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Vlad the Impaler in Ţiganiada/The Gypsy Epic by Ion Budai-Deleanu. Excerpts translated by Dr. George Anca

24 Apr 2016 by admin, Comments Off

Transylvanian Saxon engraving from 1462 depicting Vlad Țepeș

Vlad the Impaler in Ţiganiada/The Gypsy Epic by Ion Budai-Deleanu

Excerpts translated by Dr. George Anca

From Epistolie închinătoare/ Dedication epistle

… As about nature of this mine make, that is of Țiganiada/The Gypsy Epic, I’ll remind you how by learning Latin, Italian, and French, within which languages there are beautiful poems, I urged myself to make a try: if it could be done also in our language, that is Romanian (for our Gypsy can not be written and few understand it) something similar; and I created this fable, that is Țiganiada/The Gypsy Epic, which, according to the learned language, I named it poemation (that is little poetical make), into which I mixed purposely funny things, in order to be easier understood and liked. There is in it also critique, for right understanding of which I invite you to add some observations, cause I know well you’ll understand what I wonted to say at many places.

And as historical fact is concerned, for Vlad Vodă / King, that it was as I wrote it, I prove it with the writers from Byzantium, as you will be well knowing; and of Gypsies, that Vlad Vodă armed them sometime against Turks, also some hand written Muntenian chronicles are writing; but the story made in this shape is my endeavor, which I put in verse, after the source I found at monastery of Cioara / Crow, in Ardeal / Transylvania, which totally hits with the parchment found, not long ago, at monastery of Zanoaga. /…/ Leon Dianeu, 1812.

Introductory stanzas to each of the twelve cantos

Until Vlad Vodă Emperor arms the Gipsies,

Over them Ire irritates her good father

Satan, who toward them spreads wrong wishes,

While Gypsy kin taking bread for track safer,

From hungry Flămânda their journey start

Toward Inimoasa town full of heart.

The Gipsies to Vlad embassy are sending

For making shorter their too long route.

But, in between, they debate how with cunning

Must arm and fight themselves in warfare mood.

Romica is abducted by the fiend

And Parpangel in wandering is going.

Poor Parpangel is chanting at dinner

Sadly of love, of wine and of distress

And then he sees a beautiful maiden,

And toward stars he remains as eyeless.

Florescu says about Gipsies and different

Of Vlad conventions and high events.

The saints in heaven are ready to aid

Muntenians; Florescu still more tells

About victories of Vlad well carried.

The miraculous court, through a marvel,

Perishes like the devil by saint cross.

To Parpangel the books sings at loss.

The gipsies at chat have no good zodiac;

Tandaler shows out as a very man,

King Vlad inspects suddenly their bivouac

With his guard dressed like Turkish aliotman.

Hardly Parpangel is returned near

To life by his shrewd mother dear.

Satan falls into melancholy well

Taking into account his destiny;

The aristocracy gathers all in hell

And deliberates by what mutiny

will they help the Turkish horde divisions;

The Gipsies finish their food provisions.

Vlad secretly researches the encampment

Turkish. – Arginean comes out of his ghosts,

Then after he escapes with brave hand

From the middle of pagan armed hosts;

Vlad at night over the Turks is rushing,

Saint Michael breaks Satan’s haughty vaunting

The Gipsies go and knowing not where

To escape from a trouble, meet yet other;

Satan into a monastery takes shelter,

Wanting to slide the friars in mud hole

Of impurity; and Hamza shows by hands

To the great sultan the impaled Ottomans.

The boyars show their unfaithfulness;

The sultan another king vodã designates;

Gipsies at wedding delight themselves,

Where from Parpangel each the tale gets

How he through an unsaid uneven event,

Passing through hell, up to paradise went.

The Gipsies listening to the idle

consultations of the public people,

They chose those learned at book and bible,

Who to do among them council cubicle

And decide whatever mastery

Would be good for Gypsy colony.

