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org. Many thanks to Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library,
UK, for kindly supplying the images from which this transcription was
made.

HAFBUR AND SIGNE
A BALLAD

BY
GEORGE BORROW

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION
1913

HAFBUR AND SIGNE

Young Hafbur King and Sivard King
They lived in bitter enmity;
'Twas Signe proud that caused their feud,
Of maidens all the fairest she.

It was youthful Hafbur King
Awaked at midnight with a bound,
And full of dread he straightway said
His wondrous dream to all around.

"Methought I was in heaven's domain,
Within that place so fair to view,
And held to my breast my loved one prest,
When down we fell the cloudlets through."

And there sat all the Dames and maids
And little heeded what he said;
But lent an ear his mother dear,
'Twas she alone attention paid.

"My son do thou to the mountain go,
And look that thou dost go with speed;
The Daughter demand of Elfin land,
And she to thee thy dream will rede."

It was young King Hafbur bold
In his left hand he took his blade,
And away he hied to the mountain's side
To seek the lovely elfin maid.

With his fingers white he thrice tapped light
Upon the mountain's side so green;
The daughter of Elle lay awake, and well
Could guess what did that tapping mean.

"Hail, daughter fair of Elfland's King,
Whom here I see in costly wede!
I beg for love of the God above
That thou to me my dream wilt rede.

"Methought I was in Heaven's domain,
Wi