Modern Poets and Poetry of Spain/The Song of the Pirate
THE SONG OF THE PIRATE.
The 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' named,
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;
While 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;[1]
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,
Whatever 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 veer'd!
For of the sea I am the king,
My fury's to be fear'd;
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 north wind'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 as the tempests rave,
I calmly rest in sleep profound,
So rock'd 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.
- ↑
Navega, velero mio,
Sin temor,
Que ni enemigo navio,
Ni tormenta, ni bonanza,
Tu nimbo à torcer alcanza
Ni à sujetar tu valor.
Veinte presos
Hemos hecho
A despecho
Del Ingles,Y han rendido
Sus pendones
Cien naciones
A mis piès.
Que es mi barco mi tesoro,
Que es mi Dios la libertad,
Mi ley la fuerza y el viento,
Mi ùnica patria la mar.
Alia muevan feroz guerra
Ciegos reyes
Por un palmo mas de tierra;
Que yo tengo aqui por mio
Cuanto abarca el mar bravio
A quien nadie impuso leyes.
Y no hay playa
Sea cual quiera
Ni bandera
De esplendor
Que no sienta
Mi derecho
Y dè pecho
A mi valor.
Que es mi barco mi tesoro . . . .
A la voz de 'barco viene!'
Es de ver
Como vira, y se previene
A todo trapo à escapar;
Que yo soy el rey del mar
Y mi furia es de temer.
En las presas
Yo divido
Lo cogido
Por igual:
Solo quiero
Por riqueza
La belleza
Sin rival
Que es mi barco mi tesoro . . . .
Sentenciado estoy à muerte!
Yo me rio;
No me abandone la suerte,
Y al mismo que me condenaColgarè de alguna entena
Quizà en su proprio navio.
Y si caigo
Que es la vida?
Por perdida
Ya la di,
Cuando el yugo
Del esclavo
Como un bravo
Sacudì.
Que es mi barco mi tesoro. . . .
Son mi música mejor
Aquilones;
El estrépito y temblor
De los cables sacudidos,
Del negro mar los bramidos,
Y el rugir de mis cañones;
Y del trueno
Al son violento,
Y del viento
Al rebramàr,
Yo me duermo
Sosegado,
Arrullado
Por el mar.
Que es mi barco mi tesoro,
Que es mi Dios la libertad,
Mi ley la fuerza y el viento,
Mi ùnica patria la mar.