Ballads E-Book

Robert Louis Stevenson

• Herausgeber: DigiCat
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

In "Ballads," Robert Louis Stevenson masterfully explores the rich tapestry of Scottish folk traditions through a collection of lyrical and emotive poetry. These ballads are imbued with a rhythmic quality and a profound sense of place, reflecting Stevenson's fascination with the oral storytelling tradition and the harsh realities of rural life. His literary style seamlessly marries the romanticism of the 19th century with the starkness of folklore, creating a poignant commentary on love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. Rich in imagery and musicality, each piece invites readers to immerse themselves in the emotional landscape of Scotland, revealing the cultural undercurrents of the time. Stevenson, a polymath and cultural icon, was deeply influenced by his Scottish heritage and the oral storytelling he encountered in his youth. His experiences traveling the Scottish Highlands, coupled with his keen interest in folklore and music, shaped his creative output. This background not only inspired the themes within "Ballads" but also showcased his ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and connection to the land and its people, thus enriching the reader's understanding of Scotland's literary history. "Ballads" is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of poetry and cultural identity. Stevenson's masterful craftsmanship and emotive storytelling resonate widely, making this collection a timeless exploration of the human condition. Whether you are a scholar of literature or a casual reader, this work invites you to experience the depth of feeling and the vivid imagery of Scottish life.

Leseprobe

Robert Louis Stevenson

Ballads

 

EAN 8596547348191

DigiCat, 2022 Contact: [email protected]

Table of Contents

THE SONG OF RAHÉRO A LEGEND OF TAHITI

TO ORI A ORI

I. THE SLAYING OF TÁMATÉA

II. THE VENGING OF TÁMATÉA

III. RAHÉRO

THE FEAST OF FAMINE MARQUESAN MANNERS

I. THE PRIEST’S VIGIL

II. THE LOVERS

III. THE FEAST

IV. THE RAID

TICONDEROGA A LEGEND OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS

TICONDEROGA

I. THE SAYING OF THE NAME

II. THE SEEKING OF THE NAME

III. THE PLACE OF THE NAME

HEATHER ALE A GALLOWAY LEGEND

HEATHER ALE

CHRISTMAS AT SEA

CHRISTMAS AT SEA

THE SONG OF RAHÉROA LEGEND OF TAHITI

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TO ORI A ORI

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Ori, my brother in the island mode, In every tongue and meaning much my friend, This story of your country and your clan, In your loved house, your too much honoured guest, I made in English. Take it, being done; And let me sign it with the name you gave.

Teriitera.

I. THE SLAYING OF TÁMATÉA

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It fell in the days of old, as the men of Taiárapu tell, A youth went forth to the fishing, and fortune favoured him well. Támatéa his name: gullible, simple, and kind, Comely of countenance, nimble of body, empty of mind, His mother ruled him and loved him beyond the wont of a wife, Serving the lad for eyes and living herself in his life. Alone from the sea and the fishing came Támatéa the fair, Urging his boat to the beach, and the mother awaited him there, —“Long may you live!” said she. “Your fishing has sped to a wish. And now let us choose for the king the fairest of all your fish. For fear inhabits the palace and grudging grows in the land, Marked is the sluggardly foot and marked the niggardly hand, The hours and the miles are counted, the tributes numbered and weighed, And woe to him that comes short, and woe to him that delayed!”

So spoke on the beach the mother, and counselled the wiser thing. For Rahéro stirred in the country and secretly mined the king. Nor were the signals wanting of how the leaven wrought, In the cords of obedience loosed and the tributes grudgingly brought. And when last to the temple of Oro the boat with the victim sped, And the priest uncovered the basket and looked on the face of the dead, Trembling fell upon all at sight of an ominous thing, For there was the aito [5] dead, and he of the house of the king.

So spake on the beach the mother, matter worthy of note, And wattled a basket well, and chose a fish from the boat; And Támatéa the pliable shouldered the basket and went, And travelled, and sang as he travelled, a lad that was well content. Still the way of his going was round by the roaring coast, Where the ring of the reef is broke and the trades run riot the most. On his left, with smoke as of battle, the billows battered the land; Unscalable, turreted mountains rose on the inner hand. And cape, and village, and river, and vale, and mountain above, Each had a name in the land for men to remember and love; And never the name of a place, but lo! a song in its praise: Ancient and unforgotten, songs of the earlier days, That the elders taught to the young, and at night, in the full of the moon, Garlanded boys and maidens sang together in tune. Támatéa the placable went with a lingering foot; He sang as loud as a bird, he whistled hoarse as a flute; He broiled in the sun, he breathed in the grateful shadow of trees, In the icy stream of the rivers he waded over the knees; And still in his empty mind crowded, a thousand-fold, The deeds of the strong and the songs of the cunning heroes of old.

And now was he come to a place Taiárapu honoured the most, Where a silent valley of woods debouched on the noisy coast, Spewing a level river. There was a haunt of Pai. [7] There, in his potent youth, when his parents drove him to die, Honoura lived like a beast, lacking the lamp and the fire, Washed by the rains of the trade and clotting his hair in the mire; And there, so mighty his hands, he bent the tree to his foot— So keen the spur of his hunger, he plucked it naked of fruit. There, as she pondered the clouds for the shadow of coming ills, Ahupu, the woman of song, walked on high on the hills.

Of these was Rahéro sprung, a man of a godly race; And inherited cunning of spirit and beauty of body and face. Of yore in his youth, as an aito, Rahéro wandered the land, Delighting maids with his tongue, smiting men with his hand. Famous he was in his youth; but before the midst of his life Paused, and fashioned a song of farewell to glory and strife.

House of mine (it went), house upon the sea,Belov’d of all my fathers, more belov’d by me!Vale of the strong Honoura, deep ravine of Pai,Again in your woody summits I hear the trade-wind cry.

House of mine, in your walls, strong sounds the sea,Of all sounds on earth, dearest sound to me.I have heard the applause of men, I have heard it arise and die:Sweeter now in my house I hear the trade-wind cry.