XVI.

GENTLE RIVER, GENTLE RIVER,

TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH.

Although the English are remarkable for the number and variety of their ancient ballads, and retain perhaps a greater fondness for these old simple rhapsodies of their ancestors, than most other nations; they are not the only people who have distinguished themselves by compositions of this kind. The Spaniards have great multitudes of them, many of which are of the highest merit. They call them in their language _Romances_, and have collected them into volumes under the titles of _El Romancero_, _El Cancionero_,[1027] &c. Most of them relate to their conflicts with the Moors, and display a spirit of gallantry peculiar to that romantic people. But of all the Spanish ballads none exceed in poetical merit those inserted in a little Spanish _History of the civil wars of Granada_, describing the dissensions which raged in that last seat of Moorish empire before it was conquered in the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, in 1491. In this history (or perhaps romance) a great number of heroic songs are inserted and appealed to as authentic vouchers for the truth of facts. In reality the prose narrative seems to be drawn up for no other end, but to introduce and illustrate those beautiful pieces.

The Spanish editor pretends (how truly I know not) that they are translations from the Arabic or Morisco language. Indeed, from the plain unadorned nature of the verse, and the native simplicity of the language and sentiment, which runs through these poems, one would judge them to have been composed soon after the conquest of Granada[1028] above mentioned; as the prose narrative in which they are inserted was published about a century after. It should seem, at least, that they were written before the Castillians had formed themselves so generally, as they have done since, on the model of the Tuscan poets, or had imported from Italy that fondness for conceit and refinement, which has for near two centuries past so much infected the Spanish poetry, and rendered it so frequently affected and obscure.

As a specimen of the ancient Spanish manner, which very much resembles that of our English bards and minstrels, the reader is desired candidly to accept the two following poems. They are given from a small collection of pieces of this kind, which the Editor some years ago translated for his amusement when he was studying the Spanish language. As the first is a pretty close translation, to gratify the curious it is accompanied with the original. The metre is the same in all these old Spanish ballads: it is of the most simple construction, and is still used by the common people in their extemporaneous songs, as we learn from _Baretti's Travels_. It runs in short stanzas of four lines, of which the second and fourth alone correspond in their terminations; and in these it is only required that the vowels should be alike, the consonants may be altogether different, as

pone casa meten arcos noble cañas muere gamo

Yet has this kind of verse a sort of simple harmonious flow, which atones for the imperfect nature of the rhyme, and renders it not unpleasing to the ear. The same flow of numbers has been studied in the following versions. The first of them is given from two different originals, both of which are printed in the _Hist. de las civiles guerras de Granada_, Mad. 1694. One of them hath the rhymes ending in _aa_, the other in _ia_. It is the former of these that is here reprinted. They both of them begin with the same line:

"Rio verde, rio verde,"[1029]

which could not be translated faithfully:

"Verdant river, verdant river,"

would have given an affected stiffness to the verse; the great merit of which is easy simplicity; and therefore a more simple epithet was adopted, though less poetical or expressive.

* * * * *

[The two following Spanish ballads are peculiarly out of place in a collection of English ballads, and they are not very good specimens of the class from which they are taken. Those who wish for information on Spanish ballads must refer to Ticknor's _History of_ _Spanish Literature_; T. Rodd's _Ancient Spanish Ballads, relating_ _to the Twelve Peers of France mentioned in Don Quixote_, 2 vols. London, 1821; and J. G. Lockhart's _Ancient Spanish Ballads,_ _historical and romantic_, 1823.]

[Illustration]

Rio verde, rio verde, Quanto cuerpo en ti se baña De Christianos y de Moros Muertos por la dura espada!

Y tus ondas cristalinas 5 De roxa sangre se esmaltan: Entre Moros y Christianos Muy gran batalla se trava.

Murieron Duques y Condes, Grandes señores de salva: 10 Murio gente de valia De la nobleza de España.

En ti murio don Alonso, Que de Aguilar se Ilamaba; El valeroso Urdiales, 15 Con don Alonso acababa.

Por un ladera arriba El buen Sayavedra marcha; Naturel es de Sevilla, De la gente mas granada. 20

Tras el iba un Renegado, Desta manera le habla; Date, date, Sayavedra, No huyas de la Batalla.

