Ancient Spanish Ballads

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * Track #255 On The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ancient Spanish Ballads by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ancient Spanish Ballads Annotated

I

Rio Verde, Rio Verde!
&nbsp Many a corpse is bathed in thee,
Both of Moors and eke of Christians,
&nbsp Slain with swords most cruelly.

And thy pure and crystal waters
&nbsp Dappled are with crimson gore;
For between the Moors and Christians
&nbsp Long has been the fight and sore.

Dukes and Counts fell bleeding near thee,
&nbsp Lords of high renown were slain,
Perished many a brave hidalgo
&nbsp Of the noblemen of Spain.

II

Don Nuno, Count of Lara,
&nbsp In anger and in pride,
Forgot all reverence for the king,
&nbsp And thus in wrath replied:

"Our noble ancestors," quoth he,
&nbsp "Ne'er such a tribute paid;
Nor shall the king receive of us
&nbsp What they have once gainsaid.

"The base-born soul who deems it just
&nbsp May here with thee remain;
But follow me, ye cavaliers,
&nbsp Ye noblemen of Spain."

Forth followed they the noble Count,
&nbsp They marched to Glera's plain;
Out of three thousand gallant knights
&nbsp Did only three remain.

They tied the tribute to their spears,
&nbsp They raised it in the air,
And they sent to tell their lord the king
&nbsp That his tax was ready there.

"He may send and take by force," said they,
&nbsp "This paltry sum of gold;
But the goodly gift of liberty
&nbsp Cannot be bought and sold."

III

The peasant leaves his plough afield,
&nbsp The reaper leaves his hook,
And from his hand the shepherd-boy.
&nbsp Lets fall the pastoral crook.

The young set up a shout of joy,
&nbsp The old forget their years,
The feeble man grows stout of heart.
&nbsp No more the craven fears.

All rush to Bernard's standard,
&nbsp And on liberty they call;
They cannot brook to wear the yoke,
&nbsp When threatened by the Gaul.

"Free were we born," 't is thus they cry
&nbsp "And willingly pay we
The duty that we owe our king
&nbsp By the divine decree.

"But God forbid that we obey
&nbsp The laws of foreign knaves,
Tarnish the glory of our sires,
&nbsp And make our children slaves.

"Our hearts have not so craven grown,
&nbsp So bloodless all our veins,
So vigorless our brawny arms,
&nbsp As to submit to chains.

"Has the audacious Frank, forsooth,
&nbsp Subdued these seas and lands?
Shall he a bloodless victory have?
No, not while we have hands.

"He shall learn that the gallant Leonese
&nbsp Can bravely fight and fall,
But that they know not how to yield;
&nbsp They are Castilians all.

"Was it for this the Roman power
&nbsp Of old was made to yield
Unto Numantia's valiant hosts
&nbsp On many a bloody field?

"Shall the bold lions that have bathed
&nbsp Their paws in Libyan gore,
Crouch basely to a feebler foe,
&nbsp And dare the strife no more?

"Let the false king sell town and tower,
&nbsp But not his vassals free;
For to subdue the free-born soul
&nbsp No royal power hath he!"

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