"Ja, det er nu en vise for meget små børn!" forsikrede tante Malle; "jeg kan med bedste vilje ikke følge med!"
"Yes, this is a song for very small children!" declared Aunt Malle. "As much as I should like to, I cannot follow this 'Dance, Dance, Doll of Mine!'"
Men lille Amalie kunne det; hun var kun tre år, legede med dukker og opdrog disse til at blive lige så kloge, som tante Malle.
But little Amalie could; she was only three years old, played with dolls, and brought them up to be just as wise as Aunt Malle.
Der kom en student i huset; han læste lektier med brødrene; han talte så meget til den lille Amalie og hendes dukker, talte ganske anderledes end alle andre; det var så morsomt, fandt den lille, og dog sagde tante Malle, at han slet ikke forstod at omgås børn; de små hoveder kunne umuligt bære den snak. Lille Amalie kunne det, ja lærte endogså udenad af studenten en hel vise: "Danse, danse dukke min!" og hun sang den for sine tre dukker, de to var nye, den ene en frøken, den anden et mandfolk, men den tredje dukke var gammel og hed Lise. Hun fik også sangen at høre og var med i den.
There was a student who came to the house to help her brothers with their lessons, and he frequently spoke to little Amalie and her dolls; he spoke differently from anyone else, and the little girl found him very amusing, although Aunt Malle said he didn't know how to converse with children - their little heads couldn't possibly grasp that silly talk. But little Amalie did. Yes, the student even taught her the whole song, "Dance, Dance, Doll of Mine!" and she sang it to her three dolls; two were new, one a girl doll and the other a boy doll, but the third doll was old; her name was Lise-moér. She also heard the song, and was even in it.
Danse, danse dukke min!
Dance, dance, doll of mine!
nej, hvor frøkenen er fin!
Girl doll's dress is very fine.
kavaleren ligeså,
Boy doll is a dandy, too;
han har hat og handsker på,
He wears gloves and hat and shoe;
bukser hvide, kjole blå,
White pants, blue coat, him adorn;
ligtorn på den store tå.
On his toe he has a corn.
Han er fin, og hun er fin.
He is fine and she is fine.
Danse, danse dukke min!
Dance, dance, doll of mine!
Her er gamle Lisemor!
Old doll's name is Lise-moér;
hun er dukke fra i fjor;
She is from the year before;
håret nyt, det er af hør,
Hair is new; it's made of flax,
panden vasket er med smør;
Forehead polished up with wax.
hun er ganske ung igen.
Young again, not old and done.
Kom du med, min gamle ven!
Come along, my cherished one,
I skal danse alle tre.
Let us dance a fast gavotte;
Det er penge værd at se.
To watch it is worth a lot.
Danse, danse dukke min!
Dance, dance, doll of mine!
gør de rette dansetrin!
Watch your steps and get in line;
foden ud ad, hold dig rank,
One foot forward; watch your feet.
så er du så sød og slank!
Dancing makes you slender, sweet.
neje, dreje, snurre rundt,
Bow and twist and turn around;
det er overmåde sundt!
That will make you hale and sound.
Det er nydeligt at se.
What a sight it is to see!
I er søde alle tre!
You are doing fine, all three.
Og dukkerne forstod visen, lille Amalie forstod den, studenten forstod den; han havde selv digtet den og sagde, at den var så udmærket; kun Tante Malle forstod den ikke; hun var kommet ud over barnlighedens plankeværk, "pjankeværk!" sagde hun, men det var ikke lille Amalie, hun synger den.
And the dolls understood the song; little Amalie understood it, and so did the student, but then he had written it himself and said it was excellent. Only Aunt Malle didn't understand it; she had passed over the fence of youth. "Silly song!" she said. But not little Amalie! She sings it.
Fra hende har vi den.
It is from her that we know it.