AXEL THORDSON
AND FAIR VALBORG
a ballad

by
GEORGE BORROW

London:
printed for private circulation
1913

Copyright in the United States of America
by Houghton, Mifflin & Co. for Clement Shorter.

AXEL THORDSON AND FAIR VALBORG.

At the wide board at tables play,
   With pleasure and with glee abounding
The ladies twain in fair array,
   The game they play is most astounding.

How fly about the dies so small,
   Such sudden turnings are they making;
And so does Fortune’s wheel withal,
   We scarcely know the route ’tis taking.

Dame Julli grand, and Malfred Queen,
   At tables were their time employing;
Not distant on the floor was seen
   A child with pear and apple toying.

Upon the floor the child it walked,
   It played with apples and with flowers;
Then in Sir Axel Thordson stalked,
   Was bound for Rome’s imperial towers.

He greets the Dames repeatedly,
   At courtesy he had no master;
He loved the child in secrecy,
   But fate had doomed them much disaster.

His eyeballs brimming full of tears
   Full tenderly her cheek he patted:
“O would thou wast of fitting years,
   With Axel Thordson to be mated!”

Answered his youngest sister straight,
   Thus answered she her gallant brother:
“Though she this night to woman’s state
   Had won, ye might not wed each other.”

Answered the Damsel’s mother high,
   And she the simple truth has stated:
“A worthy pair I don’t deny,
   But, oh! ye are too near related.”

A gold ring off his arm he drew,
   To play with that he fondly bade her;
To years of reason when she grew
   To palen and to pine it made her.

“That I’ve betrothed thee, little bride,
   In mind I beg that thou wilt carry;
And now from out the land I’ll ride,
   With foreign masters long to tarry.”

Sir Axel out of the country hied,
   His breast with love and valour glowing.
In cloister they have placed his bride,
   Instruction to receive in sewing.

They taught to her the silken scam,
   They taught her writing, taught her reading;
Through land and city soon the fame
   Of Valborg’s virtue goes, and breeding.

The noble ways that she displays
   Attract the general admiration,
And though full young she’s ranked among
   The very sages of the nation.

And there eleven years she stay’d,
   Till God had called away her mother;
The Queen to court then took the maid,
   Selecting her ’fore every other.

Served at the Emperor’s court meantide
   The knight, with gold his spurs were glaring;
A glittering faulchion decked his side,
   And truly knightly was his bearing.

Sir Axel lies in pomp and state
   As well beseems so rich a noble;
But he at night no rest can get,
   His dreams are full of woe and trouble.

Sir Axel in the chamber high
   Doth lie on softest silk and fairest,
But sleep alas has fled his eye,
   He’s ever thinking of his dearest.

Sir Emmer’s child, his Valborg fair,
   He dreamt sat drest in costly fashion;
And Hogen, son of the King, by her
   Sat softly pleading for his passion.

The morning sun its lustre shed,
   The lark’s sweet voice on high was ringing;
Sir Axel started from his bed,
   His clothes upon him swiftly flinging.

He saddled straight his good grey horse,
   Within the wood he’ll take his pleasure;
His dreams from out his head he’ll force
   By listening to the wild bird’s measure.

When to the wood Sir Axel wan,
   Where blushing roses thick were growing;
In foreign garb he met a man
   Upon a pilgrimage was going.

“Now pilgrim good a merry morn,
   Say, whither, whither art thou faring?
Thou’rt from the land where I was born,
   For that thy vestments are declaring.”

“My native land is Norroway,
   From Gild’s high race I boast my being;
To Rome’s famed town I’ve vowed to stray,
   My mind is bent the Pope on seeing.”

“From Gildish race if thou be sprung,
   Then pilgrim thou art my relation;
Has Valborg me from memory flung?
   Of her canst give me information?

“O Valborg is a damsel bright,
   There’s few than I should know her better;
Full many a gay and gallant knight
   She holds in love’s enchanting fetter.

“So well to me the maid is known,
   The mard and sable rich she weareth;
From all the maids at court that wone
   The belle, the belle sweet Valborg beareth.

“Upgrown Sir Knight is Valborg now,
   A lily she among the daisies;
Amongst our maidens high or low
   No fairer ever met my gazes.

“In earth beside her lord beloved
   The good Dame Julli now is sleeping;
From cloister Valborg is removed,
   The Queen is favours on her heaping.

“With strings of pearls her hair is tied,
   Around her wrist red gold there gloweth,
She’s named ‘Sir Axel’s bonnie bride’
   By every voice where’er she goeth.

“They called her thy betrothed maid,
   Sir Axel, but her friends united
Have hope she will Prince Hogen wed,
   And with that hope they are delighted.”

Sir Axel robed himself that day
   In the best guise that he was able,
And to the hall he took his way
   Where Emperor Henrik sat at table.

“Hail Henrik Emperor mild of heart,
   In whose good grace I’ve long been basking,
For home that I may straight depart
   The freedom I now take of asking.

“My sire and mother both are dead,
   Exposed to foes my lands are lying,
Another my betrothed will wed,
   And that’s the call to me most crying.”

“The leave for which thy heart doth yearn
   Reluctantly Sir Knight I give thee;
Whene’er it please thee to return
   Most gladly I’ll Sir Knight receive thee.”

Away from court Sir Axel rode,
   A gallant band attend behind him;
And all that at the Court abode
   Unto the care of God consign’d him.

So fast he speeded on his way,
   Him followed thrice ten swains so merry;
But when he reached his castellaye
   The noble knight was solitary.

Alone he reached his castle good,
   His gallant courser panting, snorting:
And there his sister Helfred stood,
   Against the gate herself supporting.

“Here standst thou, Helfred, sister dear,
   Thou little didst expect my coming;
How doth it with sweet Valborg fare,
   That roselet ’mongst the