Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland: Vols. XIV–XV. 1876–79. | | | | Spain: Madrid | | Court Life | | Luis de Góngora (1561–1627) |
| | Translated by Edward Churton
TO live bewitched with beasts of Circe’s crow, | |
| Where harpies leagued your purse’s life-blood draw; | |
| Place-hunting, fooled by hope, with famished maw, | |
| Watching each wind, great statesmen’s grace to sue; | |
| Amidst grooms, coaches, pages, liveries new, | 5 |
| Bright uniforms, fine clothes, but maiden swords; | |
| Or fed with embassies of ladies’ words, | |
| With house-rent dear, and friendships never true: | |
| Midst tricks and shams of pleaders bought and sold; | |
| Churchmen on mules,—and veriest mules are they; | 10 |
| Foul cheats, foul streets, where Dirt and Sloth hold revels; | |
| Poor cripples from the wars, maimed, starved, and old; | |
| High titles, lisping flatteries, Truth made prey: | |
| This is Madrid, Spain’s Court,—more like the Devil’s. | | | | |
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