Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Italy: Vols. XI–XIII. 1876–79. | | | | Busento, the River | | The Grave in the Busento | | August von Platen-Hallermünde (1796–1835) |
| | Translated by Alfred Basherville
BY Cosenza, songs of wail at midnight wake Busento’s shore, | |
| O’er the wave resounds the answer, and amid the vortex’ roar! | |
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| Valiant Goths, like spectres, steal along the banks with hurried pace, | |
| Weeping over Alaric dead, the best, the bravest of his race. | |
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| Ah! too soon, from home so far, was it their lot to dig his grave, | 5 |
| While still o’er his shoulders flowed his youthful ringlets’ flaxen wave. | |
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| On the shore of the Busento ranged, they with each other vied, | |
| As they dug another bed to turn the torrent’s course aside. | |
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| In the waveless hollow turning o’er and o’er the sod, the corse | |
| Deep into the earth they sank, in armor clad, upon his horse. | 10 |
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| Covered then with earth again the horse and rider in the grave, | |
| That above the hero’s tomb the torrent’s lofty plants might wave. | |
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| And, a second time diverted, was the flood conducted back, | |
| Foaming rushed Busento’s billows onwards in their wonted track. | |
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| And a warrior chorus sang, “Sleep with thy honors, hero brave! | 15 |
| “Ne’er shall foot of lucre-lusting Roman desecrate thy grave!” | |
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| Far and wide the songs of praise resounded in the Gothic host; | |
| Bear them on, Busento’s billow, bear them on from coast to coast! | | | | |
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