376 b, last paragraph. Talking Ships. See Liebrecht, Zur
Volkskunde, p. 365 f., apropos of Árnason's
Skipamál, Þjoðsögur, II, 8. Árnason
notes two talking ships in Flóamanna Saga, c. 36, and
Liebrecht the Argo.
377. A. The original, altered in places by Skeat,
stands as follows in "The Old Lady's Collection,"
where it is No 4.
| 1 |
Aa the skippers of merry Lothen,
As they sat att the wine,
Ther fell a rosin them among,
An it was in an unhappy time. |
| 2 |
Some of them roused ther haks,
An some of them ther hounds,
An some of them ther gay ladys,
Trood neat on the plain:
Young Allan he roused his comely coug,
That lay upon the strand. |
| 3 |
'I haa as good a ship this day
As ever sallied our seas,
Except it be the Burges Black,
Bat an the Small Cordvine,
The comly coug of Dornisdall;
We sail lay that three bay in time.' |
| 4 |
Out spak a littel boy,
Just att Young Allan's knee,
'Ye lie, ye lie, ye Young Allan,
Sae loud as I hear ye lie. |
| 5 |
'For my master has a littel boat
Will sail thris as well as thin;
For she'll come in att your formast
An gee out att yer forlee,
An nine times in a winter night
She'll take the wine fra the. |
| 6 |
'O fatt will ye wade, ye Young Allan,
Or fatt will ye wad we me?'
'I ill wad my head agenst yer land,
Till I gett more monie.' |
| 7 |
They hed na sailed a legg, [a legg,]
A legg bat bairly three,
Till throug an throu ther bonny ship
They saa the green wall sea. |
| 8 |
They had na sailled a leag, [a leag,]
A leag bat barly fave,
Till through en throu ther bonny ship
They saa the green wall wave. |
| 9 |
He gied up to the tapmast,
To see fat he coud see,
An ther he saa the Burges Black,
Bat an the Small Cordvine,
The comly coug of Dornasdell;
The three was rent in nine. |
| 10 |
Young Allan he grat, an he wrang his hans,
An he kent na fat till dee:
'The win is loud, an the waves is prood,
An we will a' sink in the sea. |
| 11 |
'Bat gin I cod gett a bonny boy
To tak my healm in han,
. . . that wad bring
My bonny ship safe to lan, |
| 12 |
'He sud gett the tua part of my goud,
An the therd part of my lan,
An gin me wine safe to shor
He sud gett my daughter Ann.' |
| 13 |
'Hear am I, a bonny boy
That will take yer helm in han,
. . . an will bring
Your bonny ship safe to land. |
| 14 |
'Ye take four-an-twenty fether-beds,
An ye lay the bonny ship roun,
An as much of the good cannis
As make her hell an soun.' |
| 15 |
They took four-an-twenty fether-beds,
An laid the bonny ship roun,
An as much of the good canies
As made her hell an soun. |
| 16 |
'Spring up, my bony ship,
An goud sail be yer hair!'
Fan the bonny ship hard of that,
Att goud sud be her hire,
She sprang as fast fra the sate water
As the spark dis frae the fire. |
| 17 |
'Spring up, my bonny ship,
An goud sail be yer fee!'
An fan the bonny ship hard of that,
Goud was to be her fee,
She sprang as fast fra the sat water
As the life dos fra the tree. |
| 18 |
The salors stans on the shore-sid,
We ther ill-bukled shen:
'Thanks to God an our gued master
That ever we came to land!' |
| 19 |
'Far is the bonny boy
That took my healm in hand?
. . . that brought
My bonny ship safe to land? |
| 20 |
'He's gett the twa part of my goud,
The therd part of my lan,
An since we ha wone safe to shore
He's gett my doughter Ann.' |
| 21 |
'Hear am I, the bonny boy
That took yer healm in han,
That brought yer bonny ship,
An brought her safe to lan. |
| 22 |
'I winne ha the tua part of yer goud,
Nor the therd part of yer lan,
Bat since we ha wine safe to shor
I will wed yer daugter Ann.' |
| 23 |
Fortey ships went to the sea,
Forty ships an five,
An ther came never on back
Bat Young Allan alive. |
