Ballad Of Tailor Nils (From Arne)

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson 1832 ( Kvikne) – 1910 (Paris)



If you were born before yesterday,
Surely you've heard about Tailor Nils, who flaunts him so gay.
  
If it's more than a week that you've been here,
Surely you've heard how Knut Storedragen got a lesson severe.
  
Up on the barn of Ola-Per Kviste after a punchin':
"When Nils heaves you again, take with you some luncheon."
  
Hans Bugge, he was a man so renowned,
Haunting ghosts of his name spread alarm all around.
  
"Tailor Nils, where you wish to lie, now declare!
On that spot will I spit and lay your head right there." -
  
"Oh, just come up so near, that I know you by the scent!
Think not that by your jaw to earth I shall be bent!"
  
When first they met, 't was scarce a bout at all,
Neither man was ready yet to try to get a fall.
  
The second time Hans Bugge slipped his hold.
"Are you tired now, Hans Bugge? The dance will soon be bold."
  
The third time Hans fell headlong, and forth the blood did spurt.
"Why spit you now so much, man?" - "Oh my, that fall did hurt!" -
  
Saw you a tree casting shadows on new-fallen snow?
Saw you Nils on a maiden smiling glances bestow?
  
Have you seen Tailor Nils when the dance he commences?
Are you a maiden, then go! - It's too late, when you've lost your senses.
  
  
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:15 min read
8

Quick analysis:

Scheme AA XX BB CC DD EE FF GG HH BX XX
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,208
Words 250
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( BYURN-sən, Norwegian: [ˈbjø̂ːɳstjæːɳə ˈbjø̂ːɳsɔn]; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit", becoming the first Norwegian Nobel laureate. Bjørnson is considered to be one of The Four Greats (De Fire Store) among Norwegian writers, the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland. Bjørnson is also celebrated for his lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".  more…

All Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson poems | Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson Books

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