Child Dyring has ridden him up under öe,

There wedded he him sae fair a may.

Thegither they lived for seven lang year,

And they seven bairns hae gotten in fere.

Sae Death's come there intill that stead,

And that winsome lily flower is dead.

That swain he has ridden him up under öe,

And syne he has married anither may.

He's married a may, and he's fessen her hame;

But she was a grim and a laidly dame.

When into the castell court drave she,

The seven bairns stood wi' the tear in their ee.

The bairns they stood wi' dule and doubt,—

She up wi' her foot, and she kick'd them out.

Nor ale nor mead to the bairnies she gave:

"But hunger and hate frae me ye's have.'

She took frae them the bowster blae,

And said, "Ye sall ligg i' the bare strae!"

She took frae them the groff wax-light:

Says, "Now ye sall ligg i' the mirk a' night!"

'Twas lang i' the night, and the bairnies grat:

Their mither she under the mools heard that;

That heard the wife under the card that lay:

"For sooth maun I to my bairnies gae!"

That wife can stand up at our Lord's knee,

And "May I gang and my bairnies see?"

She prigged sae sair, and she prigged sea lang,

That he at the last ga'e her leave to gang.

"And though sall come back when the cock does craw;

For though nae langer sall bide awa."

Wi' her banes sae star a bowt she gae;

She's riven baith wa' and marble gray.

Whan near to the dwalling she can gang,

The dogs they wow'd till the lift it rang.

Whan she came till the castell yett,

Her eldest dochter stood thereat.

"Why stand ye here, dear dochter mine?

How are sma brithers and sister thine?"—

"For sooth ye're a woman baith fair and fine;

But ye are nae dear mither of mine."

"Och! how should I be fine or fair?

My cheek it is pale, and the ground's my lair."—

"My mither was white, wi' cheek sae red;

But thou art wan, and liker ane dead."—

"Och! how should I be white and red,

Sae lang as I've been cauld and dead?"

When she cam till the chalmer in,

Down the bairns' cheeks the tears did rin.

She buskit the tane, and she brush'd it there;

She kem'd and plaited the tither's hair.

The thirden she doodl'd upon her knee,

And the fourthen she dichted sae cannilie.

She's taken the fifthen upon her lap,

And sweetly suckled it at her pap.

Till her eldest dochter syne said she,

"Ye bid Child Dyring come here to me."

Whan he cam till the chalmer in,

Wi' angry mood she said to him:

"I left you routh o' ale and bread;

My bairnies quail for hunger and need.

"I left ahind me braw bowsters blae;

My bairnies are liggin i' the bare strae.

"I left ye sae mony a groff wax-light;

My bairnies ligg i' the mirk a' night.

"Gin aft I come back to visit thee,

Wae, dowy, and weary thy luck shall be."

Up spak little Kirstin in bed that lay:

"To thy bairnies I'll do the best I may."

Aye when they heard the dog nirr and bell,

Sae ga'e they the bairnies bread and ale.

Aye whan the dog did wow, in haste

They cross'd and sain'd themsells frae the ghast.

Aye whan the little dog yowl'd, with fear

They shook at the thought that the dead was near

or,

Svend Dyring han red sig op under ø

Der fæsted han sig så væn en mø

I otte år de sammen var

Og otte børn hun til verden bar

Så kom der døden på det land

Der døde den dejlige liljevånd

Svend Dyring han red da op under ø

Han fæsted sig atter en anden mø

De små børn de stod så sorrigfuld mod

Hun stødte dem bort alt for sin fod

Om aftenen silde da børnene de græd

Det hørte deres moder under mulden ned

Og der hun kom i stuen ind

De små børn de stå med tårer på kind

I beder Svend Dyring gå til mig ind

Hun talte til ham med vreden sind

Skal tiere hjem til eder jeg gå

Så krank en lykke skal I få