Kitabı oku: «Basque Legends; With an Essay on the Basque Language», sayfa 18
Little Peter.213
1
Ah, my little Peter,
I am sleepy, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Go on spinning, and—
Then, then, then,
Go on spinning, and—
Then, then, yes.
2
Dear little Peter,
I have spun, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Put the thread up in skeins, and—
Then, then, then,
Put the thread up in skeins, and—
Then, then, yes.
3
Dear little Peter,
I have put it in skeins, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Wind off the thread, and—
Then, then, then,
Wind off the thread, and—
Then, then, yes.
4
Dear little Peter,
I have wound it off, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Bleach it, and—
Then, then, then,
Bleach it, and—
Then, then, yes.
5
Dear little Peter,
I have bleached it, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Weave it, and—
Then, then, then,
Weave it, and—
Then, then, yes.
6
Dear little Peter,
I have woven it, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Cut it, and—
Then, then, then,
Cut it, and—
Then, then, yes.
7
Dear little Peter,
I have cut it, and—
Shall I go to bed?
Sew it, and—
Then, then, then,
Sew it, and—
Then, then, yes.
8
Oh! my little Peter,
I have sewn it, and—
Shall I go to bed?
It is daylight! and—
Then, then, then,
It is daylight! and—
Then, then, yes!
The best living Basque poets are—on the French side, Captain Elisamboure, of Hendaye; and Iparraguirre, of San Sebastian, among the Spanish Basques. Iparraguirre is now very old. He is the author of the song “Guernicaco Arbola” (“The Tree of Guernica,” in Biscay), an oak under which the Lords of Biscay swore fidelity to the Fueros. This has become almost the national song of the Basques.214 A few words on two other classes of songs, the drinking and the macaronic, must conclude our remarks. The most spirited drinking song is the following.215 It must be remembered, in excuse, that the shepherds live a very hard life on the mountains the greater part of the year, and taste little wine there.
It is not at all uncommon in a country where, within the space of some twenty miles, the traveller may hear at least four languages—French, Gascoun, Basque, and Spanish—to find two or more of these mixed in the same poem, and sometimes with a little Latin as well. This occurs frequently in the noëls, where the angel speaks in French or Latin, and the shepherds reply in Gascoun or Basque; also sometimes in the love songs, where the French or Spanish lover will try to soften the heart of a Basque maiden by compliments in French or Spanish, while she greatest tour de force of this kind we know, both as to language and rhyme, is the song given in Fr. Michel’s “Le Pays Basque,” p. 429. We quote the first verse only; but the song continues with twenty-eight successive Basque rhymes in “in,” and the last seven in “en.”
Almost every one of these Basque songs, like all true lyrics, has been adapted to some tune, either older than the words, or composed specially by the author. The music is often superior to the words. In the Nineteenth Century for August, 1878, Grant-Duff speaks of some of the Basque airs sung by the Béarnais tenor, Pascal Lamazou, as “extraordinarily beautiful.”216 Lamazou died at Pau in May, 1878. His répertoire consisted of fifty Pyrenean songs, of which thirty-four are Béarnais, fourteen Basque, and two are from the “Pyrénées Orientales.”217 One of the Basque airs “Artzaina,” has somehow got attached to the popular American hymn, “I want to be an angel.” Another, and larger collection, including more correct renderings of some of Lamazou’s fourteen, is that of Sallaberry, “Chants Populaires du Pays Basque” (Bayonne, 1870). But, long before this, a collection of Basque Songs, Zorzicos, and dance music was published in San Sebastian, by J. D. Iztueta, in 1824 and 1826. Excellent reviews of these two works, with translations of some of the words, appeared in the Foreign Review and Continental Miscellany, vol. ii., pp. 338, 1828; and in vol. iv., p. 198. Some specimens of music are to be found at the end of Michel’s “Le Pays Basque,” in the “Cancionero Vasco”—now in course of publication, and so often referred to—and in other local publications, besides those in private hands. Basquophiles love to narrate that Rossini passed a summer in the Basque village of Cambo, and believe that they can recognise the influence of Basque airs in some of his subsequent operas. However this may be, let no one judge of Basque music by the noëls usually howled in the streets at Christmas and the New Year, or by the doleful productions of the last Carlist War. It would be equally fair to judge of English music by the serenades of the waits at Christmas. We refer those who wish to investigate further the subject of this chapter to the excellent work, “Le Pays Basque,” par M. Fr. Michel (Paris and London, 1857), for the French, to the “Cancionero Vasco,” by Don José Manterola, now in course of publication at San Sebastian, for the Spanish, Basque; and to M. Sallaberry’s “Chants Populaires du Pays Basque” for the music.
1
Borne on thy wings amidst the air,
Sweet bird, where wilt thou go?
For if thou wouldst to Spain repair,
The ports are filled with snow.
Wait, and we will fly together,
When the Spring brings sunny weather.
2
St. Joseph’s Hermitage is lone,
Amidst the desert bare,
And when we on our way are gone,
Awhile we’ll rest us there;
As we pursue our mountain track,
Shall we not sigh as we look back?
3
Go to my love, oh! gentle sigh,
And near her chamber hover nigh;
Glide to her heart, make that thy shrine,
As she is fondly kept in mine.
Then thou may’st tell her it is I
Who sent thee to her, gentle sigh!