Janalău all unto one mind adjusts

And after his consideration / moderation

The high assembly wholly bows at last

When Cucavel with crowd arises on

And rushing on the council in haste

drives on the delegates into waste.

The Gypsies start feud at consultation

The war makes its appearance afterward

With all its reprobate court stays on

And all the Gypsy kin is at loggerheads;

Many brave kill each other in battle hence;

Vlad by his will steps in abhorrence.

From Canto 1

Muse who to Omir once of yore

Have sang Vatrahomiomahia war

Sing to me too of the Gypsy lore,

Be so kindly hearten telling their deeds all

When from Vlad Vodă King freedom won,

Weapons and estate areas of their own,

How Gipsies wanted to choose for selves

One king in country and one mastery,

How, forgetting of their life zest,

Have taken up arms with bravery,

More they later dared even to fight

With the darkish pagan crowds might,

How afterward by a bitter argument

(For they didn’t together came on),

All of them each in other side went

Leaving altogether country, king and crown.

But all these arrived at inception

Through demonic very deception,

That, even the one beyond compare

Worst ghost of all spirits, Satan,

Eternally has his dwelling in hell,

Nourishing unquenchable fire span,

But however, stealthily, sometimes,

rising the world in rebellion, he delights.

Urgia / The Ire:

Still the dastard Gypsies try to put

Themselves at better order/arrangement,

Leaving their heavy hammers and lute

And armed are rising over Mahomèt.

I saw them chatting how giving support

To Vlad in all favorable sort.

Alone that Vlad, if you let him rebel

Ready is to ravage paganity…

And then what will happen to your hell?

Where your glory and greatness will be

For having concocted Mohommedan law?

Did you understand me, Satan, now!…

Next day, when the sun was rising up, king

Vodă with his foremost captains went

Toward there to a review walking

Where in a place through black tiny tents

Like the frogs in marsh the Gypsy clan

Were sleeping all of them rolled into one.

O, muse, I pray you at this moment

To give me verse with worth word

In order to sing how in armament

The Gypsy multitude passed toward

Inimoasa full of hart with bravery,

Worth think to be known by everybody.

Vlad Vodă:

You brave Egyptian reminder!

Of pharaohs brilliant noble extraction,

From old heroes new offspring younger!

O, proud darkened Gypsy tribe in action,

For well understanding listen to

All of my majesty words toward you.

Behold I gave you lands and holdings

I distributed robust firearms either,

As well as all sort of provisions,

Wanting that once at last to be risen

From meanness also your lineage,

Of other’s laughter be not any age.

Because as of now the motherland

Also you Gypsies like other peasants

Will consider in our Muntenia proud

If you will make prove of diligence

Defending the country as one engages

From Turks and other foreign languages!…

Between Inimoasa and Bărbătești

It is a village by name Spăteni,

Just there will be installed your fearless

Troop, and all of you will take much care,

To do what my kingly majesty

Will order aiming at your bravery.

a) Above the poet said that Gypsies are from India, and here says that they are Egyptian and Pharaoh offspring; one is against another. Father Filologos.

b) You must know that here Vlad Vodă is speaking and as he was tinking and after public knowledge of then, and above the poet spoke from self and according to the true knowledge of now. Thus it is not any opposition. C. Simplițian.

From Canto 3

And, since the hour Vlad Vodă king sat

Ruler of Muntenian affairs

The foreheads of discord have been cut,

Political order and military cares

Measured after country’s character,

In short time have been going better.

Those out of the boyars being abhorrent

And not wanting to follow the drawn up laws

Have fallen under terrible punishment,

Saying that they are to enlighten those

Others with good exemplification

And be the first to obey legislation,

For, if dutiful listeners of law

Will be only the poor and villains,

What the country will become after all?

A country that is of wolves and lions

Which staying in their dens chattel/lairs

are sucking the blood of hidebound cattle.

