✕
Translation
Margjit and Targjei Risvollo
Margjit walks in the northern hillsides
she blows in a gilded horn
this Jon i Vaddelio hears
and it increases his grief
- it was me and never you
who jala* here beneath the hillsides -
"I would have given a horse with saddle
fairest in the whole grove
if you Margjit were to love me
like the leaf burns in the flame"
"Harken Jon in Vaddelio
you must not speak like this
I am to be married to Tarjei Risvollo
I have no say in the matter"
They lay together in the summer night
by each other's side
the night ended and the sun rose
they parted with sorrow and pain
They lay together in the summer night
in each other's arms
the night ended and the sun rose
they parted with sorrow and anger
Mistress Margjit came home
she tapped on the side post;
"arise, Kristi, my maiden
you must let me in!"
At this the maiden Kristi answered,
angered by the words;
"it is not becoming for a virgin/maiden
to wander in the woods"
"I got lost on the mountain plateau
around a goblin's Stone
if God had not directed my way
I would not have found my way home"
"Harken, you Kristi my maiden;
you must not increase my sorrow;
you have not seen your birthday
wrapped in a corpses sheet*
(It was) Targjei Risvollo,
came riding to the farm
outside stood the maiden Kirsti
receiving him sweetly
Targjei Risvollo spoke
he leaned against his sword
"where is the mistress Margjit
who is to brighten my journey?"
To this Kristi answered
-she answered him angrily:
"you deserve better, rich Targjei
than to be the groom of Margjit"
"Let the groomsmen go into the house
and drink mead out of cups!
I will go up in the attic
and here her own words!"
He parted the bed covers
both yellow and blue
He became aware of two beautiful sons
that lay upon each arm.
"Harken Targjei Risvollo
do as I beg you:
Will you take these two boys
to be baptized for me?"
"Yes I will have them baptized,
it won't take long
and no one will find out
until they are two grown-up boys"
Targjei let himself be dressed in women's clothes
with a child in each hand.
It was Margjits greatest joy
that no one there knew Targjei
Targjei stood by the wall of the Church
carrying the boys to be laid in the earth.
He felt as if underneath his clothes
he were cut by sharp blades.
"Harken rich Targjei,
what I must ask you;
where did you leave the children
which I gave birth to yesterday?"
"Harken mistress Margjit
do not be sad:
the preacher baptized them in secret,
they sleep in consecrated ground"
Fair was the horse
which brave Targjei rode
even fairer the horse
he had intended for his betrothed
(It was)Targjei Risvollo
he left with sorrow and pain.
The horse of the bride runs riderless
behind Risvollo.
Thanks! ❤ | ||
thanked 87 times |
Thanks Details:
User | Time ago |
---|---|
hunhxc | 2 months 1 week |
galeon_funk | 4 years 7 months |
John Farrow | 7 years 10 months |
TrampGuy | 11 years 10 months |
Guests thanked 83 times
Submitted by Gjendine on 2012-06-23
✕
Please help to translate "Margjit og Targjei ..."
Agnes Buen Garnås & Jan Garbarek: Top 3
1. | Margjit og Targjei Risvollo |
2. | Rosensfole |
3. | Signelita |
Comments
Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine!
A quick summery
This is a rather well-known ballad which speaks about the love triangle between Margjit, Jon i Vaddelio (presumably a creature of the underworld) and Targjei Risvollo, Margjits betrothed.
Margjit has become pregnant with the children of Jon and has just given birth to them when her betrothed Targjei arrives at her home. Because of Targjei´s love for her he agrees to have the children baptized in secrecy, dressing up in women's clothes so as to protect Margjit´s honor. However, the children (being the offspring of a human and a creature from the underworld) are frail and die soon after they have been Christened.
In the last verse Targjei leaves the house of Margjit with the horse intended for the bride running riderless behind him, making us persum that Margjit also have died.
* - Jala
to Jala or Lala (laling) is part of a set of sounds used in connection with the life on the Seter. A Seter was the pastures in the mountains where farm animals were herded during the summer months in order to graze. The animals were usually herded up here by young boys and girls who would spend the entire summer up in the mountains in small wooden houses (a Støl or Seter). Different kinds of melodies and sounds were used for different purposes. Laling or Jaling was a kind of calling or melodious shouting used to keep off wild animals, but also to keep in contact and communicate with other herders on Seters far off, as the sound would carry far among the mountains.
* - a corpses´ sheet
A veil in which a dead person was wrapped in. A hint from Margjit that all her life ever since her birth had been doomed.