Yo te conozco muy bien, 25 Gran tiempo estuve en tu casa; Y en la Plaça de Sevilla Bien te vide jugar cañas.

* * * * *

Gentle river, gentle river, Lo, thy streams are stain'd with gore, Many a brave and noble captain Floats along thy willow'd shore.

All beside thy limpid waters, 5 All beside thy sands so bright, Moorish Chiefs and Christian Warriors Join'd in fierce and mortal fight.

Lords, and dukes, and noble princes On thy fatal banks were slain: 10 Fatal banks that gave to slaughter All the pride and flower of Spain.

There the hero, brave Alonzo Full of wounds and glory died: There the fearless Urdiales 15 Fell a victim by his side.

Lo! where yonder Don Saavedra Thro' their squadrons slow retires; Proud Seville, his native city, Proud Seville his worth admires. 20

Close behind a renegado Loudly shouts with taunting cry; Yield thee, yield thee, Don Saavedra, Dost thou from the battle fly?

Well I know thee, haughty Christian, 25 Long I liv'd beneath thy roof; Oft I've in the lists of glory Seen thee win the prize of proof.

Conozco a tu padre y madre, Y a tu muger doña Clara; 30 Siete anos fui tu cautivo, Malamente me tratabas.

Y aora lo seras mio, Si Mahoma me ayudara; Y tambien te tratare, 35 Como a mi me tratabas.

Sayavedra que lo oyera, Al Moro bolvio la cara; Tirole el Moro una flecha, Pero nunca le acertaba. 40

Hiriole Sayavedra De una herida muy mala: Muerto cayo el Renegado Sin poder hablar palabra.

Sayavedra fue cercado 45 De mucha Mora canalla, Y al cabo cayo alli muerto De una muy mala lançada.

Don Alonso en este tiempo Bravamente peleava, 50 Y el cavallo le avian muerto, Y le tiene por muralla.

Mas cargaron tantos Moros Que mal le hieren y tratan: De la sangre, que perdia, 55 Don Alonso se desmaya.

Al fin, al fin cayo muerto Al pie de un pena alta.---- ----Muerto queda don Alonso, Eterna fama ganara. 60

* * * * *

Well I know thy aged parents, Well thy blooming bride I know; 30 Seven years I was thy captive, Seven years of pain and woe.

May our prophet grant my wishes, Haughty chief, thou shalt be mine: Thou shalt drink that cup of sorrow, 35 Which I drank when I was thine.

Like a lion turns the warrior, Back he sends an angry glare: Whizzing came the Moorish javelin, Vainly whizzing thro' the air. 40

Back the hero full of fury Sent a deep and mortal wound: Instant sunk the Renegado, Mute and lifeless on the ground.

With a thousand Moors surrounded, 45 Brave Saavedra stands at bay: Wearied out but never daunted, Cold at length the warrior lay.

Near him fighting great Alonzo Stout resists the Paynim bands; 50 From his slaughter'd steed dismounted Firm intrench'd behind him stands.

Furious press the hostile squadron, Furious he repels their rage: Loss of blood at length enfeebles: 55 Who can war with thousands wage!

Where yon rock the plain o'ershadows Close beneath its foot retir'd, Fainting sunk the bleeding hero, And without a groan expir'd. 60

* * * * *

[***] In the Spanish original of the foregoing ballad follow a few more stanzas, but being of inferior merit were not translated.

_Renegado_ properly signifies an Apostate; but it is sometimes used to express an Infidel in general; as it seems to do above in ver. 21, &c.

The image of the _Lion_, &c. in ver. 37, is taken from the other Spanish copy, the rhymes of which end in _ia_, viz.

"Sayavedra, que lo oyera, "Como un leon rebolbia."

FOOTNOTES:

[1027] _i.e._ The ballad-singer.

[1028] See vol. iii. Appendix.

[1029] Literally, _Green river, green river_. [Percy found out, after writing this, that _Rio Verde_ is the name of a river in Spain, a fact, which he writes, "ought to have been attended to by the translator, had he known it."]