Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Russia: Vol. XX. 1876–79.

Jashdow, the Castle

The Invasion of the Tartars

By From the Polish

Translated by Mrs. T. A. L. Robinson

PLUNDERING are the Tartars,

Plundering Jashdow castle.

All the people fled,

Only a lad they met.

“Where ’s thy lord, my lad?

Where and in what tower

Is thy lady’s bower?”

“I must not betray him,

Lest my lord should slay me.”

“Not his anger fear,

Thou shalt stay not here,

Thou shalt go with us.”

“My lord’s and lady’s bower

Is in the highest tower.”

Once the Tartars shot,

And they hit them not.

Twice the Tartars shot,

And they killed the lord.

Thrice the Tartars shot,—

They are breaking in the tower,

The lady is in their power.

Away, away it goes,

Over the green meadows,

Black, black the walls arose!

“O lady, O, turn back,

To thy walls so sad and black.

“O walls, ye dreary walls!

So sad and black are you,

Because your lord they slew!

“Because your lord is slain,

Your lady is dragged away

Into captivity!

A slave for life to be,

Far, far in Tartary!”