The Project Gutenberg eBook of Ulf Van Yern, Edited by Thomas J. Wise,
Translated by George Borrow

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Title: Ulf Van Yern
and Other Ballads

Editor: Thomas J. Wise

Release Date: December 4, 2008 [eBook #27405]

Language: English

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

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ULF VAN YERN***

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.

ULF VAN YERN
AND
OTHER BALLADS

BY
GEORGE BORROW

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION
1913

_Copyright in the United States of America_
_by Houghton_, _Mifflin & Co. for Clement Shorter_.

ULF VAN YERN

It was youthful Ulf Van Yern
Goes before the King to stand:
"To avenge my father's death
Lend me warriors of thy band."

"Of my kemps I'll lend thee them
Who to follow thee consent;
Ask'st thou Vidrik Verlandson
Thou wilt further thy intent.

"I will lend thee of my men,
Thou shalt have the very flower;
Vidrik, and stark Diderik,
Many kemps have felt their power.

"They are heroes strong and bold
Who have battles often won;
Feared are they in every land
Where their names' renown has gone."

In walked he, the good Dane King,
Glittering like the morning star:
"Which of ye, my Danish swains,
Will attend my friend to war?"

Stalked the King along the floor,
Bore a gold cup in his hand:
"Which of ye, my courtmen, will,
Follow Wolf with shield and brand?"

To their mouths their hats they held,
None to answer him made haste,
Save bold Vidrik Verlandson,
Of them all he made a jest.

It was Vidrik Verlandson
Of his comrades made a sport:
"Sure 'tis but to guzzle mead
We are gathered here at court."

Wrathful Diderik straight became