Moorish Literature; Comprising Romantic Ballads, Tales of the Berbers, Stories of the Kabylie, Folk-Lore and National Traditions (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: And underneath a word which says, ' Nay, shoot not at the dead.' Thus spake the Moorish maiden, and in her eyes were tears of grief, Tho' in her busy needle she seemed to find relief. And the kindly countess called from far: " Zara, what aileth thee? Where art thou? For I called, and yet thou didst not answer THE JEALOUS KING Twas eight stout warriors matched with eight, and ten with valiant ten, As Aliatare formed a band allied with Moslem men, To joust, with loaded canes, that day in proud Toledo's ring, Against proud Adelifa's host before their lord the King. The King by proclamation had announced the knightly play, For the cheerful trumpets sang a truce upon that very day; And Zaide, high Belchite's King, had sworn that war should cease, And with Tarfe of Valentia had ratified the peace. But others spread the news, that flew like fire from tongue to tongue, That the King was doting-mad with love, for then the King was young; And had given to Celindaja the ordering of the day. And there were knights beside the King she loved to see at play. And now the lists are opened and, lo! a dazzling band, The Saracens, on sorrel steeds leap forth upon the sand; Their trailing cloaks are flashing like the golden orange rind, The hoods of green from their shoulders hang and flutter in the wind. They carry targets blazoned bright with scimitars arow, But each deadly blade is deftly made into a Cupid's bow. A shining legend can be seen in letters ranged above; And " Fire and Blood " the motto runs. It speaks of war and In double file a company of warriors succeed; The bold Aliatares come mounted on Arab steeds. The livery that they wear is dyed in tint of crimson red; And flower and leaf in white relief its surface oversprea...