Moorish Literature Part 5

MOORISH BALLADS

Fatima's Love The Braggart Rebuked The Admiral's Farewell Moriana and Galvan The Bereaved Father The Warden of Molina The Loves of Boabdil and Vindaraja The Infanta Sevilla and Peranguelos Celin's Farewell Celin's Return Baza Revisited Captive Zara The Jealous King The Lovers of Antequera Tarfe's Truce The Two Moorish Knights The King's Decision Almanzar and Bobalias The Moorish Infanta and Alfonzo Ramos The Bull-fight of Zulema The Renegade The Tower of Gold The Dirge for Aliatar The s.h.i.+p of Zara Hamete Ali Zaide's Love Zaida's Jealousy Zaida of Toledo Zaide Rebuked Zaida's Inconstancy Zaide's Desolation Zaida's Lament Zaida's Curse The Tournament of Zaide Zaide's Complaint Guhala's Love Azarco of Granada Azarco Rebuked Adelifa's Farewell Azarco's Farewell Celinda's Courtesy Gazul's Despondency Gazul in Love Celinda's Inconstancy The Bull-fight Lovers Reconciled Call to Arms Gazul Calumniated Gazul's Despair Vengeance of Gazul Gazul and Albenzaide Gazul's Arms The Tournament Abunemeya's Lament The Despondent Lover Love and Jealousy The Captive of Toledo The Blazon of Abenamar Woman's Fickleness King Juan Abenamar's Jealousy Adelifa's Jealousy Funeral of Abenamar Ballad of Albayaldos The Night Raid of Reduan Siege of Jaen Death of Reduan The Aged Lover Fickleness Rebuked The Galley Slave of Dragut The Captive's Lament Strike Sail The Captive's Escape The Spaniard of Oran

MOORISH ROMANCES

The Bull-fight of Gazul The Zegri's Bride The Bridal of Andalla Zara's Ear-rings The Lamentation for Celin

THE STORY OF SIDI BRAHIM OF Ma.s.sAT

FIVE BERBER STORIES

Djokhrane and the Jays The Ogre and the Beautiful Woman The False Vezir The Soufi and the Targui Ahmed el Hilalieu and El Redah

POEMS OF THE MAGHREB

Ali's Answer In Honor of Lalla Sayd and Hyzyya The a.s.saoua in Paris Song of Fatima The City Girl and the Country Girl

POPULAR TALES OF THE BERBERS

The Turtle, the Frog, and the Serpent The Hedgehog, the Jackal, and the Lion The Stolen Woman The King, the Arab, and the Monster The Lion, the Jackal, and the Man Salomon and the Griffin Adventure of Sidi Mahomet The Haunted Garden The Woman and the Fairy Hamed ben Ceggad The Magic Napkin The Child and the King of the Genii The Seven Brothers Half-a-c.o.c.k Strange Meetings The King and His Family Beddou The Language of the Beasts The Apple of Youth

POPULAR TALES OF THE KABYLES

Ali and Ou Ali The Infidel Jew The Sheik's Head The Wagtail and the Jackal The Flute-player The Child The Monkey and the Fisherman The Two Friends The Robber and the Two Pilgrims The Little Child The Wren The Mule, the Jackal, and the Lion Thadh.e.l.lala The Good Man and the Bad One The Crow and the Child H'ab Sliman The King and His Son Mahomet ben Soltan

MOORISH BALLADS

ROMANCEROS MORISCOS

[_Metrical Translation by Epiphanius Wilson, A.M._]

MOORISH BALLADS

FATIMA'S LOVE

On the morn of John the Baptist, just at the break of day, The Moors upon Granada's fields streamed out in bright array.

Their horses galloped o'er the sod, their lances flashed in air, And the banners that their dames had wrought spread out their colors fair.

Their quivers bright flashed in the light with gold and silk brocade, And the Moor who saw his love was there looked best in the parade, And the Moor who had no lady love strove hard some love to gain.

'Mong those who from Alhambra's towers gazed on that warrior train, There were two Moorish ladies there whom love had smitten sore; Zarifa one, and Fatima the name the other bore.

Knit by warm friends.h.i.+p were their hearts till, filled with jealous pain, Their glances met, as one fair knight came prancing o'er the plain.

Zarifa spoke to Fatima, "How has love marred thy face!

Once roses bloomed on either cheek, now lilies take their place; And you, who once would talk of love, now still and silent stay.

Come, come unto the window and watch the pageant gay!

Abindarraez is riding by; his train is full in view; In all Granada none can boast a choicer retinue."

"It is not love, Zarifa, that robs my cheek of rose; No fond and anxious pa.s.sion this mournful bosom knows; My cheeks are pale and I am still and silent, it is true,-- For, ah! I miss my father's face, whom fierce Alabey slew.

And did I crave the boon of love, a thousand knights were fain To fight for me in service true on yonder flowery plain.

And all the love I give to each to give me back again.

And for Abindarraez, whose heart and valiant might, You praise and from the window watch, with rapturous delight----"

The lady stopped, for at their feet knelt down the well-loved knight.

THE BRAGGART REBUKED

"If thou art brave in battle's hour As thou art bold in pleasure's rout; If thou canst make the lances fly As thou canst fling thy words about;

"If thou canst in the vega fight As thou the ladies' eyes canst praise; And show on horseback half the skill That marks thee in the dance's maze;

"Meet with the briskness of the joust The challenge of the deadly lance, And in the play of scimitars Be sprightly as in festive dance;

"If thou art ready in the field As thou art nimble on the square; And canst the front of battle face As though thou flirtest with the fair;

"If thou dost don thy s.h.i.+ning mail As lightly as thy festive suit, And listenest to the trumpet call As though it were thy lady's lute;

"And if, as in the gamesome hour Thou flingest round the rattling reed Against the foeman's moated camp, Thou spurrest on thy thundering steed;

"If, when the foe is face to face, Thou boastest as thou oft hast done When far away his ranks were ranged, And the fierce fight had not begun;--

"Go, Zaide, to the Alhambra go, And there defend thy soldier fame; For every tongue is wagging there, And all, derisive, speak thy name.

"And if thou fear to go alone, Take others with thee to thine aid; Thy friends are ready at thy beck, And Zaide need not be afraid!

"It is not in the palace court, Amid the throng of ladies bright, That the good soldier, by his tongue, Proves himself valorous in the fight.

"It is not there his hands can show What in the battle he can do; But where the shock of onset tests The fearless heart, the iron thew.

"Betake thee to the b.l.o.o.d.y field And let thy sword thy praises sing; But silence is most eloquent Amid the courtiers of the King."

Thus Tarfe wrote, the Moorish knight, His heart so filled with furious rage That where his fiery pen had pa.s.sed It pierced and rent the flimsy page.

He called his varlet to his side, "Now seek the Alhambra's hall," said he, "And privately to Zaide say That this epistle comes from me;

"And whisper, that none else may hear, And say that I his coming wait, Where Genil's crystal torrent laves The pillars of yon palace gate."