Heine, Heinrich - Ritter Olaf

"Ritter Olaf" is a dramatic ballad written by German poet Heinrich Heine (1797–1856), published in his Neue Gedichte (New Poems) in 1844. The poem tells the tragic tale of Knight Olaf, who is condemned to die at midnight for unlawfully loving a king's daughter, yet celebrates his wedding joyfully until the very last moment.