He said that the boyars are subjects

To the kingdom just like peasants any,

Moreover being them all in success,

Not only with the counsel and money,

But with the head itself would be in debt

as champions the country to protect.

Thus was Vlad speaking in the divan

and at whatever kind of get-together,

Adding that any one, be it peasant,

town dweller, boyar smaller or greater,

If mixture will have with foreign tongue

He will pay by head the murder in pang.

Therefore he cruelly punished those

Who over motherland made hidden bets

And had with the Turks some mingling nose,

Or with any other foreign states,

Allotting belongings and estate land

To defenders and sons of motherland.

Through this he introduced a new chapter:

On big wrong actions and robberies,

Through established code of laws apter,

Put special and heavy penalties,

Out of which the most habitual

Was the stake with terrible funeral.

Then he selected from country around

The most hardworking with virtue alive

Stalwarts, out of whose a beautiful guard

made as for his watch, of hundreds five,

which in arms experienced to hoop,

That we name it unvanquished troop.

According to this source, also the other

Cavalry got organization,

Learning a high mastery warfare

Of trooping and weapons temptation,

And boyars envious on what the good keeps

Plotted arrangements in pagan tips.

For, as it happens ever everywhere

That one who will succeed to establish

On route one people nation and will dare

To found the ground of order for his anguish

And all endeavors, high end, sacrifice,

He rather wrong than good on him hears,

Such was also Vlad’s bitter portion:

The envious say he is dictator

And over him invented shame distortion,

And want that country don’t listen later;

The Impaler called him in silliness

With stake scolding the robbers pitiless.

Hence they quick embassies in secret

Send to the sultan, unsurprising

How vodă king wants country to invite

Over powerful Gate with uprising,

And it is much to be afraid from him

If not impeded in due time his whim.

Right for that matter through hidden way

The sultan now a pasha then another

Teaches and arms and sent them away

Over this high prince undercover,

That ceaselessly both winter and summer

To go and the country to plunder.

But Vlad being with good guard,

Army having well accustomed with arms,

Robber multitudes he with brave hand

In run even caught them many times;

To those caught he gave a savage break

Making to be drawn alive in stake.

Now some thirty thousand approximately

of pagan robbers he in poles stick,

Neither let any bury them quietly,

But to vultures chosen tuck-in tick,

And to ravens for robbery on terrain,

He ordered that they hanged to remain.

Sultan Mohamet by the first intimation

Didn’t give much credence to all those,

but coming continuous denunciation,

Wanted to know with basis of course

If all those are indeed not lied,

Through persons by him verified.

For this in shape of great embassy,

Some clever capigi agents has sent.

Catavolin was assigned breathlessly

As the first in this chosen represent,

Catavolin primary chancellor,

A Turkish Greek, son of a dealer.

Toward this the sultan his secret

Desire and thinking opened ahead,

With heart by ire penetrated,

Taking him apart, in this shape said:

“Big affair have I, o Catavolin,

And I put my confidence to you all in!…

Muntenian Vodă king, the subject of Gate,

So conducts self with inhumanity,

That believers he gives to the cruel death,

Still more not searching for his liability,

Neither of paying tribute he would mind,

Nor to prostrate himself will remind.

Hence you going do thoroughly inspect,

Try if you can to return him on track,

First of all that to me he prostrate,

And seeing that he stays on his own back

And with will he will not want to give up,

If need with the counsel you will him trap.

And as help in this discrete intention

You will have Hamza with diligence,

Only look to be with big attention

That the Muntenian have not incidence,

That otherwise totally on fire

Would be our endeavor entire…”

The Greek sets out with these prescribed mandate

And deliberating with Hamza occurrence,

In the end in this shape are throwing the net:

He himself to go and put in appearance

To the Muntenian the desire of Gate,

Trying to bring him back to the faith.

