from old Machabol; concerning whom it is here chiefly to be
noted that Dwarf Elberich, rendering himself invisible on their
first interview, plucks out a handful of hair from his chin; thereby
increasing to a tenfold pitch the royal choler; and, what is still
more remarkable, furnishing the poet Wieland, six centuries
afterwards, with the critical incident in his “Oberon.” As for
the young lady herself, we cannot but admit that she was well
worth sailing to Heathendom for; and shall here, as our sole
specimen of that old German doggerel, give the description of her,
as she first appeared on the battlements during the fight;
subjoining a version as verbal and literal as the plainest prose can
make it. Considered as a detached passage, it is perhaps the
finest we have met with in the “Heldenbuch.”
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Ihr herz brann also schone,
Recht als ein rot rubein,
Gleich dem vollen mone
Gaben ihr äuglein schein.
Sich hett die maget reine
Mit rosen wohl bekleid
Und auch mit berlin kleine;
Niemand da tröst die meid.
Sie war schön an dem leibe,
Und zu den seiten schmal;
Recht als ein kertze scheibe
Wohlgeschaffen überall:
Ihr beyden händ gemeine
Dars ihr gentz nichts gebrach;
Ihr näglein schön und reine,
Das man sich darin besach.
Ihr har war schön umbfangen
Mit edler seiten fein;
Das liess sie nieder hangen,
Das hübsche magedlein.
Sie trug ein kron mit steinen,
Sie war von gold so rot;
Elberich dem viel kleinen
War zu der magte not.
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Her heart burnt (with anxiety) as beautiful
Just as a red ruby,
Like the full moon
Her eyes (eyelings, pretty eyes) gave sheen.
Herself had the maiden pure
Well adorned with roses,
And also with pearls small:
No one there comforted the maid.
She was fair of body,
And in the waist slender;
Right as a (golden) candlestick
Well-fashioned everywhere:
Her two hands proper,
So that she wanted nought:
Her little nails fair and pure,
That you could see yourself therein.
Her hair was beautifully girt
With noble siik (band) fine;
She let it flow down,
The lovely maidling.
She wore a crown with jewels,
It was of gold so red;
For Elberich the very small
The maid had need (to console her).
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