La canción del Pirata

José de Espronceda - La canción del Pirata

Con diez cañones por banda,

viento en popa a toda vela,

no corta el mar, sino vuela,

un velero bergantín;

bajel pirata que llaman

por su bravura el Temido

en todo el mar conocido

del uno al otro confín.

La luna en el mar riela,

en la lona gime el viento

y alza en blando movimiento

olas de plata y azul;

y ve el capitán pirata,

cantando alegre en la popa,

Asia a un lado, al otro Europa,

Y allá a su frente Estambul:

-Navega, velero mío,

  sin temor

que ni enemigo navío,

ni tormenta, ni bonanza

tu rumbo a torcer alcanza,

ni a sujetar tu valor.

Veinte presas

hemos hecho

a despecho

del inglés

y han rendido

sus pendones

cien naciones

a mis pies.

Que es mi barco mi tesoro,

que es mi Dios la libertad;

mi ley, la fuerza y el viento;

mi única patria, la mar.

Allá muevan feroz guerra

ciegos reyes

por un palmo más de tierra,

que yo tengo aquí por mío

cuanto abarca el mar bravío

a quien nadie impuso leyes.

Y no hay playa

sea cualquiera,

ni bandera

de esplendor,

que no sienta

mi derecho

y dé pe...

English translation

C.D. Warner, et al., comp.  The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes.  1917.

The Song of the Pirate

By José de Espronceda (1808–1842)

THE BREEZE fair aft, all sails on high,   Ten guns on each side mounted seen, She does not cut the sea, but fly,   A swiftly sailing brigantine; A pirate bark, the ‘Dreaded’ named,         5 For her surpassing boldness famed, On every sea well known and shore, From side to side their boundaries o’er. The moon in streaks the waves illumes;   Hoarse groans the wind the rigging through;         10 In gentle motion raised, assumes   The sea a silvery shade with blue; While singing gaily on the poop, The pirate captain, in a group, Sees Europe here, there Asia lies,         15 And Stamboul in the front arise. Sail on, my swift one! nothing fear;   Nor calm, nor storm, nor foeman’s force Shall make thee yield in thy career,   Or turn thee from thy course.         20 Despite the English cruisers fleet,   We have full twenty prizes made; And see, their flags beneath my feet   A hundred nations laid. My treasure is my gallant bark,         25   My only God is liberty; My law is might, the wind my mark,   My country is the sea. There blindly kings fierce wars maintain   For palms of land, when here I hold         30 As mine, whose power no laws restrain,   Whate’er the seas infold. Nor is there shore around whate’er,   Or banner proud, but of my might Is taught the valorous proofs to bear,         35   And made to feel my right. My treasure is my gallant bark,   My only God is liberty; My law is might, the wind my mark,   My country is the sea.         40 Look, when a ship our signals ring   Full sail to fly, how quick she’s veer’d! For of the sea I am the king,   My fury’s to be feared; But equally with all I share         45   Whate’er the wealth we take supplies; I only seek the matchless fair,   My portion of the prize. My treasure is my gallant bark,   My only God is liberty;         50 My law is might, the wind my mark,   My country is the sea. I am condemned to die! I laugh;   For if my fates are kindly sped, My doomer from his own ship’s staff         55   Perhaps I’ll hang instead. And if I fall, why what is life?   For lost I gave it then as due, When from slavery’s yoke in strife   A rover I withdrew.         60 My treasure is my gallant bark,   My only God is liberty; My law is might, the wind my mark,   My country is the sea. My music is the north wind’s roar,         65   The noise when round the cable runs, The bellowings of the Black Sea’s shore,   And rolling of my guns. And as the thunders loudly sound,   And furious as the tempest rave,         70 I calmly rest in sleep profound,   So rocked upon the wave. My treasure is my gallant bark,   My only God is liberty; My law is might, the wind my mark,         75   My country is the sea.