Three Comedies | Page 2

the latter's works. Ibsen, too, has been far more widely
translated (and is easier to translate) into English than Björnson. Much

of the latter's finest work, especially in his lyrical poetry and his
peasant stories, has a charm of diction that it is almost impossible to
reproduce in translation. Ibsen and Björnson, who inevitably suggest
comparison when either's work is dealt with, were closely bound by
friendship as well as admiration until a breach was caused by
Björnson's taking offence at a supposed attack on him in Ibsen's early
play The League of Youth, Björnson considering himself to be
lampooned in the delineation of one of the characters thereof. The
breach, however, was healed many years later, when, at the time of the
bitter attacks that were made upon Ibsen in consequence of the
publication of Ghosts, Björnson came into the field of controversy with
a vigorous and generous championing of his rival.
Björnson's dramatic energies, as was the case with Ibsen in his early
days, first took the form of a series of historical dramas --Sigurd
Slembe, Konge Sverre, and others; and he was intimately connected
with the theatre by being for two periods theatrical director, from 1857
to 1859 at Bergen and from 1865 to 1867 at Christiania. Previous to the
latter engagement a stipend granted to him by the Norwegian
government enabled him to travel for two or three years in Europe; and
during those years his pen was never idle--poems, prose sketches, and
tales flowing from it in abundance. De Nygifte (The Newly-Married
Couple), the first of the three plays in the present volume, was
produced at the Christiania theatre in the first year of his directorship
there.
The two volumes, Digte og Sange (Poems and Songs) and Arnljot
Gelline, which comprise the greater proportion of Björnson's poetry,
both appeared in 1870. Digte og Sange was republished, in an enlarged
edition, ten years later. It contains the poem "Ja, vi elsker dette Landet"
("Yes, we love this land of ours"), which, set to inspiring music by
Nordraak, became Norway's most favourite national song, as well as
another of the same nature-- "Fremad! Fremad!" ("Forward!
Forward!")--which, sung to music of Grieg's, ran it hard in popularity.
Of "Ja, vi elsker dette Landet," Björnson used to say that the greatest
tribute he had ever had to its hold upon his fellow-countrymen's hearts
was when, on one occasion during the poet's years of vigorous political

activity, a crowd of fervid opponents came and broke his windows with
stones; after which, turning to march away triumphantly, they felt the
need (ever present to the Scandinavian in moments of stress) of singing,
and burst out with one accord into the "Ja, vi elsker dette Landet" of
their hated political adversary. "They couldn't help it; they had to sing
it!" the poet used to relate delightedly.
Of the birth of "Fremad! Fremad!" Grieg has left an account which
gives an amusing picture of the infectious enthusiasm that was one of
Björnson's strongest characteristics. Grieg had given him, as a
Christmas present, the first series of his "Lyrical Pieces" for the
pianoforte, and had afterwards played some of them to the poet, who
was especially struck with one melody which Grieg had called
"Fadrelandssang" ("Song of the Fatherland"). Björnson there and then,
to the composer's great gratification, protested that he must write words
to fit the air. (It must be mentioned that each strophe of the melody
starts with a refrain consisting of two strongly accented notes, which
suggest some vigorous dissyllabic word.) A day or two later Grieg met
Björnson, who was in the full throes of composition, and exclaimed to
him that the song was going splendidly, and that he believed all the
youth of Norway would adopt it enthusiastically; but that he was still
puzzled over the very necessary word to fit the strongly marked refrain.
However, he was not going to give it up. Next morning, when Grieg
was in his room peacefully giving a piano lesson to a young lady, a
furious ringing was heard at his front-door bell, as if the ringer would
tear the bell from its wires, followed by a wild shout of "'Fremad!
Fremad!' Hurrah, I have got it! 'Fremad!'" Björnson, for of course the
intruder was he, rushed into the house the moment the maid's trembling
fingers could open the door, and triumphantly chanted the completed
song to them, over and over again, amidst a din of laughter and
congratulations.
His first experiments in the "social drama," plays dealing with the
tragedies and comedies of every-day life in his own country, were
made at about the same time as Ibsen's; that is to say, in the seventies.
Björnson's first successes in that field, which made him at once a
popular dramatist, were Redaktören (The Editor)