CANCIÓN OF THE PIRATE
by: José de Espronceda
(1808-1842)
- HE breeze
fair aft, all sails on high,
- Ten guns on each side mounted seen,
- She does not cut the sea, but fly,
- A swiftly sailing brigantine;
- A pirate bark, the "Dreaded" name,
- For her surpassing boldness famed,
- On every sea well-known and shore,
- From side to side their boundaries o'er.
- The moon in streaks the waves illumes
- Hoarse groans the wind the rigging through;
- In gentle motion raised assumes
- The sea a silvery shade with blue;
- Whilst singing gaily on the poop
- The pirate Captain, in a group,
- Sees Europe here, there Asia lies,
- And Stamboul in the front arise.
-
- "Sail on, my swift one! nothing fear;
- Nor calm, nor storm, nor foeman's force,
- Shall make thee yield in thy career
- Or turn thee from thy course.
- Despite the English cruisers fleet
- We have full twenty prizes made;
- And see their flags beneath my feet
- A hundred nations laid.
- My treasure is my gallant bark,
- My only God is liberty;
- My law is might, the wind my mark,
- My country is the sea.
-
- "There blindly kings fierce wars maintain,
- For palms of land, when here I hold
- As mine, whose power no laws restrain,
- Whate'er the seas infold.
- Nor is there shore around whate'er,
- Or banner proud, but of my might
- Is taught the valorous proofs to bear,
- And made to feel my right.
- My treasure is my gallant bark,
- My only God is liberty;
- My law is might, the wind my mark,
- My country is the sea.
-
- "Look when a ship our signals ring,
- Full sail to fly how quick she's veered!
- For of the sea I am the king,
- My fury's to be feared;
- But equally with all I share
- Whate'er the wealth we take supplies;
- I only seek the matchless fair,
- My portion of the prize.
- My treasure is my gallant bark,
- My only God is liberty;
- My law is might, the wind my mark,
- My country is the sea.
-
- "I am condemned to die! -- I laugh;
- For, if my fates are kindly sped,
- My doomer from his own ship's staff
- Perhaps I'll hang instead.
- And if I fall, why what is life?
- For lost I gave it then as due,
- When from slavery's yoke in strife
- A rover! I withdrew.
- My treasure is my gallant bark,
- My only God is liberty;
- My law is might, the wind my mark,
- My country is the sea.
-
- "My music is the Northwind's roar;
- The noise when round the cable runs,
- The bellowings of the Black Sea's shore,
- And rolling of my guns.
- And as the thunders loudly sound,
- And furious the tempests rave,
- I calmly rest in sleep profound,
- So rocked upon the wave.
- My treasure is my gallant bark,
- My only God is liberty;
- My law is might, the wind my mark,
- My country is the sea.
--Translated by James Kennedy
"Canción of the Pirate"
is reprinted from Hispanic Anthology: Poems Translated from
the Spanish by English and North American Poets. Ed. Thomas
Walsh. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1920. |
MORE POEMS BY JOSÉ DE ESPRONCEDA |
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