The Old Man.
You must marry her.
Peer.
Do you dare to accuse me——?
The Old Man.
What? Can you deny
That you lusted for her in heart and eye?
Peer.
[With a snort of contempt.]
No more? Who the deuce cares a straw for that?
The Old Man.
It’s ever the same with this humankind.
The spirit you’re ready to own with your lips,
But in fact nothing counts that your fists cannot handle.
So you really think, then, that lust matters nought?
Wait; you shall soon have ocular proof of it——
Peer.
You don’t catch me with a bait of lies!
The Green-clad One.
My Peer, ere the year’s out, your child will be born.
Peer.
Open doors! let me go!
The Old Man.
In a he-goat’s skin.
You shall have the brat after you.
Peer.
[Mopping the sweat off his brow.]
Would I could waken!
The Old Man.
Shall we send him to the palace?
Peer.
You can send him to the parish!
The Old Man.
Well well, Prince Peer; that’s your own look-out.
But one thing’s certain, what’s done is done;
And your offspring, too, will be sure to grow;
Such mongrels shoot up amazingly fast——
Peer.
Old man, don’t act like a headstrong ox!
Hear reason, maiden! Let’s come to terms.
You must know I’m neither a prince nor rich;—
And whether you measure or whether you weigh me,
Be sure you won’t gain much by making me yours.

[The Green-clad One is taken ill, and is carried out by Troll-maids.

The Old Man.
[Looks at him for a while in high disdain; then says:]
Dash him to shards on the rock-walls, children!
The Troll-imps.
Oh dad, mayn’t we play owl-and-eagle first!
The wolf-game! Grey-mouse and glow-eyed cat!
The Old Man.
Yes, but quick. I am worried and sleepy. Goodnight!
[He goes.
Peer.
[Hunted by the Troll-imps.]
Let me be, devil’s imps!
[Tries to escape up the chimney.
The Imps.
Come brownies! Come nixies!
Bite him behind!
Peer.
Ow!
[Tries to slip down the cellar trap-door.
The Imps.
Shut up all the crannies!
The Troll-courtier.
Now the small-fry are happy!
Peer.
[Struggling with a little Imp that has bit himself
fast to his ear.]
Let go will you, beast!beast!
The Courtier.
[Hitting him across the fingers.]
Gently, you scamp, with a scion of royalty!
Peer.
A rat-hole——!
[Runs to it.
The Imps.
Be quick, Brother Nixie, and block it!
Peer.
The old one was bad, but the youngsters are worse!
The Imps.
Slash him!
Peer.
Oh, would I were small as a mouse!
[Rushing around.
The Imps.
[Swarming round him.]
Close the ring! Close the ring!
Peer.
[Weeping.]
Were I only a louse!
[He falls.
The Imps.
Now into his eyes!
Peer.
[Buried in a heap of Imps.]
Mother, help me, I die!die!
[Church bells sound far away.
The Imps.
Bells in the mountain! The Black-Frock’s cows!

[The Trolls take to flight, amid a confused uproar of yells and shrieks. The palace collapses; everything disappears.

SCENE SEVENTH.

Pitch darkness.

Peer Gynt is heard beating and slashing about him with a large bough.

Peer.
Answer! Who are you?
A Voice in the Darkness.
Myself.
Peer.
Clear the way!
The Voice.
Go roundabout, Peer! The hill’s roomy enough.
Peer.
[Tries to force a passage at another place, but strikes
against something.]
Who are you?
The Voice.
Myself. Can you say the same?
Peer.
I can say what I will; and my sword can smite!
Mind yourself! Hu, hei, now the blow falls crushing!
King Saul slew hundreds; Peer Gynt slew thousands!
[Cutting and slashing.
Who are you?
The Voice.
Myself.
Peer.
That stupid reply
You may spare; it doesn’t clear up the matter.
What are you?
The Voice.
The great Boyg.[54]
Peer.
Ah, indeed!
The riddle was black; now I’d call it grey.
Clear the way then, Boyg!
The Voice.
Go roundabout, Peer!
Peer.
No, through!
[Cuts and slashes.
There he fell!
[Tries to advance, but strikes against something.
Ho ho, are there more here?
The Voice.
The Boyg, Peer Gynt! the one only one.one.
It’s the Boyg that’s unwounded, and the Boyg that was hurt,
It’s the Boyg that is dead, and the Boyg that’s alive.
Peer.
[Throws away the branch.]
The weapon is troll-smeared;[55] but I have my fists!
[Fights his way forward.
The Voice.
Ay, trust to your fists, lad, trust to your body.
Hee-hee, Peer Gynt, so you’ll reach the summit.
Peer.
[Falling back again.]
Forward or back, and it’s just as far;—
Out or in, and it’s just as strait![56]
He is there! And there! And he’s round the bend!
No sooner I’m out than I’m back in the ring.—
Name who you are! Let me see you! What are you?
The Voice.
The Boyg.
Peer.
[Groping around.]
Not dead, not living; all slimy; misty.
Not so much as a shape! It’s as bad as to battle
In a cluster of snarling, half-wakened bears!
[Screams.
Strike back at me, can’t you!
The Voice.
The Boyg isn’t mad.
Peer.
Strike!
The Voice.
The Boyg strikes not.
Peer.
Fight! You shall!
The Voice.
The great Boyg conquers, but does not fight.
Peer.
Were there only a nixie here that could prick me!
Were there only as much as a year-old troll!
Only something to fight with. But here there is nothing.—
Now he’s snoring! Boyg!
The Voice.
What’s your will?
Peer.
Use force!
The Voice.
The great Boyg conquers in all things without it.[57]
Peer.
[Biting his own arms and hands.]
Claws and ravening teeth in my flesh!
I must feel the drip of my own warm blood.