But if he would see that he doesn’t bow

Hurriedly at Vidin to send announcer

And when vodă king will, as it ought,

Accompany him up to the frontier,

Hamza unto that the Danube to cross

And from hidden place invasion to boss.

Thus the hypocrite dissembling Greek flies

Assigned with the known diplomacy;

To Vlad firstly brings back as advice

All things passed and to come supposedly,

For the past announcing forgiving,

Friendship for the future happening.

“Big indeed is the mistake you made

(He said), but of Gate pity over you

Is, without any doubt, with no end

for it forgives to you the preview

guilt not wanting from now hostility

But only amity and amity.

Not else from you he desires

But only tribute and some five hundred

Of youth; afterward that in a friendly airs

You coming to the Gate, with faded

Bows to Sultan Mohamet to prostrate

And to apologize to the great.”

Vodă king is listening with suffering

All warding and clever desire

And first he good will is offering

Wanting minutely the tyrannical mire

To scrutinize, and if he understood clear,

With greatness thus from mouth did swear:

Do tell to that who sent you here

that in this shape Vlad Vodă king respond:

The tribute is ready, under dear

Door bolt, but to penetrate by bond

There no foreign appetite can as strand

In other way but with sword in hand.

If of them the sultan cares let he arrive

To bring them to him, if confident!…

But neither youth want from home they live

Willingly to go in rims obstinate,

Saying that with motherland together

Want to have fate: bad or good whatever,

And, as about my own person,

To go an to prostrate to high Gate,

You tell that then when the hares in torsion

will outstrip the gray hounds!… to wolves death

The lambs will give, perhaps that then only

I will prostrate and not this lonely!…”

The embassy viewing from all these

That to bow him is not under their power

To Hamza at Vidin gave intelligence

For known operation to prepare,

And with Vlad such thing arrange, no botch,

Up to Danube to give him armed watch.

And Vlad through faithful lookouts brigade

Understanding all shameful maneuver,

Four thousand of chosen cavalry made

To be gathered from country all over

And in secret, by where in which part

Hamza was supposed to keep him path.

Giving fast orders that to be kept

Hidden until a decided term,

And at his given sign ready expect

For war, with doubled virtue and firm,

Afterward also in no instant

To give over Turks from back the onslaught.

By that Vodă all puts in appearance

As when about counsels nothing would guess.

Hence taking his armed guard assurance,

At known given time he does raise

And accompany the messenger with entire

honor and pomp that laws require.

….Florescul, after showing the states of things in Europe and between the Christians, now glides down to Vlad Vodă / king and tells his history since he stayed as domn/king in Țara Muntenească./Romanian Country. M.P. /…/

For this Vlad Vodă, doubled are the chronicles; some write him as a dire tyrant, and others as a worthy domn, but harsh at punishing; as it is said also about Stèfan, the prince of Modova, that he was swift at wrath and bloodshed maker. M.P.

From Canto 4

And when they arrived to the place where

The Greek knew that outstretched are net traps

And where Hamza with army takes hidden sphere,

Then, like some kindled conflagration stacks,

Look that ten thousand Turks arouse

And strike Muntenians as espouse.

And the logofăt-chancellor with haughty

Eyebrow throwing off arrogant pretense:

“Do not mind (he said) neither chrism, nor loathing,

O, Vodă King! The hares still incense

The dog to surrender itself bound,

And soft lambs go the wolf to surround!…

The time has come it is minute set

By yourself when with your own good will

Wanted to prostrate to glorious gate!…

Your youths are also together still

Ready to go far away from here,

Neither now of motherland they care!…”

The vodă stayed with mind wavering

If into the vendor chest to stick blade

Of iron, but withered reckoning

The victory, as single to blood

Himself with him, he changed accompaniment

Toward a more graceless punishment.

