PEER GYNT (Illustrated Edition). Henrik Ibsen
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Who?
Peer
Why Aslak, to be sure.
Åse
Shame — and shame; I spit upon you!
Such a worthless sot as that,
such a brawler, such a sodden
dram-sponge to have beaten you!
[Weeping again.]
Many a shame and slight I’ve suffered;
but that this should come to pass
is the worst disgrace of all.
What if he be ne’er so limber,
need you therefore be a weakling?
Peer
Though I hammer or am hammered,—
still we must have lamentations.
[Laughing.]
Cheer up, mother —
Åse
What? You’re lying
now again?
Peer
Yes, just this once.
Come now, wipe your tears away;—
[Clenching his left hand.]
see,— with this same pair of tongs,
thus I held the smith bent double,
while my sledge-hammer right fist —
Åse
Oh, you brawler! You will bring me
with your doings to the grave!
Peer
No, you’re worth a better fate;
better twenty thousand times!
Little, ugly, dear old mother,
you may safely trust my word,—
all the parish shall exalt you;
only wait till I have done
something — something really grand!
Åse [contemptuously]
You!
Peer
Who knows what may befall one!
Åse
Would you’d get so far in sense
one day as to do the darning
of your breeches for yourself!
Peer [hotly]
I will be a king, a kaiser!
Åse
Oh, God comfort me, he’s losing
all the wits that he had left!
Peer
Yes, I will! just give me time!
Åse
Give you time, you’ll be a prince,
so the saying goes, I think!
Peer
You shall see!
Åse
Oh, hold your tongue!
You’re as mad as mad can be.—
Ah, and yet it’s true enough,—
something might have come of you,
had you not been steeped for ever
in your lies and trash and moonshine.
Hegstad’s girl was fond of you.
Easily you could have won her
had you wooed her with a will —
Peer
Could I?
Åse
The old man’s too feeble
not to give his child her way.
He is stiff-necked in a fashion
but at last ’tis Ingrid rules;
and where she leads, step by step,
stumps the gaffer, grumbling, after.
[Begins to cry again.]
Ah, my Peer!— a golden girl —
land entailed on her! just think,
had you set your mind upon it,
you’d be now a bridegroom brave,—
you that stand here grimed and tattered!
Peer [briskly]
Come, we’ll go a-wooing, then!
Åse
Where?
Peer
At Hegstad!
Åse
Ah, poor boy;
Hegstad way is barred to wooers!
Peer
How is that?
Åse
Ah, I must sigh!
Lost the moment, lost the luck —
Peer
Speak!
Åse [sobbing]
While in the Wester-hills
you in air were riding reindeer,
here Mads Moen’s won the girl!
Peer
What! That women’s-bugbear! He —!
Åse
Ay, she’s taking him for husband.
Peer
Wait you here till I have harnessed
horse and waggon —
[Going.]
Åse
Spare your pains.
They are to be wed to-morrow —
Peer
Pooh; this evening I’ll be there!
Åse
Fie now! Would you crown our miseries
with a load of all men’s scorn?
Peer
Never fear; ’twill all go well.
[Shouting and laughing at the same time.]
Mother, jump! We’ll spare the waggon;
’twould take time to fetch the mare up —
[Lifts her up in his arms.]
Åse
Put me down!
Peer
No, in my arms
I will bear you to the wedding!
[Wades out into the stream.]
Åse
Help! The Lord have mercy on us!
Peer! We’re drowning —
Peer
I was born
for a braver death —
Åse
Ay, true;
sure enough you’ll hang at last!
[Tugging