THE COLLECTED POEMS OF HENRIK IBSEN Translated by John ...

54
While there’s a magpie that persists in cheeping
Contentedly its song of ancient line,
And where a squirrel on its busy mission
Cuts capers, treats the whole world with derision.
It is Hardanger at its loveliest, haunting,
All smiles amid the splendour of the scene,
The fjord in robe of silver bravely flaunting!
It laps now where the shaded banks o’erlean,
Now hides itself, coquettishly goes jaunting
Amid plump islets, spits of land all green,
Just like some Miss who, her tenth birthday flatters,
Begins to feels she’s got the hang of matters.
Below we glimpsed a farmstead with its yard,
A fishing-net hung out along the coping,
A puss-cat on the gable lusting hard
After the magpie’s hedge-nest, ever-hoping,
But still the old’un stands her ground, even so,
However sore-perplexed and near to moping, —
Because she’d chased her young ones without warning
Out of the nest onto the roof that morning.
Inside the yard, high spirits — life is sweet,
Beneath the jokes and laughter sounds the fiddle;
The dancer clasps around her shapely middle
The pretty girl there with the nimble feet,
He lets her go, gives her another twiddle,
And now advances, gravity complete,
Retires again — now tries the leap, the Halling, —
Ow! Messed it up! — He rushed it — o, how galling!
What colourful profusion’s lacking here?
It is, in miniature, a ballroom setting;
At least it’s here that rose-red cheeks appear
And lassies’ eyes judiciously coquetting,
Here handclasps granted to relieve love’s fretting,
Provided its demands aren’t too severe,
Yes, alcoves even, for exchange of glances
And of much more — nought’s wanting at these dances!
Because the forest arches dense and still,
It’s nice to rest upon the moss there lurking;
One seeks its shelter when one’s danced one’s fill,
The old observe it with a foxy smirking;
But their keen barbs and banter won’t be working,
Won’t pierce the plaited leafage, come what will.
Outside’s for pleasure in a general fashion,
Inside is specially reserved for passion.