the zincali-第43章

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entitled　in　every　essential　point　to　the　name　of　poetry；　if　poetry　



mean　metrical　compositions　intended　to　soothe　and　recreate　the　mind　



fatigued　by　the　cares；　distresses；　and　anxieties　to　which　mortality　



is　subject。







The　Gypsies　too　have　their　poetry。　　Of　that　of　the　Russian　Zigani　



we　have　already　said　something。　　It　has　always　been　our　opinion；　



and　we　believe　that　in　this　we　are　by　no　means　singular；　that　in　



nothing　can　the　character　of　a　people　be　read　with　greater　



certainty　and　exactness　than　in　its　songs。　　How　truly　do　the　



warlike　ballads　of　the　Northmen　and　the　Danes；　their　DRAPAS　and　



KOEMPE…VISER；　depict　the　character　of　the　Goth；　and　how　equally　do　



the　songs　of　the　Arabians；　replete　with　homage　to　the　one　high；　



uncreated；　and　eternal　God；　'the　fountain　of　blessing；'　'the　only　



conqueror；'　lay　bare　to　us　the　mind　of　the　Moslem　of　the　desert；　



whose　grand　characteristic　is　religious　veneration；　and　



uncompromising　zeal　for　the　glory　of　the　Creator。







And　well　and　truly　do　the　coplas　and　gachaplas　of　the　Gitanos　



depict　the　character　of　the　race。　　This　poetry；　for　poetry　we　will　



call　it；　is　in　most　respects　such　as　might　be　expected　to　originate　



among　people　of　their　class；　a　set　of　Thugs；　subsisting　by　cheating　



and　villainy　of　every　description；　hating　the　rest　of　the　human　



species；　and　bound　to　each　other　by　the　bonds　of　common　origin；　



language；　and　pursuits。　　The　general　themes　of　this　poetry　are　the　



various　incidents　of　Gitano　life　and　the　feelings　of　the　Gitanos。　　



A　Gypsy　sees　a　pig　running　down　a　hill；　and　imagines　that　it　cries　



'Ustilame　Caloro！'　（62）　…　a　Gypsy　reclining　sick　on　the　prison　



floor　beseeches　his　wife　to　intercede　with　the　alcayde　for　the　



removal　of　the　chain；　the　weight　of　which　is　bursting　his　body　…　



the　moon　arises；　and　two　Gypsies；　who　are　about　to　steal　a　steed；　



perceive　a　Spaniard；　and　instantly　flee　…　Juanito　Ralli；　whilst　



going　home　on　his　steed；　is　stabbed　by　a　Gypsy　who　hates　him　…　



Facundo；　a　Gypsy；　runs　away　at　the　sight　of　the　burly　priest　of　



Villa　Franca；　who　hates　all　Gypsies。　　Sometimes　a　burst　of　wild　



temper　gives　occasion　to　a　strain　…　the　swarthy　lover　threatens　to　



slay　his　betrothed；　even　AT　THE　FEET　OF　JESUS；　should　she　prove　



unfaithful。　　It　is　a　general　opinion　amongst　the　Gitanos　that　



Spanish　women　are　very　fond　of　Rommany　chals　and　Rommany。　　There　is　



a　stanza　in　which　a　Gitano　hopes　to　bear　away　a　beauty　of　Spanish　



race　by　means　of　a　word　of　Rommany　whispered　in　her　ear　at　the　



window。







Amongst　these　effusions　are　even　to　be　found　tender　and　beautiful　



thoughts；　for　Thugs　and　Gitanos　have　their　moments　of　gentleness。　　



True　it　is　that　such　are　few　and　far　between；　as　a　flower　or　a　



shrub　is　here　and　there　seen　springing　up　from　the　interstices　of　



the　rugged　and　frightful　rocks　of　which　the　Spanish　sierras　are　



composed：　　a　wicked　mother　is　afraid　to　pray　to　the　Lord　with　her　



own　lips；　and　calls　on　her　innocent　babe　to　beseech　him　to　restore　



peace　and　comfort　to　her　heart　…　an　imprisoned　youth　appears　to　



have　no　earthly　friend　on　whom　he　can　rely；　save　his　sister；　and　



wishes　for　a　messenger　to　carry　unto　her　the　tale　of　his　



sufferings；　confident　that　she　would　hasten　at　once　to　his　



assistance。　　And　what　can　be　more　touching　than　the　speech　of　the　



relenting　lover　to　the　fair　one　whom　he　has　outraged？











'Extend　to　me　the　hand　so　small；



Wherein　I　see　thee　weep；



For　O　thy　balmy　tear…drops　all



I　would　collect　and　keep。'











