Poems (Ford)/Bernardo del Carpio
BERNARDO DEL CARPIO.[1]
At last the foe was vanquished,
The warrior turned his rein,
To place his hard-won laurels
Upon the brow of Spain.
The warrior turned his rein,
To place his hard-won laurels
Upon the brow of Spain.
But soon a fearful story
Of wrong aroused his ire;
His soul was wrung with anguish,
His heart seemed changed to fire.
Of wrong aroused his ire;
His soul was wrung with anguish,
His heart seemed changed to fire.
Swift sped his fleet war-charger
Till at the palace door,
And soon his clanging sabre
Rang on the marble floor.
Till at the palace door,
And soon his clanging sabre
Rang on the marble floor.
The king, who 'mongst his nobles
Discussed the victory won,
Half rose to meet the hero
Known as his warrior son.
Discussed the victory won,
Half rose to meet the hero
Known as his warrior son.
Bernardo waved him backward
With gesture of command,
And cried, "O king, I can not
In friendship touch thy hand.
With gesture of command,
And cried, "O king, I can not
In friendship touch thy hand.
"I call thee sire no longer—
Ah, why did I not see
That thy cold heart had never
A father's love for me.
Ah, why did I not see
That thy cold heart had never
A father's love for me.
"On many a field of battle
I for thy rights have stood,
And, while with my brave legions
For thee I shed my blood,—
I for thy rights have stood,
And, while with my brave legions
For thee I shed my blood,—
"My own true, noble father
In thy cold dungeon lay:
If blood you ask, mine surely
Has washed his fault away."
In thy cold dungeon lay:
If blood you ask, mine surely
Has washed his fault away."
Then spoke the crafty monarch,
In accents soft and bland:
"Bernardo, thou art honored
As champion of our land.
In accents soft and bland:
"Bernardo, thou art honored
As champion of our land.
"The voice of Spain, in triumph,
Recounts thy vict'ries won;
'T were sad to keep a father
From such a noble son.
Recounts thy vict'ries won;
'T were sad to keep a father
From such a noble son.
"Give up, then, as a ransom,
Thy castle strong to me;
My royal word I pledge thee,
Thy father thou shalt see."
Thy castle strong to me;
My royal word I pledge thee,
Thy father thou shalt see."
"Take all I own, my sovereign,
But break my father's chains;
Wealth, power, renown, are worthless
While captive he remains.
But break my father's chains;
Wealth, power, renown, are worthless
While captive he remains.
"My father, oh! what anguish
Must have been his for years,
While stories of my conquests
Were ringing in his ears.
Must have been his for years,
While stories of my conquests
Were ringing in his ears.
"How base he must have pictured
The son who bled for thee,
Whose arm was never lifted
To set his father free.
The son who bled for thee,
Whose arm was never lifted
To set his father free.
"Oh, haste, to ope his dungeon,
That I may hear his voice,
And, after years of sorrow,
Bid him at last rejoice."
That I may hear his voice,
And, after years of sorrow,
Bid him at last rejoice."
Time passed, and still in fetters
The Count Saldana lay;
The wily king his promise
Renewed from day to day.
The Count Saldana lay;
The wily king his promise
Renewed from day to day.
At last he said, "Bernardo,
Behold where o'er the plain
Thy father rides, a free man,
'Mid yonder glittering train."
Behold where o'er the plain
Thy father rides, a free man,
'Mid yonder glittering train."
Borne on their arrowy coursers,
Whose hoofs scarce touched the ground,
They reached the spot where slowly
The long procession wound.
Whose hoofs scarce touched the ground,
They reached the spot where slowly
The long procession wound.
Low bent the youthful warrior,
His father's hand to clasp,
But, icy-cold and pulseless,
It fell from out his grasp.
His father's hand to clasp,
But, icy-cold and pulseless,
It fell from out his grasp.
With nameless dread he shuddered,
And quick the vizor raised,
And on the stony visage
In breathless horror gazed.
And quick the vizor raised,
And on the stony visage
In breathless horror gazed.
The silv'ry locks encirled
A brow as cold as stone;
The mute lips ne'er would greet him—
His father's soul had flown.
A brow as cold as stone;
The mute lips ne'er would greet him—
His father's soul had flown.
He bent his throbbing forehead
Upon his nerveless hand,
His burning tears fast falling,
Like rain, upon the sand.
Upon his nerveless hand,
His burning tears fast falling,
Like rain, upon the sand.
Stern warriors viewed with sorrow
A woe so wild and deep,
Amazed to see the bravest
Of Spain's proud chieftains weep.
A woe so wild and deep,
Amazed to see the bravest
Of Spain's proud chieftains weep.
"My father, oh, my father!
My life's fond hope has fled;
I came with joy to meet thee;
I see thee cold and dead!
My life's fond hope has fled;
I came with joy to meet thee;
I see thee cold and dead!
"Come back, O soul that prison
Again can never hold,
And learn how that heart loved thee
That seemed so base and cold.
Again can never hold,
And learn how that heart loved thee
That seemed so base and cold.
"Alas! too late I see thee;
In vain, in vain I call—
A Heavenly King has broken
At last thy spirit's thrall!"
In vain, in vain I call—
A Heavenly King has broken
At last thy spirit's thrall!"
Then, turning to Alfonso,
He cried, "Base monarch, say,
Why hast thou brought me hither
To greet this lifeless clay?
He cried, "Base monarch, say,
Why hast thou brought me hither
To greet this lifeless clay?
"Where is the brave young noble
Thou didst in prison fling,
Because he loved and wedded
The sister of a king?
Thou didst in prison fling,
Because he loved and wedded
The sister of a king?
"Where is the soul that kindled
That form with God's warm breath?
My all was never bartered
For this cold guest of Death!
That form with God's warm breath?
My all was never bartered
For this cold guest of Death!
"A king whose soul is perjured
Should cease to wear the crown;
The false and cruel-hearted
Should fling the sceptre down!"
Should cease to wear the crown;
The false and cruel-hearted
Should fling the sceptre down!"
The monarch paled in anger,
And shouted to his train
To seize the sword that often
Turned war's red tide for Spain.
And shouted to his train
To seize the sword that often
Turned war's red tide for Spain.
The cavaliers stood silent,
Awed by their hero's grief,
Their dauntless hearts divided
Between their king and chief.
Awed by their hero's grief,
Their dauntless hearts divided
Between their king and chief.
And soon they heard, defiant,
The champion's proud tones ring:
"Bernardo's sword no longer
Is subject to a king.
The champion's proud tones ring:
"Bernardo's sword no longer
Is subject to a king.
"And though thou hast by falsehood
Won Carpio's castle strong,
I still have the free mountains,
The right to war with wrong.
Won Carpio's castle strong,
I still have the free mountains,
The right to war with wrong.
"False-hearted king, remember,
Long as this arm is free,
I wage a ceaseless warfare
Against thy cause and thee!"
Long as this arm is free,
I wage a ceaseless warfare
Against thy cause and thee!"
- ↑ This renowned Champion of the Ninth Century was the son of the Count Saldana, who had secretly married the sister of Alfonso, King of Austurias. The angry King doomed the Count to life-long imprisonment, and brought up the young Bernardo as his own son. The Champion at last, on his victorious return from battle, learns who his real father is, and demands his release.