“My mother promised to me that I’d get a mighty ship, a trusty ten-oared longship!
Sail away with Viking lads, riding high our prow, boys! Steer the good ship homeward, safely into harbour. Hack a few to death, boys!”
This is a scena extracted from the opera, where the eponymous hero describes his two years of travels since he left the family home. He has met no love or kindness (“only heartache”) but he remains hopeful and cheerfully sings his little ballad of Viking conquest that his mother taught him as a child. Duration is around 8 minutes.
