Brother Slovenly
Borghild Holmsen
A feather on my cap, in play and danger,
Halli.
I've never learned in my life how to fast or save,
Hallo.
For maidens I never step aside on the path;
where men are fighting, there I am;
and where they're drinking, there I am, drinking for three.
Halli and Hallo.
Damn, once I got stuck with a maiden,
Halli.
I can't get her out of my heart,
Hallo.
I think she was just about sixteen,
wore red ribbons in her black hair,
and she chattered like a merry starling.
Halli and Hallo.
What fresh cheeks that maiden had,
Halli.
Crack! could her teeth break hazelnuts,
Hallo.
She decorated my room with flowers,
which we picked on a secret path -
how I pressed her to my heart for that!
Halli and Hallo.
I gave her a little dress of yellow silk,
Halli.
She said she liked me immensely, terribly much,
Hallo.
And when I stuffed her pockets full
with pralines, figs and fine candies,
she chomped on them from morning to night,
Halli and Hallo.
We passed the time superbly,
Halli.
I wish we had remained together,
Hallo.
But the thing became so utterly boring,
that I told her I'd been named by the government
to sell camels in Samarkand.
Halli and Hallo.
And when I gave the little thing my hand in parting,
Halli.
She started weeping so bitterly,
Hallo.
What I think about constantly, even today,
is how coarsely I gave her those marching orders...
Wine here! - hang it all! - there's the ace of trumps!
Halli and Hallo.