Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland: Vols. XIV–XV. 1876–79. | | | | Spain: Guadalhorce, the River | | The Guadalhorce | | Luis Martín de la Plaza (1577–1625) |
| | Madrigal
Translated by Robert Southey
ON the green margin of the land | |
| Where Guadalhorce winds his way, | |
| My lady lay: | |
| With golden key Sleep’s gentle hand | |
| Had closed her eyes so bright,— | 5 |
| Her eyes two suns of light,— | |
| And bade his balmy dews | |
| Her rosy cheeks suffuse. | |
| |
| The river god in slumber saw her laid: | |
| He raised his dripping head, | 10 |
| With weeds o’erspread, | |
| Clad in his watery robes approached the maid, | |
| And with cold kiss, like death, | |
| Drank the rich perfume of the maiden’s breath. | |
| |
| The maiden felt that icy kiss; | 15 |
| Her suns unclosed, their flame | |
| Full and unclouded on the intruder came. | |
| Amazed the intruder felt | |
| His frothy body melt, | |
| And heard the radiance on his bosom hiss; | 20 |
| And, forced in blind confusion to retire, | |
| Leaped in the water to escape the fire. | | | | |
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