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The Giant of Bern and Orm Ungerswayne: A Ballad

George Borrow
The Giant of Bern and Orm Ungerswayne: A Ballad

THE GIANT OF BERN

It was the lofty Jutt of Bern
   O’er all the walls he grew;
He was mad and ne’er at rest,
   To tame him no one knew.

He was mad and ne’er at rest,
   No lord could hold him in;
If he had long in Denmark stayed
   Much damage there had been.

It was the lofty Jutt of Bern
   Bound to his side his glaive,
And away to the monarch’s house he rode
   With the knights a fray to have.

Now goes the lofty Jutt of Bern
   Before the King to stand:
“Thou shalt to me thy daughter give,
   And a brief for half thy land.

“Here as thou sitt’st at thy wide board,
   Hail Monarch of the Danes!
Thou shalt to me thy daughter give,
   And the half of thy domains.

“Thou shalt to me thy daughter give,
   And divide with me thy land,
Or thou shalt find a kempion good
   In the ring ’gainst me to stand.”

“O thou shalt ne’er my daughter get,
   Nor a brief for half my land,
I’ll quickly find a kempion good
   Shall fight thee hand to hand.”

Then strode the Monarch of the Danes
   To his castle hall amain:
“Now which of ye, my courtiers, will
   The lovely Damsel gain?

“Here sit ye all my Danish swains
   On whom I bread bestow,
Now which of ye will risk his life
   To lay the Berner low?

“I’ll give to him my daughter dear,
   The wondrous lovely may,
Who in the ring with Jutt of Bern
   Shall dare the desperate fray.”

In silence all the kempions sat,
   None dared reply a word,
Except alone Orm Ungerswayne,
   The lowest at the board.

Except alone Orm Ungerswayne,
   He bounded o’er the board:
I tell to ye in verity
   He spake a manly word.

“Wilt thou to me thy daughter give,
   And divide with me thy land?
O then will I the kempion be,

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