This　Gypsy　poetry　consists　of　quartets；　or　rather　couplets；　but　two　



rhymes　being　discernible；　and　those　generally　imperfect；　the　vowels　



alone　agreeing　in　sound。　　Occasionally；　however；　sixains；　or　



stanzas　of　six　lines；　are　to　be　found；　but　this　is　of　rare　



occurrence。　　The　thought；　anecdote　or　adventure　described；　is　



seldom　carried　beyond　one　stanza；　in　which　everything　is　expressed　



which　the　poet　wishes　to　impart。　　This　feature　will　appear　singular　



to　those　who　are　unacquainted　with　the　character　of　the　popular　



poetry　of　the　south；　and　are　accustomed　to　the　redundancy　and　



frequently　tedious　repetition　of　a　more　polished　muse。　　It　will　be　



well　to　inform　such　that　the　greater　part　of　the　poetry　sung　in　the　



south；　and　especially　in　Spain；　is　extemporary。　　The　musician　



composes　it　at　the　stretch　of　his　voice；　whilst　his　fingers　are　



tugging　at　the　guitar；　which　style　of　composition　is　by　no　means　



favourable　to　a　long　and　connected　series　of　thought。　　Of　course；　



the　greater　part　of　this　species　of　poetry　perishes　as　soon　as　



born。　　A　stanza；　however；　is　sometimes　caught　up　by　the　bystanders；　



and　committed　to　memory；　and　being　frequently　repeated；　makes；　in　



time；　the　circuit　of　the　country。　　For　example；　the　stanza　about　



Coruncho　Lopez；　which　was　originally　made　at　the　gate　of　a　venta　by　



a　Miquelet；　（63）　who　was　conducting　the　said　Lopez　to　the　galleys　



for　a　robbery。　　It　is　at　present　sung　through　the　whole　of　the　



peninsula；　however　insignificant　it　may　sound　to　foreign　ears：…











'Coruncho　Lopez；　gallant　lad；



A　smuggling　he　would　ride；



He　stole　his　father's　ambling　prad；



And　therefore　to　the　galleys　sad



Coruncho　now　I　guide。'











