Hans Christian Andersen: 'Jeg veed et Slot'

 

Havmanden

    (synger)

 

Jeg veed et Slot, dets Væg og Tag

Er’ grønne Bølger, Lag paa Lag,

Ei bygge Spurvene derpaa,

Nei Skibe sees for Fugle smaa.

Dets Søiler er’ de stride Strømme,

Hvor Hvaler og Delphiner svømme!

 

Det naar fra begge Polers Iis

Hen under Sydens Paradiis,

Det har en Urtegaard saa skjøn,

Den voxer altid sommergrøn.

Det vilde Qvæg paa Engen gaaer,

Hvor Tang, som Krusemynter, staaer;

Ei Stormen naaer til disse Zoner,

Den høres kun som Orgeltoner!

 

Naar stolt den over Slottet boer,

Paa Taget Skummets Lillie groer;

Men er det maaneklart og tyst,

Da smelter dobbelt der hvert Bryst,

I Maanens milde Glød man svømmer,

Og synger høit, hvad Hjertet drømmer.

 

 

The Merman

    (sings)

 

I know a castle, walled and decked

By layered waves of green, foam-flecked,

Where sparrows do not build their nests

No, ships like small birds ride its crests.

The swirling currents are its pillars,

Where whales and dolphins steer their tillers!

 

It stretches from both poles’ hard ice

Beneath the southern paradise,

It has a garden fair of sheen,

And constantly is summer-green.

Wild cattle in its meadows roam

Where kelp like spearmint always bloom;

No storms these peaceful zones draw near to,

They sound like organ notes to hear to.

 

Should o’er the castle they preside,

Foam’s lilies on the roof reside;

But when it’s quiet, the moon shines clear,

Then every breast melts double here,

In moon’s mild glow one can go swimming,

And sing aloud the heart’s deep dreaming.

 

These three verses come from Agnete og Havmanden (Agnete and the Merman, 1834), which Andersen described as a ‘Dramatic Poem’. Within the poem there are various songs, and these three verses are sung by the merman. Despite this, the title most frequently used for the verses is ‘Havfruens Sang’ (The Mermaid’s Song). This is possibly because Niels W. Gade set six texts from the long poem to music:

 

1) Hemmings spillemands sang (Der voxed et Træ i min Moders Gaard)

2) Chor af Havfruer (Jeg veed et slot)

3) Agnetes vuggevise (Sol deroppe ganger under lide)

4) Chor af Jægere (tra-ra, tra-ra, tra-ra)

5) Vise om Agnete og havmanden (Agnete var elsket)

6) Fiskerdrengens vise (Lærken synger sin Morgensang)