Knut liten og Sylvelin Knut the Small and Sylvelin -- Kongjen og Knut Liten dei sat ivi bord, - Iselilja Dei tala så mange dei skjemtande ord. - Så såre syrgjer Sylvelinn fyr lisle Knut i Løyndom
The king and Knut the Small sat at a table -Icelily (probably a nickname for Sylvelin?) They spoke many a jest and joke So tenderly does Sylvelin secretly take care of little Knut -- "Høyrer du Knut liten, hot eg spør`e deg: lyster du skifte dei folar med meg?"
"Listen, Little Knut, what I ask you: would you exchange horses with me?" -- "Ja, skò eg skifte dei folar med deg: Så vil eg hava dotter di i bytte, eg"
"Well, were I to exchange horses with you: then I'd take your daughter in exchange" -- "Skò kje mi dotter bli be`re gift, hell ho skò gange i hesteskift."
"Should my daughter not be better wed? I'd rather dress her in horse's hide." -- Knut liten seg reiser frå kongjens bord: "Å visseleg skò eg hevne dei ord!"
Knut the Small stands up from the king's table "Oh surely would I revenge those words!" — Han klappa på dynni med hanskar på hand: "Du kjenner vel Knut liten, din festarmann?"
He patted the covers with gloved hand "Surely you recognize Knut the Small, your betrothed?" -- "Her sit´e du kongje drikk`e mjød og vin, Knut liten han søv`e med dotteri di."
"Here you sit, king, drinking mead and wine, while Knut the Small sleeps with your daughter." -- Kongjen let ropa ivi heile sin gård: "Kle dikkon, hovmenn, i brynjune blå."
The king let it be shouted all over the farm: "Dress youselves, hirdmen, in blue mailshirts." -- Knut liten hoggje til han gjordest mod, til blodet det sto ivi sylspente sko.
Knut the Small hacked till he was tired Till the blood stood higher than silver-buckled shoe. -- Knut liten han kom seg ri`and i gård, kongjen ute fyr honom står.
Knut the Small came riding back to the farm, The king stands waiting for him outside -- "Knut liten, du stiller ditt sylvbugne sverd, eg gjeve deg mi dotter, du er henne verd."
"Knut the Small, still your silver-bowed sword, I give you my daughter, you are worthy of her." — ..........
Now, that might not make you any wiser, because this is actually only about a quarter of the original text - the complete song has 40 verses! The story is that Knut Liten asks for the king's daughter's hand in marriage, but the king declines rather disrespecfully (probably because Knut is so small and is not likely to be a warrior worthy of a princess). Knut doesn't take this well, and vows revenge. He rides to the farm of princess Sylvelin (royalty always live on farms in Norwegian fairy tales) with whom he's already romantically involved and spends the night (Han klappa på dynni...). However, one of the princess' handmaidens runs over to the king's farm to tell him what's going on ("Her sit'e du, kongje..."), and the king sends an entire army ("many thousands of men") to execute Knut. But Knut kills them all, proving his worthiness, which the king admits when Knut subsequently returns to the king's farm. Whew - hope that helps... -- А теперь перевод на русский: Король отказался выдать свою дочь Сильвлин за Мелкого Кнута (не понравился он ему). Тогда тот в свою очередь уехал своим пешком к принцессе, где они и заночевали (ибо были давно знакомы и желали одного и того же). Кто-то из свиты сдал их королю и тот выслал армию, чтобы изловить и наказать Мелкого Кнута. ВНЕЗАПНО Мелкий Кнут всех бойцов, высланных за ним королём, таки перебил и папаша-король выдал-таки свою дочь замуж за него, оставшись без тысячи-другой своих дружинников. Тут и сказке конец. Все пили эль и много шутили и веселились на свадебном пиру. -- Мораль этой фолк-стори: если кто-то что-то очень хочет, то обязательно добьётся! =) (гибель армии в сказке символизирует преодоление тысячи трудностей на пути, видимо, а не собственно бойню одного против армии)