SCHEVENINGEN, OR DE MAIDEN'S COORSE.

Oldt Flamisch.

HET vas Mijn Heer van Torenborg,

Ride oud oopon de sand,

Und vait to hear a paardeken;

Coom tromplin from de land.

He vaited vhen de boeren volk

Vent oud oopon de plain,

He vaited dill de veary crows

Flew nestwarts home acain.

He vaited ash de wild fox vaits

In long-some hoonger noth,

He vaited dill de flitterin bats

Vere plack on Abendroth.

Id's woe to watch for taily bread

Or bide forgotten call,

Boot oh, to vait for heartsen lofe

Ish veariest of dem all.

"O dat ish not mine laity's prooch

Shoost now so star-like shined,

O dat ish not mine laity's haar

Soft floatin on de wind.

Her goot crayhound mit soosh a step

Vas nefer vont to go,

Und dat is niet her paardeken

Whose shtep so vell I know.

"Dat light ish speer light from a lanz

Vitch'll part mine pody und soul,

De floatin haar is a pennon gay

Or wafin banderol.

De crayhound ish a ploot-hound wild

Vitch long has dracked me here,

Und het paardeken ish a var-horse

Vot has hoonted me like deer."

Well shpoke Mijn Heer van Torenborg

All drue vas afery wordt,

For dey bored him troo mit lanzen,

Und dey hewed him mit de swordt.

Dey killt him armloss, harmlos;

De plooty reiver band;

Und puried him so careloosly

Dat his vace shtick out de sand.

Boot e'er night's plack hat toorned to red

Or e'er de stars vere gone,

Dere came de shtep of a paardeken

Soft tromplin, tromplin on.

A laity fair climped off on him

Und trip mit dainty toes:-

Boot oh, mijn Gott! - how she vas shkreem

Ven she trot on her drue lofe's nose!

"Oh vot ish dis I trots opon?

Id's shape fool well I know,

Dere nefer yet vas flower like dis,

Dat in de garten crow.

Dere nefer yet vas fruit like dis

Ash ripen on a dree;

Het is Mijn Heer van Torenborg

Dat kan ik blainly see.

"Dat heerlijk nose, van Torenborg,

Ish known of anciend dime,

'Tis writ in olten chronikel

Und sung in minsdrel rhyme.

Und dis, de noblest of de race

Since hishdory pegans,

Ish shtickin here - shdraighdt out de dirt,

Shoost like some boer manns.

"Oh cuss de man dat mordered him!

Ach, cuss him oop and down,

Ja - cuss him troo de forest roads,

Und tamn him in de toun!

Und burn his vater und moder,

Vhere'er deir vootshteps vall,

Mit his schwesters und his broders,

De teufel rake dem all!

"May afery cuss dat e'er vas cusst,

Since cussin foorst pegan;

Pe hoorled in von drementous cuss,

Acainsdt dat nasdy man!

From de foorst crate cuss on Adam,

To de smalles' of de crop"-

Here de tead man gafe a shifer,

Und gry oud - "For Gott's sake - shdop!

"Dere's a cerdain lot of shwearin,

Vitch anger alvays crafes;

Boot spite like dat's enof to pring

De tead men from deir craves.

I can't lie here no longer,

Und hear soosh pizen pain;

Und since you've shtirred me out, I kess

I'll coom to life acain."

Mit von drementous shkreem of pliss,

His drue lofe shtood de shock,

Den catcht him wildly py de nose,

"Ach Torenborg - lev'st du nock!

Ach ja - du aint'st nod tead yet!

Dere's life shdill lef' pehind,

Gott pless de dat lef' dy nose,

Shdill wafin in de wind."

Mit hands all ofer diamonds,

She loosed de sand apout,

Mit an oyster-shell so wildly

She digged her lofer out.

"Und now dou'rt in free air, lofe!

Who warst shoost now in sand!

Dere vasn't ish a nicer man,

In all de Nederland!

Vhere vas dit liedeken written,

Vhere vas dit liedeken sing,

Dat had gedone Hans Breitmann,

In de town of Schevening!

'Tvas written ober Rheinwein,

'Tvas written ober bier-

Und wer das lied gesungen hat,

Gott geb ihm ein glucklich's jahr.[59]