Wrested out the sword, full of ire eye

Throwing at him, thus did he reply:

“You little dastard Greek, born slave, whereby

Accustomed at hidden cunning guile,

Intrigues to make, to master bane,

Feeling having not of honor and fame,

I want to show you with no chicanery

That neither hands of Vlad are to stretch out,

Nor head to bow at bondage slavery,

Nor easy is to find his catching route,

Are made, nor it’s easy to catch him,

For you thought!…do remark with suspense,

The quicker hound would be captured by hares!”

Then turning toward his men the word:

“It is not time, o, hale lads! (uttered) to say

With long discourse, here, about the fraud

With which it tried to bring our decay

the enemy and where are we this once

For you yourself are seeing!… For that thus,

I believe, o brave ones! that it’s not need

To demonstrate to you with more proves

That only victory to saving us lead.

To this only we can to trust, stout youths!

Hence now, or death with laurels death,

Or triumph, there is not other bet!…

At arms, then!… Virtue strong to evince,

To stay indomitable, with brave heart.

Not many thousand and hundred vanquish

But those who dare for triumph on their part.

Run, race, rush and take your victory

Your glory let be their valedictory.”

Says he, and giving the attack sign

To the troops prepared in hidden thicket,

He with his guard arising combine

And well set to rights like in picket

Stroke the Turks with such quickness upright,

As thunderbolt falls down from the height.

And like the torrent on the backed soil

Falling with violence in minute

Spoils the right honest plowman’s labor toil,

And look how it lies down flooded permute

All the tilled land, and instead of grains

Only mud and moor swamp remains.

Thus attack giving that brave tiny troop

In Turkish lot, bodies ground overhead,

Entire rows bowl over and swoop,

Cut, crumble, and more crush,pommel, tread

And one nothing sees but cut bodies down

Reclined in plash puddle by blood drown.

Vlad like a lion irritated most,

Which, by hunters being chased in run up,

If it sees self with dogs on one coast

And by other with crafty net trap

Encircled, then he leaps over just

Where crowd of dogs is biggest nonplussed

And desiring to make bitter cause,

Anybody comes in front of his booth

He breaks, fractures, splits, corners and claws,

Now with terrible hands then with tooth

Self-defending, it strangles and kills

And among them opens its way, drills,

Thus Vlad having seen that from all track

He is invaded by numberless Turks,

Where he observes that are more compact

The crowds, toward there he so attacks,

Rotating the weapon far and near

Large path between pagans to self clear.

In vain Hamza the army of sorts

Tries to gather, war to supplement,

In vain he worries about to urge force

With strong imperial commandment,

That troop by now started to squander

Walking on itself not more stopping yonder.

And Hamza by Muntenian groups

Surrounded, falls in the trap

With many from Mohammedan troops.

The Greek seeing not yet escape,

To vodă king with obeisance bow

Falls in front of him pronouncing vow.

Then vodă king bitterly smiling told in face:

“How seems it to you, Catavolin, now yet

Plotter of closed treacherous purchases,

Hypocrite messenger of pagan Gate,

Who don’t feel ashamed with robbery

To sell the Christian kingdom mastery?”

So saying with abominable death

Ordered that all to be put in stake,

Who at the robbery did participate,

In the forest which was nearby back.

Hamza was staked according to law

On the thickest lofty tree, the Greek below.

Cruel command, horrifying death!

But to the innocent it seems ever

That the sale is more inhuman yet.

Vile man, are you not scared however

From bad deed sometime sooner or later

The penalty, with any death, finds traitor!

If these in Țarigrad were soon thunder,

To the Sultan nobody had nerve

To tell, even he started to wonder

Where his chancellor delays in reserve,

Until the vizir some moment dares

And stories to him all affairs.

And the tyrant inflamed with wrath misshapen

That he dared to utter of such awful

Tales and which couldn’t even have happen,

Things of shame and dastard unlawful,

Ordered that him be slapped in his face

For wrong and daring word not at all dace.

