XIII.

THE HART AND THE MAKING OF THE WORLD.

A Christmas Carol.

Slowly, slowly, O Lord,

The little river Olt

Has grown big,

So big

That the borders cannot be seen.

But what is coming

Down the Olt?

Tall pines

And dry fir trees.

Among the pines,

Among the fir trees,

A three-year-old stag

Is swimming.

The stag swims,

And lifts up its horns.

On the top of his horns

A cradle is hanging and swinging,

A green cradle made of silk,

Woven in six strands.

But who sits in the cradle?

The maiden, the young girl,

With her tresses hanging down the back,

Shining

Like the holy sun.

She sits and sews,

And embroiders

A collar for her father,

A kerchief for her brother.

But she stops and does not sew,

Nor does her mouth keep quiet,

For she is singing:

“Slowly, slowly,

Old stag,

Slowly, slowly be thou swimming.

Do not hinder my work.

And the waves are rising;

They might wash me off and carry me off thy horns.

Slowly, slowly,

Dear old stag,

For I have three brothers at court,

Where they learn many things.

All the three are noted hunters,

And good falconers.

They will discover thee,

And run after me.

With their falcons they will pursue thee.

With their dogs they will worry thee.

With their lances they will prick thee.

Slowly, slowly,

Dear old stag—

For if my brothers find thee,

They will make my wedding feast

With thy poor flesh.

With thy bones

They will build

My little house.

With thy skin

They will cover

My little home.

With thy blood

They will paint

My little courts.

And with thy head

They will celebrate

The holy feast.

They will place it

Over the gate,

At the entrance of the little garden.

Of thy hoofs

They will make

Crystal cups,

Out of which

Nobles drink.

On rare occasions—

On Christmas day and Epiphany—

When the whole world rejoices,

I drink to the health of these houses

For many years.

The mythical stag carrying on his horns a girl who is like the sun is similar to the bull of Mithras and to the bull in the Avesta, out of which the world was created. The stag provides here all the elements for the building of a house and for the merriment of the nobles. Each part of its body is accounted for.