Río Verde
anonimo
| Gentle River, la traduzione inglese di Thomas Percy | |
| " Rio verde, rio verde, | GENTLE river, gentle river, |
| Quanto cuerpo en ti se baña | Lo, thy streams are stain'd with gore, |
| De Christianos y de Moros | Many a brave and noble captain |
| Muertos por la dura espada! | Floats along thy willow'd shore. |
| 'Y tus ondas cristalinas | All beside thy limpid waters, |
| De roxa sangre se esmaltan: | All beside thy sands so bright, |
| Entre Moros y Christianos | Moorish Chiefs and Christian Warriors |
| Muy gran batalla se trava. | Join'd in fierce and mortal fight. |
| 'Murieron Duques y Condes, | Lords, and dukes, and noble princes |
| Grandes senores de salva: | On thy fatal banks were slain: |
| Murio gente de valia | Fatal banks that gave to slaughter |
| De la nobleza de España. | All the pride and flower of Spain. |
| 'En ti murio don Alonso, | There the hero, brave Alonzo, |
| Que de Aguilar se llamaba; | Full of wounds and glory died: |
| El valeroso Urdiales, | There the fearless Urdiales |
| Con don Alonso acabada. | Fell a victim by his side. |
| 'Por un ladera arriba | Lo! where yonder Don Saavedra |
| El buen Sayavedra marcha; | Thro' their squadrons slow retires |
| Naturel es de Sevilla, | Proud Seville, his native city, |
| De la gente mas granada. | Proud Seville his worth admires. |
| 'Tras el iba un Renegado, | Close behind a renegado |
| Desta manera le habla; | Loudly shouts with taunting cry; |
| "Date, date, Sayavedra, | "Yield thee, yield thee, Don Saavedra, |
| No huyas de la batalla. | Dost thou from the battle fly? |
| "'Yo te conozco muy bien, | "Well I know thee, haughty Christian, |
| Gran tiempo estuve en tu casa | Long I liv'd beneath thy roof; |
| Y en la Plaça de Sevilla | Oft I've in the lists of glory |
| Bien te vide jugar canas. | Seen thee win the prize of proof. |
| "'Conozco a tu padre y madre, | "Well I know thy aged parents, |
| Y a tu muger Doña Clara; | Well thy blooming bride I know; |
| Siete años fui tu cautivo, | Seven years I was thy captive, |
| Malamente me tratabas. | Seven years of pain and woe. |
| "'Y aura le seras mio, | May our prophet grant my wishes, |
| Si Mahoma me ayudara; | Haughty chief, thou shalt be mine: |
| Y tambien te tratare, | Thou shalt drink that cup of sorrow, |
| Como a mi me tratabas." | Which I drank when I was thine." |
| 'Sayavedra que lo oyera, | Like a lion turns the warrior, |
| Al Moro bolvio la cara | Back he sends an angry glare: |
| Tirole el Moro una flecha, | Whizzing came the Moorish javelin, |
| Pero nunca la acertaba. | Vainly whizzing through the air. |
| 'Hiriole Sayavedra | Back the hero full of fury |
| De una herida muy mala: | Sent a deep and mortal wound; |
| Muerto cayo el Renegado | Instant sunk the Renegado, |
| Sin poder hablar palabra. | Mute and lifeless on the ground. |
| 'Sayavedra fue cercado | With a thousand Moors surrounded, |
| De mucha Mora canalla, | Brave Saavedra stands at bay: |
| Y al cabo cayo alli muerto | Wearied out but never daunted, |
| De una muy mala lançada. | Cold at length the warrior lay. |
| 'Don Alonso en este tiempo | Near him fighting great Alonzo |
| Bravamente peleava, | Stout resists the Paynim bands; |
| Y el cavallo le avian muerto, | From his slaughter'd steed dismounted |
| Y le tiene por muralla. | Firm intrench'd behind him stands. |
| 'Mas cargaron tantos Moros | Furious press the hostile squadron, |
| Que mal le hieren y tratan: | Furious he repels their rage: |
| De la sangre, que perdia, | Loss of blood at length enfeebles: |
| Don Alonso se desmaya. | Who can war with thousands wage |
| Al fin, al fin cayo muerto | Where yon rock the plain o'ershadows, |
| Al pie de un pena alta.-- | Close beneath its foot retir'd, |
| -- Muerto queda don Alonso, | Fainting sunk the bleeding hero, |
| Eterna fama ganara. " | And without a groan expir'd. |
(Percy's original note:) *** 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." |
[1] i.e. the ballad-singer.
[2] Literally, Green river, green river. Rio Verde is said to be the name of a river in Spain; which ought to have been attended to by the translator had he known it.