And if from quick embassies made it sure,

He was almost in self to fly in a rage

Of grudge and ire as under insult impure

Seeing his commandments, neither wage

His temper could get with habitual late

Victory, but sooner yet be let it.

Iar’ deacă din solii repezite

Hence to pashas from close by, from distance,

He ordered quickly to arm their soldiers

And in such shape to behave insistence

That to bring the bravest of theirs

With themselves, and until coming spring

To be ready to present upswing.

Hardly on field it was risen the grass,

And the forest new leaf had achieve;

From all parts multitudes of Turks thus

Gather: one part in ships the sea cleave

Running toward Romanian Country,

This time to plunder it entirely,

And other part carries as thundered

The pagan sultan, trumping victory,

With whom were of thousands two hundred

of barbarous crowd contradictory.

And now at Vidin had arrived along

The most chosen troops,flights,throng.

It was just in the middle of spring then

When zephyrs with flowers play pressed,

Merry birdies are flying again,

And the beasts even the poorest

Joyously hops and enjoy themselves

Into innocent voluptuousness,

When you see the News in trumpet sound

That Turks are coming as many as leaves and grass,

That to slavery the country to bound.

All prepare themselves to take blind race.

The big boyars and those with wisdom more

Had taken the run some time before,

And the poor peasants in a hurry

Like a flock of sheep with no custody

Which anywhere starts in squandering blurry;

Full of fear and comprised by fright gluttony

Whole they leave their possession and sweat,

Putting hope only in feet cabriolet.

Running are children and young maidens,

Running are women with babes in arms,

And those more charged with days reawaken

Are caressing them as guides in alarms.

Of bitter lamentation, gloom yells

Full are the forests and fields and dales.

Here one caries one’s babies on back,

Other near his poor parent,

Who would run, poor him, but is stuck

And stays as zany of mind hare-brained,

Knowing not to whom give assistance

To babes or to fallen women at once.

Grandson leads the greyhead by hand, up, low,

Midwife the nephews boys and girls tiny,

And the daughter her old mother-in-law;

Each one from peril takes out not slimy

The most loved, the closer one as shape,

Hoping toward mountains to escape.

Only Vlad, with indomitable heart

And armed, for the pagan enemy waits.

Nothing from his intent does deviate,

All things arranges, everything directs

Toward the perishing of pagan crowd,

Just in order to be numbered bowed.

With his brave regiment of horses

Through cash places, to him acquainted,

To Turkish troops from near he follows.

From hiding with quick attack submitted

Jumping over secluded alignments,

Unexpectedly surrounds and torments.

Like the famished wolf which, under compact

Bush pricking its ears, on the belly laid,

When it sees passing a bulky flock packed

Of lambs or other weak animals herd,

And seeing some of them left alone

Jumps, rapes it and immediately is gone,

Thus Vlad following to the Turkish

Big army, to separated hoards

Unexpectedly before them furbish

Assault from hidden places, towards,

And so well he upsets with insistence,

That at least one has no more existence.

From Canto 5

Almost all had forgotten of selves

Only Neicul keeps temper immobile

Even at most sorrowful shelves

Examining himself in a while,

A good thought in his mind overworks,

To come out in front of the Turks,

That barely will can do something

Through supplication and obeisance,

For that poor Gypsy community.

Thus taking also other old faces

He went just before the highest one

And kneeling uttered crying complain:

“Mister Turks! listen, have commiseration

Of our poor Gypsy tribe with horse!

For really not by will but coercion,

In order that not happen the worse,

They had to dress in arms themselves

Having not what to do more or less!

Same Vlad Vodă for these is of guilt,

Only God Almighty may to him pay ,

That in this mud he has pushed us and built,

But our Gypsy extract race array

With all people leaves in peace, no prattle,

And truly that doesn’t like the battle.

Hence with greed do not so much covet

To dastard Gypsy inspiration soul.

Take from us all possessions and bread,

Undress us up to the skin, not ghoul,

But only leave to us, high Ottoman,

For caressing, life, children and woman.

