[36.  William Shakespeare—­Jonsok Draumen—­Eit Gamenspel.  Paa
    Norsk ved Erik Eggen.  Oslo, 1912.]

Now, admitting that

    eg dogge maa
    dei grone straa
  som vaar dronning dansar paa.

is a better translation than in the Syn og Segn text—­which is doubtful enough—­it is difficult to see what can be the excuse for such pompous banality as

    Kvart nykelband
    er adelsmann,
  med ordenar dei glime kann;

the first version is not above reproach in this respect.  It might fairly be asked:  where does Eggen get his authority for

  sjaa dei stjernur alvar gav deim!

But the lines are not loaded down with imagery which is both misleading and in bad taste.  Eggen should have left his first version unchanged.  Such uninspired prose as: 

    kvar blank rubin,
    paa bringa skin,
  utsender ange fin.

have to the ears of most Norwegians the atmosphere of the back stairs.  Better the unadorned version of 1903.

In the passage following, Robin’s reply, the revised version is probably better than the first, though there seems to be little to choose between them.  But in the fairy’s next speech the translator has gone quite beyond his legitimate province, and has improved Shakespeare by a picture from Norwegian folklore.  Following the lines of the original: 

  Misleade nightwanderers, laughing at their harm,

Eggen has added this homelike conception in his translation: 

  som og kann draga for til hest og naut,
  naar berre du kvar torsdag faer din graut.

Shakespeare in Elysium must have regretted that he was not born in the mountains of Norway!

And when Robin, in the speech that follows, tells of his antics, one wonders just a little what has been gained by the revision.  The same query is constantly suggested to anyone who compares the two texts.

Nor do I think that the lyrics have gained by the revision.  Just a single comparison—­the lullaby in the two versions.  We have given it above as published in Syn og Segn.  The following is its revised form: 

Fyrste alven:  Spettut orm, bustyvel kvass, eiter-odle, sleve graa, fare burt fraa denne plass, so vaar dronning sova maa!

  Alle: 
  Maaltrost, syng med oss i lund
  dronningi i saelan blund: 
    Byssam, byssam barne,
    gryta heng i jarne. 
      Troll og nykk,
    gakk burt med dykk
  denne saele skymingsstund! 
  So god natt!  Sov sott i lund!

Andre alven:  Burt, tordivel, kom kje her!  Makk og snigill, burt dykk vinn!  Kongro, far ei onnor ferd, langt ifraa oss din spune spinn!

  Alle: 
  Maaltrost, syng med oss i lund, etc.

The first version is not only more literal but, so far as I can judge, superior in every way—­in music and delicacy of phrase.  And again, Eggen has taken it upon himself to patch up Shakespeare with homespun rags from his native Norwegian parish.  It is difficult to say upon what grounds such tinkerings with the text as: