mersiowsky - 7-9-2013 at 02:27 PM
Translated by Joel Meador
1. Three hours before the arrival of the light of day
little Elizabeth went out to cut the hay.
2. And in that place after only a short period of time
she began to see the lovely light of the morning sunrise.
3. And in that very place after a couple of hours
she was able to see the brilliant rays of sunlight.
4. And after three hours in that place
she suddenly saw a little man appear before her.
5. “What are you doing to me here in my little grove?”
“I am cutting grass for the little cows and their calves.”
6. “Little Elizabeth, then you must leave a deposit with me,
otherwise you must certainly give up something else.”
7. “Yes, I have a deposit, but I do not have it with me.
I only have my thin little sickle here.”
8. “Well, this sickle of yours is nothing to me.
You, Elizabeth, must simply give me a deposit.”
9. “Yes, I do have a deposit, but I do not have it with me.
I only have this silver ring with me.”
10. “Your little ring means nothing to me.
You, Elizabeth, must simply give me a deposit.”
11. “Yes, I do have a deposit, but I do not have it with me.
I only have just now a wreath of rue [a scented herb with bitter leaves].”
12. “Nevertheless, I will never give you my wreath.
And I will never part with it in this life.”
13. “Already in my seven years of life I have not anywhere,
nowhere at all, run across any one like you.
14. “But now I also say to my little Elizabeth,
which death do you want to die?”
15. “Shall I cut you to death with my sword
or shall I run you down with my horse?”
16. “You can take my life however you want to take it,
just allow me to call out three times.”
17. The first time Elizabeth called out from the glen,
“Help, help me my brothers!”
18. “It is going bad for me here in the meadow.
You don’t know, you really don’t know, how sad my situation is.”
19. “You all drink and play and are so happy,
and think, yes, think not of me.”
20. The second time Elizabeth called out from the meadow
her brothers ran from their home at the inn.
21. “Who is calling so sadly to us from the meadow,
is it not the voice of our little sister?”
22. “Saddle up my horse little brother.
Actually, saddle up both of our horses.”
23. The younger brother saddled the horses
and the older one got two swords and buckled one on.
24. After the third call from Elizabeth came from the meadow,
the two brothers had drawn near to the place.
25. The brothers rode around the meadow when they first arrived,
but they saw no one anywhere.
26. They rode around the field for a second time
and again they found no one.
27. On the third trip around the field
the little man came up to them.
28. “Tell us now, little man, what have you done
that the side of your sword is so bloody?”
29. “A dove came flying by here
and I took off its little head.”
30. “Where have you placed the head?”
“I scattered the thing around the field.”
31. “What have you done with the feathers?”
“I scattered all of the little feathers into the wind.”
32. “By the way, what have you done with Elizabeth?”
The little man remained silent and said nothing.
33. “Oh, seize him, catch hold of him little brother,
it seems he has murdered our sister!”
34. The one brother grasped the little man
while the other brother drew his flashing sword.
35. He placed his sword against the man’s heart,
stabbed him with it and struck him dead.
36. “Here you have it little man, your just reward,
because you have murdered our little sister.”
37. “They probably all wanted to become or marry either a prince or princess
only to be murdered at the hands of the little man.”
NOTES:
Kleinholder can be translated several ways: a little person; a little man; a small farmer; perhaps a fairy-like person, or elf. Holder or holden is
not a regular word but could possibly even be translated as “lovely.”
It was difficult to translate Lines 12 and 13.
FREIN was untranslatable in line 37, but seems to be along the lines of “to marry” or “to become.”
Attachment: Elizabeth and the Little Man.mp3 (839kB)
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