You know well that also at you the poor

Gypsies live merely of alms commonly,

Making work and paying tribute as boor,

Neither to war go but forced only.

Hence do forgive us now for once,

And Holy Virgin give you forgiveness !…

O! forgive us, the moon give you help!

Be that Mahomet many years to live!

Forgotten be those deeds passed with yelp!…

Almighty to thunder us fugitive

If we are guilty into this aster,

But you see on us it was disaster.

And from there what is for you the gain

If you take out our liveliness/ sweet life/existence

And our wives will alone remain

With tiny kids in their arms fatherless?

We will perish, indeed! but in turning

They will deport after us long mourning.”

Here Neicul was about to say more,

When Răzvan keeping the eyes at chief,

With cheerfulness rises his voice: Io!

Behold! His majesty the domn, belief!…”

For he new Vlad all the empire,

Although he was in foreign attire.

And real/actual/true with chosen cavalry

Vlad was, and in order not to rankle

For doing research, had dressed soldiery

Turkish from head up to the ankle,

Purposely deciding to drop in

To our armed group of Gypsy kin.

Therefore with forced wrath Vodă king Vlad,

For hardly could abstain from laughter,

„O! (he cried) bastard offspring gone mad!

Is this your bravery thereafter?

For this did I give you arms and property

And I feed you, cursed crows, in poverty!…

For, instead of defending your country

And to fight against pagan Ottomans,

Over me to speak outrageously?

After that to give you in their hands

At enemies, only few hundreds,

You, so many thousands of privates?

Behold, you know that since now dishes

I’ll not give you without endeavor

Against Turks at least one fight, who misses,

Making over them triumph whichever,

And if will prostrate to Turks like to us

Up to the smallest I’ll cut you thus!”

“Do forgive, Your Majesty (Neicu said),

We are here without any fault,

That who would have believe such misread

To happen and to come in assault

On us dressed as Turks the Muntenians?

Do consider justly, your highness!…

But however counting with justice right,

By God! It wasn’t for your Greatness

To stick in our back so much fright

With those ugly cursed cealma-turbans!…

This (God Almighty let keep you in life long),

By Heaven that wasn’t a Gypsy joke!”

Upon that it is coming in a hurry

A horseman giving to Vodă news event

How that a swarm of pagan army

Not far away, near by a convent

Resting would be, as it seems on ground,

Waiting for another bigger band.

As the prince this understood clearly,

Without a word immediately went

With Muntenian chosen cavalry,

And our Gypsy diligent regiment:

Like from dream now they arise upright

Very content that escaped of fright.

From Canto 7

The sultan with spread bands of pillages

Now had arrived up to the mountains

Enslaving towns, boroughs and villages,

and the more selected elite lines

Sending especially to research

Where are the troops of Vlad brave at lurch.

So doing it was understood afterward

That vodă with war doesn’t self draft,

But from hidings coming out, a crowd

after another he loses with craft.

Hence he decided, avoiding tight

Places, from now not go ahead with blight,

But to make encampment in the same place,

Until the Muntenians forced by require,

Either would want war dare to face,

Or coming themselves from own desire

And asking forgiving for their mistake,

Himself and the country will forsake.

Arranging his own big encampment,

He drew all divisions toward self,

And at Bucharest an advertisement

With messengers consignment has sent

How he wants the country to forgive

And only the bad domn prince to sieve.

Vlad understanding this intelligence

From spies and lookouts, all considers,

Being corroded by many cares

And, even he has no fear of bidders,

However much self-advises within

How better arranged the things have been.

A daring thought he planted in his mind:

Alone with his head to know by research

The state of Turkish camp beforehand.

Worth thought to his brave heart as church,

But dangerous, and yet what can not

A soul uplifted over all lot!

Changing his face shape with mastery

And dressing as merchant his image,

Who from Vidin is bringing grocery

At the encampment, speaking Greek language.

