Targum Part 10

An Ancient Ballad.

From the Spanish,

"Reduan, I but lately heard From thy mouth the sounding word, That for me the town of Jaen In one night thou wouldst obtain; Reduan, if thou do the same, Double pay thou mayest claim; Save thy word perform'd I see, From Granada thou shalt flee, Banish'd to a far frontier, Where thy lady shall not cheer."

Reduan, at the Monarch's side, With unalter'd mien replied: "Though the word I never said, It I'll do, or lose my head."

Reduan crav'd one thousand men-- Five the Monarch gave him then.

From Elvira's portal-arch See the cavalcado march: Many a Moor of birth was there, Many a bay, high-blooded mare, Many a lance in fist of might, Many a buckler beaming bright, Many a green marlote is spied, Many a ren aljube beside, Many a plume of gallant air, Many a rich-grain'd cappellare, Many a boot a-borzegui, Many a silken string and tie, Many a spur of gold there clung, Many a silver stirrup swung.

All the men that rode that day Were expert at battle-fray: Midst of all that pomp and pow'r Chyquo Monarch of the Moor.

Moorish dames and maidens high Them from proud Alhambra eye; And the Moorish Queen so grey In this guise was heard to say: "Speed thee hence my son and love!

Mahomet thy Guardian prove!

Crown'd with honor back from Jaen May he bring thee soon again."

THE FORSAKEN.

From the Spanish.

Up I rose, O mother, early On the blest Saint Juan's morn; By the sea I saw a damsel, Saw a damsel all forlorn.

Lonely there she wash'd her garments And upon a rose-tree hung; Whilst the garments there were drying She a plaintiff ditty sung.

"O my love, my fickle lover-- Where to find him shall I stray?"

Up and down the strand she hurried Singing, singing this sad lay.

In her hand a comb she carried, All of gold, to comb her hair; "Tell me, tell me, gentle sailor-- Heaven take thee 'neath it's care-- Hast thou seen my fickle lover, Hast thou seen him any where?"

STANZAS.

From the Portuguese.

A fool is he who in the lap Basking of every smiling joy, Will each and all with fear alloy Of what some future day may hap.

Let him enjoy his present state; For he but double make his woes, Who midst the future's shadows goes To meet the ills of murky fate.

MY EIGHTEENTH YEAR.

From the French.

Where is my eighteenth year? far back Upon life's variegated track; Yet fondly oft I turn my eye, And for my eighteenth year I sigh.

Each pleasure then I took with zest, And hope was inmate of my breast-- Enchanting hope, consoling thing, The plucker out of sorrow's sting.

The sun above shone brighter then, Fairer were women, kinder men; If tears I shed, they soon were o'er, And I was happier than before.

The minstrel-wight of ancient day Wish'd that the twelve months all were May; I wish that every year I see The eighteenth of my life could be.

SONG.

From the Rommany or Gypsy Language.

The strength of the ox, The wit of the fox, And the leveret's speed,-- Full oft, to oppose To their numerous foes, The Rommany need.

Our horses they take, Our waggons they break, And ourselves they seize, In their prisons to coop, Where we pine and droop, For want of breeze.

When the dead swallow The fly shall follow O'er Burra-panee, Then we will forget The wrongs we have met, And forgiving be.

Footnotes:

{8} Gennet is a word of Arabic origin, and signifies paradise.

{10} No true Mussulman will receive any remuneration for communicating instruction.

{13} Allusion is here made to metempsychosis or the transmigration of souls.

{14} His relations.

{17} Goblins.

{18} s.p.a.ces of time.

{21} The princ.i.p.al banner.

{22} w.a.n.g Liyang and Siyan Ou were ancient kings of China, and mighty hunters, of whose exploits many extravagant tales are related.

{26} Cossack village.

{32} The knights of the German Order, who eventually christianized the pagan Lithuanians at the point of the lance and sword.

{33} Polish.

{38} The Mermaid.