ESTHOftlAN POETRY, 41 



Worfted-ftockings are, it feems, quite a luxury. 

 The female boors wear narrow aprons. Broad 1 aprons 

 therefore, contrariwife, denote " riches. ,, s 



Hark, my maid, my little bride ! 

 Thou greweft up in the nobleman's room, 

 In a room where people go in worfted ftockings, 

 Amongft worfted-ftocking company — 

 Where there are large windows # , 

 On the floors of the folks with broad aprons, 

 In a great ftone houfe. — 

 The Riga flints do not fpoil thy feet, 

 jMor the Ruffian bloody fwords wound thee, 

 Nor the Turkilh fiery darts. 

 The lord of the manor was thy father, 

 ' The lady thy mother, 



The lord^s daughters thy lifters, 



His fons thy half-brothers. 



There thou kneweft where thou didft grow up, 



Kneweft the life thou leddeft, 



Kneweft the place where thou fhouldft fleep. 



The goofe knows not the place, 



The duck knows not the .little place 



Where it fhall fall down to die. 



I perhaps fhall die in the bog, 



Jjeft to perifh upon the earth, 



Or breathe out my life upon the hay-mow -J\ 



* Large windows. The habitations of the boors are without 

 any, or very fm all ones, confining only of one pane of green 

 glafs, about a ipan fquare. 



f This fong rather appears to me to be fung in the, perfon of 

 a poor village-maiden } than in the perfon of the parents of the 

 bride. 



XI. Bridal 



