The King he has caught the fair mermaid, and deep ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) In the dungeon has placed her, to pine and to weep, Because his will she had not done.
The Queen of the Danes addressed two of her band: ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) “To come to my presence the mermaid command, For my will by her it shall be done.”
The mermaid came in, to the Queen she up went: ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) “What wilt thou, O Queen, that for me thou hast sent? By me thy will can never be done.”
The Queen the blue cushion stroked down with a smile: ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) “Sit down pretty mermaid and rest thee awhile, My will by thee must now be done.”
“Why seek’ st thou, O Queen, to betray my young life? ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) For under that cushion is stuck a sharp knife, By me thy will can never be done.”
“If thou knowest that, then much more thou dost know, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) So do thou my destiny unto me show, And thus by thee shall my will be done.”
“If I should thy destiny to thee announce, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) On a fire of faggots thoud’ st burn me at once! By me unwilling your will is done.
“Three babes thou shalt bear, each a beautiful boy, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) And in leaving thy womb they thy life shall destroy, And thus fair Queen thy will is done.”
“If with me, luckless me, it no better shall speed, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) Inform me what fortune for them is decreed, For thus by thee can my will be done.”
“The first shall be King in old Denmark of them, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) The next shall succeed to the gold diadem, By me can thus thy will be done.
“The third as the wisest of mortals shall shine, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) And for him thou art doomed thy young life to resign, Thus all your will, fair Queen, I’ ve done.”
In her mantle of azure the Queen wrapt her head, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) And unto the hall to the Monarch she sped, For she her will had fairly done.
“Now hear my entreaty, my heart’ s belov’ d Lord, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) To my own disposal this mermaid award, For she my will has fairly done.”
“I’ ll not give her thee, nor her life shalt thou save, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) For my seven brave vessels she swamped in the wave, My pleasure thus she has not done.”
Black, black as a clod grew the Queen at that word, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) And down she fell senseless before the King’ s board, Because her will she had fairly clone.
“My Queen and my dearest! thy heart shall not break, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) Thou art free to the strand the fair mermaid to take, Because thy will she has fairly done.”
The mermaid in scarlet so fine she array’ d, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) Although she had heard her own death by her spaed, For thus, for thus, her will she’ d done.
The Queen gave command to the maids in her train: ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) “Convey ye the mermaid hence down to the main, For she my will has fairly done.”
Upon the blue billows the mermaid they place, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) The Queen fell to weeping, and sad was each face, For she her will, alack! had done.
“O prythee don’ t weep, and O prythee don’ t grieve, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) Heaven’ s portals stand open thy soul to receive, Now I thy will have fairly done.
“In the mansions of Heaven thou aye shalt remain, ( The mermaid dances the floor upon ) And there perfect quiet and rest thou shalt gain — Now all thy will, fair Queen, I’ ve done!”
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