[A sound is heard like the wing-strokes of great birds.

Bird-cries.
Comes he now, Boyg?
The Voice.
Ay, step by step.
Bird-cries.
All our sisters far off! Gather here to the tryst!
Peer.
If you’d save me now, lass, you must do it quick!
Gaze not adown so, lowly and bending.—
Your clasp-book! Hurl it straight into his eyes!
Bird-cries.
He totters!
The Voice.
We have him.
Bird-cries.
Sisters! Make haste!
Peer.
Too dear the purchase one pays for life
In such a heart-wasting hour of strife.
[Sinks down.
Bird-cries.
Boyg, there he’s fallen! Seize him! Seize him!

[A sound of bells and of psalm-singing is heard far away.

The Boyg.
[Shrinks up to nothing, and says in a gasp:]
He was too strong. There were women behind him.

SCENE EIGHTH.

Sunrise. The mountain-side in front of Åse’s sæter. The door is shut; all is silent and deserted.

Peer Gynt is lying asleep by the wall of the sæter.

Peer.
[Wakens, and looks about him with dull and heavy
eyes. He spits.]
What wouldn’t I give for a pickled herring!

[Spits again, and at the same moment catches sight of Helga, who appears carrying a basket of food.

Ha, child, are you there? What is it you want?
Helga.
It is Solveig——
Peer.
[Jumping up.]
Where is she?
Helga.
Behind the sæter.
Solveig.
[Unseen.]
If you come nearer, I’ll run away!
Peer.
[Stopping short.]
Perhaps you’re afraid I might take you in my arms?
Solveig.
For shame!
Peer.
Do you know where I was last night?—
Like a horse-fly the Dovrë-King’s daughter is after me.
Solveig.
Then it was well that the bells were set ringing.
Peer.
Peer Gynt’s not the lad they can lure astray.—
What do you say?
Helga.
[Crying.]
Oh, she’s running away!
[Running after her.
Wait!
Peer.
[Catches her by the arm.]
Look here, what I have in my pocket!
A silver button, child! You shall have it,—
Only speak for me!
Helga.
Let me be; let me go!
Peer.
There you have it.
Helga.
Let go; there’s the basket of food.
Peer.
God pity you if you don’t——
Helga.
Uf, how you scare me!
Peer.
[Gently; letting her go.]
No, I only meant: beg her not to forget me!
[Helga runs off.

Footnotes:

43. See note on page 35.

44. “Blir der Helg når en dig ser?” literally, “Does it become a holy-day (or holy-tide) when one sees you?”

45. A malevolent water-monster.

46. Sæter—a châlet, or small mountain farm, where the cattle are sent to pasture in the summer months.

47. See note, p. 29.

48. See Appendix.

49. Pronounce Vaal-fyeld.

50. Pronounce Broasë.

51. Kicking the rafters is a much-admired exploit in peasant dancing. See note, page 30.

52. Literally, “Better than our reputation.”

53. “Ustyggelig stygt.” “Ustyggelig” seems to be what Mr. Lewis Carroll calls a portmanteau word, compounded of “usigelig” = unspeakable, and “styg” = ugly. The words might be rendered “beyond grimness grim.”

54. See Introduction and Appendix.

55. Rendered harmless by magical anointing.

56.

“Atter og fram, det er lige langt;—
ud og ind, det er lige trangt!”

57. “Med lempe,” literally “by gentleness” or “easy-goingness.” “Quiescence” is somewhere near the idea.