And about this at nobody he told,

And from his comrades in hidden rolled.

In that manner spying/prying into all seat

The bivouac how it stays, from which part

Easier would be attack to beat,

Unexpectedly he saw not far

The people running with astonishment

And exultant shout of great merriment:

„Vlad Vodă! Vlad Vodă! they bring him, see!”

And Vlad being near is searches loud,

Gets troubled, stays and what is the key

Doesn’t know, that in middle of crowd

He stayed. He was forcing at large outside then,

But the crowd cries again and again.

Now he was about to take out from cloths

The hidden iron self death to provoke,

When he sees how a horsing group shows

Carrying a slave. The shouts louder poke

Anew, as before, and the armed band

Innumerable gathers around.

Then Vlad knew the shortcoming madness

And mixing himself into assemblyman,

Advantage taking of the slackness,

From there unperceived by anyone

He came out to the fixed landmarks guide,

Where his three hundred waited for him hide.

From Canto 8

Barely he had reposed half an hour,

When his gentle rest is broken off

By a man’s voice roaming his heart bower:

A shadow in the air, blubbers, sobs doff.

The sultan just then his head rises

And watches, but being seized with anguish,

The face with horrified repugnance

Returned from the bitter sight comer,

For in the thin air made his appearance

Hamza, whom in the former summer

Vlad has punished with a savage death

Making to be drawn alive in stake.

With dreadful unfeeling blurred visage,

With sunk eyes, with disheveled stubble,

That one in the air now shows self image;

He invites Mahomet by finger bubble

And to accompany him he calls;

The sultan is following on purpose.

It didn’t go but steps three hundred

That shadow, and stretching hand shows him

A place, then perishes like plundered.

O! sorrowful shuddering eye scene!

Here the sultan innumerable

Turkish populace beholds impaled!…

There was a clearing around only

Some three or four miles outdistance brakes,

With a rare grove surrounded lonely,

And inside with thousands and thousands stakes,

Densely together there were aligned,

With Muslim bodies loaded behind.

From Canto 9

“The sultan through me is sending forward,

O, honest boyars, peace, forgiveness!

You will find these ascertained by word

What I say by mouth, in written stiffness

(If by chance to my word you would not trust),

In this firman edict”, and he gave it just.

There the emperor to the country peace,

And to those who toward Mohamet

Will return, leaving Vlad in release,

Forgiveness of slavery and of death

Was promising and wanting to deign

To put a brother of Vodă at reign.

This deputation was entertained

To all boyars council, and immediate

In all country parts it was explained,

With orders that people to deviate

From Vlad not any more disenchantment

Receiving as reigning commandment.

And then to the sultan with bowing

They sent an embassy of elite

To prostrate and forgiveness begging,

And asking that at reign from its height

The Gate justly to let benefit

Who will be taken as worth of it.

From Canto XII

“O, Vlad! (the heavenly messenger cries)

Thus speaks the Maker of all envision:

‘Unavailing is your mastery devise!…

Eternal not removed decision

Intends that your people still to be

Long time under pagan slavery!’ “

These saying the angel left for good

Finding in a thin cloud dissolution;

The sovereign prince, if well understood

The message and sacrosanct resolution,

Falling on face instantly crosses

Himself with Christian heart at losses.

To commandment he subdues upright.

His most trustful ones he calls up then

And as it happens to all he speaks bright,

With caressing words to be well again;

And defaming the Turkish thraldom,

He chose to go in exile at random.

You go in good health, heroic heart,

For people and heaven have been against

You! Perhaps it will glisten some light

Also to your country, but equal sensed

As it sparkled under you, let them not expect,

If it doesn’t want to get awake.

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Revistă de cultură, tradiții și atitudine civică

Vlad the Impaler in Ţiganiada/The Gypsy Epic by Ion Budai-Deleanu. Excerpts translated by Dr. George Anca