De Christianos y de Moros,
Of Christians and of Moors,
Muertos por la dura espada.
Killed by the cruel sword.

Many a brave and noble cap

tain

Floats along thy willowed shore.'

A strict adherence not only to the form and to the genius of the original as a whole, but also to its peculiar modes of expression, so far as these constitute the individual features of its physiognomy, this is what we now require from a translator of poetry. Considered in this point of view, the versions of Spanish Romances, the title of which stands at the head of this article, can at the utmost be considered as fine imitations, but by no means as good translations. The work of Mr. Lockhart enjoys, as we are informed, a high popularity in England. Mr. Hallam, who, however, "admits his slight acquaintance and imperfect knowledge of the originals," thinks that they are known to the English public by these translations, "with inconceivable advantage."* And the writer of a very able article in the "Edinburgh Review," (which forms an appropriate preliminary essay to the new American edition of this work,) gives high praise to Mr. Lockhart, for having " emancipated himself from the drudgery of counting lines and interpreting single words; from that servility which has obscured the clearest, and deformed the most beautiful;" and thinks these poor, simple ballads, translated with "sufficient fidelity," frequently improved by a judicious pruning."†

and "

There can indeed be no doubt, that, as poems, these versions are elegant and beautiful, and the attractive dress in which they appear again before the public, must necessarily secure them additional favor. But the public must, nevertheless, not expect to get from them a correct idea of the form of the Spanish popular Romances. We do not, it is true, exact from an English translation, the imitation of the assonant rhyme, which, in the Spanish ballads, continues throughout the whole in alternate lines. It is altogether foreign to the genius of the English language, and would be utterly lost to the English ear; and even to supply its place

+ Ibid.

* Edinburgh Review, No. 146. Assonant rhymes, so called in distinction from the consonant rhyme, the only one used in English, are: dos, traydor, hablo, no ; and, again, vida, mia, solian, etc.; or, fama, lama, montaña, &c.

by the consonant rhyme, and to continue the same throughout the whole ballad, would have no pleasing effect in English; at any rate, such an attempt would require the most skilful artist in verse.

But the peculiarity of the structure of the Spanish popular ballads, which we consider as indispensable, is the trochaic measure. The Spanish, like the French, count, but do not measure, their syllables; but the cadence of the whole, in their popular ballads (as indeed in most of their poetry), is invariably trochaic; and this feature contributes much to their elegiac and dignified character; just as the iambic and dactylic measure is a feature equally essential to English popular poetry. Mr. Lockhart has not paid the least attention to this principle. He uses indiscriminately the trochaic or the iambic, more frequently, however, the latter; nay, he often begins with the one, and continues with the other, so as to leave it very obvious, of how little importance he considered it. Indeed, this liberty is only a slight one, in comparison with others he has taken. Spanish popular minstrels have their standing phrases, with which they address their audiences, just as the English also have ;* "Deste os quiero decir."

Of this I will tell you now.

or more frequently; —

"Bien oreys lo que dirà."

You shall hear what he (she) said.

Such are their general phrases for introducing an action, or a speech. These words are mostly omitted in the English; instead of them, we find others peculiar to English popular ballads, such as; "Then out and spake," &c. ; or, “A woeful man was he;" and numerous others. These familiar expressions, the prevalance of the iambic measure, and that pleasing abundance of rhymes in the middle of the verse, characteristic of English, but entirely foreign to Spanish ballads, all these combine to give precisely the impression

* Such as 66 Listen, lively lordlings, all;" or, "Hearken to me, gentlemen," Come, and ye shall hear," etc.

+ Such as;

"Good king, my hand thou mayst command, else treason blots my name; I'll take the life of my dear wife,—(God, mine be not the blame !)"

of seeing, not, indeed, Spanish popular ballads in an English dress, but English popular ballads; while, according to our views, the impression ought to be just as different as the genius of Spain is from that of Britain.

In order to give the reader a chance to judge for himself of the extent of Mr. Lockhart's additions and omissions, we subjoin here his versions of two poems; one in juxtaposition with the more faithful translation of Dr. Bowring; the other, with a literal version, making not the slightest pretension to graceful versification, and intended merely to show the reader the perfect simplicity of the original.

* Ancient Poetry and Romances of Spain, selected and translated by John Bowring. London. 1824. pp. 78.

Of all that is above printed in italic, there is not a trace in the original. These two lines, rendered literally, read thus ; "And the mariner who guided it, (the galley,) recited a song.' The same mariner, who is, in Dr. Bowring's translation, "a young and clear-voiced helmsman," is, in Mr. Lockhart's version, transformed into a "gray-haired sailor." Our readers are aware, that English translators can make any thing out of nothing.

Old man, let me be partaker
In the secrets of thy song."

"Teach that song, by Heaven

I charge thee,

Teach that song me, Mariner."

"Count Arnaldos, Count Ar- But the Mariner was silent,

The reader is aware, that the whole meaning of the original, which Dr. Bowring strictly followed, is here perverted. While the Spanish mariner recites a charm to shelter his galley from peril, the mariner of Mr. Lockhart chants a song of triumph, that God has already poured grace on his vessel. The additions in the following ballad are less striking; and we give it as a specimen of Mr. Lockhart's most faithful translations.

* The original is printed in the Cancionero de Amberes, 1555, p. 176; and thence again in Silva de Romances viejos publicada por Jacobo Grimm, Vienna, 1815. p. 244.