Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DON RAMIRO, by HEINRICH HEINE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DON RAMIRO, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Donna clara! Donna clara!
Last Line: "this day's noontide died ramiro."
Subject(s): Death; Knights & Knighthood; Life; Dead, The


"DONNA CLARA! Donna Clara!
"Through long years the hotly-loved one
"Thou hast will'd now my destruction,
"Will'd it, too, without compassion.

"Donna Clara! Donna Clara!
"Very sweet the gift of life is!
"But beneath us all is fearful,
"In the tomb so dark and chilly.

"Donna Clara, joy! to-morrow
"Will Fernando at the altar
"As his wedded bride salute thee, --
"Wilt thou ask me to the wedding?"

"Don Ramiro! Don Ramiro!
"Bitterly thy words are sounding,
"Bitt'rer than you stars' decree is,
"Scoffing at my heart's own wishes.

"Don Ramiro! Don Ramiro!
"Shake thy gloomy sadness from thee;
"On the earth are many maidens,
"But by God have we been parted.

"Don Ramiro, who so bravely
"Many Moors hast overpower'd,
"Overpower now thyself too, --
"Come to-morrow to my wedding."

"Donna Clara! Donna Clara!
"Yes, I swear it, yes, I'll come there!
"And the dance will lead off with thee; --
"So good night, I'll come to-morrow."

"So good night!" -- The window rattled;
Sighing stood below Ramiro,
Seeming turn'd to stone long stood he;
Then he vanish'd in the darkness.

Lastly, after lengthen'd conflict,
Night to day in turn surrender'd;
Like a blooming flowery garden
Lies extended fair Toledo.

Palaces and splendid buildings
Glitter in the radiant sunlight,
And the churches' domes so lofty
Glisten proudly, as though gilded.

Humming like a busy beehive,
Merrily the bells are sounding;
Sweetly rise the solemn psalm-tunes
From the God-devoted churches.

But look yonder! but look yonder!
Where from out the market chapel,
Midst the heaving crowd and uproar,
Streams the throng in chequer'd masses

Glittering knights and stately ladies
In gay courtly dresses sparkle,
And the clear-toned bells are ringing,
And the organ peals between times.

But with reverence saluted,
In the people's midst are walking,
Nobly clad, the youthful couple,
Donna Clara, Don Fernando.

To the bridegroom's palace entranco
Slowly moves the gay procession;
There begin the ceremonies,
Stately, and in olden fashion.

Knightly games and merry feasting
Interchange with loud rejoicing;
Swiftly fly the hours thus gladly
Till the shades of night have fallen.

And the wedding-guests assemble
In the hall, to hold the dances,
And their chequer'd gala dresses
Midst the glittering lights are sparkling.

On a high-exalted dais
Bride and bridegroom are reelining,
Donna Clara, Don Fernando,
Holding loving conversation.

In the hall are gaily moving
All the festal crowd of people,
And the kettle-drums sound loudly,
And the trumpets, too, are crashing.

"Wherefore, O my heart's fair mistress.
"Are thy glances so directed
"Tow'rd the hall's most distant corner?'
Thus the knight exclaim'd with wonder.

"Seest thou not, then, Don Fernando,
"Yonder man in dark cloak hidden?"
And the knight with smiling answered:
"Ah, 'tis nothing but a shadow."

But the shadow soon approach'd them,
And a man was in the mantle,
And Ramiro recognising,
Clara greeted him with blushes.

And the dancing has begun now,
And the dancers whirl round gaily
In the waltz's giddy mazes,
And the ground beneath them trembles.

"Gladly will I, Don Ramiro,
"In the dance become thy partner,
"But thou didst not well to come here
"In a black and nightlike mantle."

But with eyes all fix'd and piercing
Looks Ramiro on the fair one;
Clasping her, with gloom thus speaks he.
"At thy bidding have I come here!"

And the pair of dancers vanish
In the dance's giddy mazes,
And the kettle-drums sound loudly,
And the trumpets, too, are crashing.

"Snow-white are thy cheeks, Ramiro,"
Clara speaks with secret trembling.
"At thy bidding have I come here!"
In a hollow voice replies he.

In the hall the wax-lights glimmer
Through the ebbing, flowing masses,
And the kettle-drums sound loudly,
And the trumpets, too, are crashing.

"Ice-cold are thy hands, Ramiro,"
Clara speaks with shudd'ring terror.
"At thy bidding have I come here!"
And within the whirl they vanish.

"Leave me, leave me, Don Ramiro!
"Ah, thy breath is like a corpse's!"
Once again the dark words speaks he
"At thy bidding have I come here!"

And the very ground seems glowing
Fiddle, viol sound right merry;
Like a wondrous weft of magic
All within the hall is whirling.

"Leave me, leave me, Don Ramiro!"
Sadly sounds amidst the tumult;
Don Ramiro ever answers:
"At thy bidding have I come here!"

"In the name of God depart, then!"
Clara with a firm voice utters,
And the words she scarce had spoken
When Ramiro vanish'd from her.

Clara, death in every feature,
Chilly, night-surrounded, stood there,
And a swoon her lightsome figure
To its darksome kingdom carries.

But at last her misty slumber
Yields, at last her eyelids open,
But again, with deep amazement,
Would she fain have closed her fair eyes.

For since they began the dancing,
From her seat had she not moved once,
And she still sits by the bridegroom,
And the anxious knight thus asks her:

"Say, why are thy cheeks so pallid?
"Wherefore is thine eye so darksome?" --
"And Ramiro?" -- stammers Clara,
And her tongue is mute with horror.

But with deep and solemn wrinkles
Is the bridegroom's brow now furrow'd:
"Lady, bloody news why seek'st thou?
"This day's noontide died Ramiro."





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