XII.

"He who holds no laws in awe,
He must perish by the law;
And Granada must be won,
And thyself with her undone.”

Woe is me, Alhama!

XIII.

Fire flash'd from out the old Moor's eyes,
The Monarch's wrath began to rise,
Because he answer'd, and because
He spake exceeding well of laws.

Woe is me, Alhama!

XIV.

"There is no laws to say such things As may disgust the ear of kings Thus, snorting with his choler, said

The Moorish King, and doom'd him dead. Woe is me, Alhama!

XV.

Moor Alfaqui! Moor Alfaqui!

Though thy beard so hoary be,

The King hath sent to have thee seized,

For Alhama's loss displeased.

Woe is me, Alhama!

XVI.

And to fix thy head upon

High Alhambra's loftiest stone;

That this for thee should be the law,

And others tremble when they saw.
Woe is me, Alhama!

XVII.

"Cavalier, and man of worth!

Let these words of mine go forth;
Let the Moorish Monarch know,

That to him I nothing owe;

Woe is me, Alhama!

XVIII.

De averse Alhama perdido
A mi me pesa en el alma.
Que si el Rey perdiò su tierra,
Otro mucho mas perdiera.

Ay de mi, Alhama!

XIX.

Perdieran hijos padres,
Y casados las casadas:
Las cosas que mas amara
Perdiò l' un y el otro fama.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

XX.

Perdi una hija donzella

Que era la flor d' esta tierra,
Cien doblas dava por ella,

No me las estimo en nada.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

XXI.

Diziendo assi al hacen Alfaqui,

Le cortaron la cabeça,

Y la elevan al Alhambra,

Assi come el Rey lo manda.
Ay de mi, Alhama!

XXII.

Hombres, niños y mugeres,
Lloran tan grande perdida.
Lloravan todas las damas
Quantas en Granada avia.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

XXIII.

Por las calles y ventanas

Mucho luto parecia ;

Llora el Rey como fembra,
Qu' es mucho lo que perdia.
Ay de mi, Alhama!

POEMS.

XVIII.

"But on my soul Alhama weighs,
And on my inmost spirit preys;
And if the King his land hath lost,
Yet others may have lost the most.

Woe is me, Alhama

XIX./

"Sires have lost their children, wives
Their lords, and valiant men their lives;
One what best his love might claim
Hath lost, another wealth, or fame.

Woe is me, Alhama!

XX.

I lost a damsel in that hour,

Of all the land the loveliest flower;
Doubloons a hundred I would pay,
And think her ransom cheap that day."
Woe is me, Alhama!

XXI.

And as these things the old Moor said,
They sever'd from the trunk his head;
And to the Alhambra's wall with speed
'T was carried, as the King decreed.

Woe is me, Alhama!

XXII.

And men and infants therein weep
Their loss, so heavy and so deep;
Granada's ladies, all she rears
Within her walls, burst into tears.

Woe is me, Alhama!

XXII

And from the windows o'er the walls
The sable web of mourning falls;
The King weeps as a woman o'er
His loss, for it is much and sore.

Woe is me, Alhama!

167

SONETTO DI VITTORELLI.

PER MONACA.

Sonetto composto in nome di un genitore, a cui era morta poco innanzi una figlia appena maritata; è diretto al genitore della sacra sposa.

Di due vaghe donzelle, oneste, accorte

Lieti e miseri padri il ciel ne feo,

Il ciel, che degne di più nobil sorte
L' una e l' altra veggendo, ambo chiedeo.
La mia fu tolta da veloce morte

A le fumanti tede d' imeneo :
La tua, Francesco, in sugellate porte
Eterna prigioniera or si rendeo.
Ma tu almeno potrai de la gelosa

Irremeabil soglia, ove s' asconde,
La sua tenera udir voce pietosa.
Io verso un fiume d' amarissim' onde,
Corro a quel marmo, in cui la figlia or posa,
Batto, e ribatto, ma nessun risponde.