The　couplets　of　the　Gitanos　are　composed　in　the　same　off…hand　



manner；　and　exactly　resemble　in　metre　the　popular　ditties　of　the　



Spaniards。　　In　spirit；　however；　as　well　as　language；　they　are　in　



general　widely　different；　as　they　mostly　relate　to　the　Gypsies　and　



their　affairs；　and　not　unfrequently　abound　with　abuse　of　the　Busne　



or　Spaniards。　　Many　of　these　creations　have；　like　the　stanza　of　



Coruncho　Lopez；　been　wafted　over　Spain　amongst　the　Gypsy　tribes；　



and　are　even　frequently　repeated　by　the　Spaniards　themselves；　at　



least；　by　those　who　affect　to　imitate　the　phraseology　of　the　



Gitanos。　　Those　which　appear　in　the　present　collection　consist　



partly　of　such　couplets；　and　partly　of　such　as　we　have　ourselves　



taken　down；　as　soon　as　they　originated；　not　unfrequently　in　the　



midst　of　a　circle　of　these　singular　people；　dancing　and　singing　to　



their　wild　music。　　In　no　instance　have　they　been　subjected　to　



modification；　and　the　English　translation　is；　in　general；　very　



faithful　to　the　original；　as　will　easily　be　perceived　by　referring　



to　the　lexicon。　　To　those　who　may　feel　disposed　to　find　fault　with　



or　criticise　these　songs；　we　have　to　observe；　that　the　present　work　



has　been　written　with　no　other　view　than　to　depict　the　Gitanos　such　



as　they　are；　and　to　illustrate　their　character；　and；　on　that　



account；　we　have　endeavoured；　as　much　as　possible；　to　bring　them　



before　the　reader；　and　to　make　them　speak　for　themselves。　　They　are　



a　half…civilised；　unlettered　people；　proverbial　for　a　species　of　



knavish　acuteness；　which　serves　them　in　lieu　of　wisdom。　　To　place　



in　the　mouth　of　such　beings　the　high…flown　sentiments　of　modern　



poetry　would　not　answer　our　purpose；　though　several　authors　have　



not　shrunk　from　such　an　absurdity。







These　couplets　have　been　collected　in　Estremadura　and　New　Castile；　



in　Valencia　and　Andalusia；　the　four　provinces　where　the　Gitano　race　



most　abounds。　　We　wish；　however；　to　remark；　that　they　constitute　



scarcely　a　tenth　part　of　our　original　gleanings；　from　which　we　have　



selected　one　hundred　of　the　most　remarkable　and　interesting。







The　language　of　the　originals　will　convey　an　exact　idea　of　the　



Rommany　of　Spain；　as　used　at　the　present　day　amongst　the　Gitanos　in　



the　fairs；　when　they　are　buying　and　selling　animals；　and　wish　to　



converse　with　each　other　in　a　way　unintelligible　to　the　Spaniards。　　



We　are　free　to　confess　that　it　is　a　mere　broken　jargon；　but　it　



answers　the　purpose　of　those　who　use　it；　and　it　is　but　just　to　



remark　that　many　of　its　elements　are　of　the　most　remote　antiquity；　



and　the　most　illustrious　descent；　as　will　be　shown　hereafter。　　We　



have　uniformly　placed　the　original　by　the　side　of　the　translation；　



for　though　unwilling　to　make　the　Gitanos　speak　in　any　other　manner　



than　they　are　accustomed；　we　are　equally　averse　to　have　it　supposed　



that　many　of　the　thoughts　and　expressions　which　occur　in　these　



songs；　and　which　are　highly　objectionable；　originated　with　



ourselves。　（64）











RHYMES　OF　THE　GITANOS











Unto　a　refuge　me　they　led；



To　save　from　dungeon　drear；



Then　sighing　to　my　wife　I　said；



I　leave　my　baby　dear。







Back　from　the　refuge　soon　I　sped；



My　child's　sweet　face　to　see；



Then　sternly　to　my　wife　I　said；



You've　seen　the　last　of　me。







O　when　I　sit　my　courser　bold；



My　bantling　in　my　rear；



And　in　my　hand　my　musket　hold；



O　how　they　quake　with　fear。







Pray；　little　baby；　pray　the　Lord；



Since　guiltless　still　thou　art；



That　peace　and　comfort　he　afford



To　this　poor　troubled　heart。







The　false　Juanito；　day　and　night；



Had　best　with　caution　go；



The　Gypsy　carles　of　Yeira　height



Have　sworn　to　lay　him　low。







There　runs　a　swine　down　yonder　hill；



As　fast　as　e'er　he　can；



And　as　he　runs　he　crieth　still；



Come；　steal　me；　Gypsy　man。







I　wash'd　not　in　the　limpid　flood



The　shirt　which　binds　my　frame；



But　in　Juanito　Ralli's　blood



I　bravely　wash'd　the　same。







I　sallied　forth　upon　my　grey；



With　him　my　hated　foe；



And　when　we　reach'd　the　narrow　way



I　dealt　a　dagger　blow。







To　blessed　Jesus'　holy　feet



I'd　rush　to　kill　and　slay



My　plighted　lass　so　fair　and　sweet；



Should　she　the　wanton　play。







I　for　a　cup　of　water　cried；



But　they　refus'd　my　prayer；



Then　straight　into　the　road　I　hied；



And　fell　to　robbing　there。







I　ask'd　for　fire　to　warm　my　frame；



But　they'd　have　scorn'd　my　prayer；



If　I；　to　pay　them　for　the　same；



Had　stripp'd　my　body　bare。







Then　came　adown　the　village　street；



With　little　babes　that　cry；



Because　they　have　no　crust　to　eat；



A　Gypsy　company；



And　as　no　charity　they　meet；



They　curse　the　Lord　on　high。







I　left　my　house　and　walk'd　about；



They　seized　me　fast　and　bound；



It　is　a　Gypsy　thief；　they　shout；



The　Spaniards　here　have　found。







From　out　the　prison　me　they　led；



Before　the　scribe　they　brought；



It　is　no　Gypsy　thief；　he　said；



The　Spaniards　here　have　caught。







Throughout　the　night；　the　dusky　night；



I　prowl　in　silence　round；



And　with　my　eyes　look　left　and　right；



For　him；　the　Spanish　hound；



That　with　my　knife　I　him　may　smite；



And　to　the　vitals　wound。







Will　no　one　to　the　sister　bear



News　of　her　brother's　plight；



How　in　this　cell　of　dark　despair；



To　cruel　death　he's　dight？







The