The Ballad of Prince Alexander and Ramira

Sings the story at twilight When the moon is just rising, Sings a simple troubadour The short tale of life. How a fine boy, Born in a palace, A palace like crystal, Became a proud man. * You were born on a bed of flowers, Beside you, your father the king, Your mother, the queen And you, the handsome prince. All the scholars Praised you in thought, While the priests and people Offered their prayers to you. They’d all waited, For a lord to be born, A future king To guard them from evil. Feasts and celebrations Were held in your honor, As both the serfs And the rich danced together. In your tender childhood, The courtiers marveled At how handsome and skillful The prince seemed to be. With his angelic face And composed manner, He easily won over All the palace dwellers. * But behold, as years passed The prince grew to adulthood, A pleasant shining sun, A bright sky, mantle, and shield. Beaming with love and pride, His mighty father, the king, And the whole world praised Prince Alexander. On that April day, Calling in great secrecy His son to his bedside, The old king said: “I am old, dear child, And illness is taking me. Go now, dear child, Choose yourself a bride.” Our prince left for the world With a retinue of ten, Riding a beautiful chestnut Like none other there had been. * Slowly pacing the kingdom Searching the land, far and wide, Through beautiful noble courts, And vast countryside. One evening at dusk, He spotted her, finally, A specter peering from the rocks, The most beautiful girl. Shrouded in mystery, A rosebud with a slender waist, She greeted the weary prince With gentle brown eyes, blushing face. He remembered; daughter of Tavoi, A poor old man from Tashke, Not of noble descent And had only a simple boat. He recalled her help the evening before With the boat, to cross over The raging waters of Rhene, From one bank to the other. With a warm, crystal voice And her gentle brown eyes, She made the prince lose himself In her feminine charms. Such rare elegance He had never seen, Neither in noble courts Nor from a very good mother. On that enchanted night, He immediately made an oath This girl would be His precious wife. * Enveloped in the spell of night, With the moon as a holy star, The old man kissed his daughter And lamented at her leaving. “You are called by the longing for love,” Tavoi said to his daughter. “You are saddened,” said the girl, “By the fire that burns in me.” “It is the fire of love, child, That burns without ceasing, It calls you today, unceasingly, On the path to love.” “On the road of life you will go. Soon you will forget, The old house in Tashke, And your dear, old father.” The girl burst into tears. Hiding her disappointment, She cried out tenderly, “I will stay with you, father!” A soldier, hiding in the shadows Dazed by all he heard, Reported to the prince The unsettling news. Alas, even amidst passion For the prince, and his bright offer, The girl would not be compelled To leave her aging father. Disappointed, the prince resumed His quest for a bride To honor his father's wishes And soothe his wounded pride. * On the long road ahead, Wandering in the world, He was to see many things, Far from his kingdom. He saw strange animals, He saw the great sea, He saw palaces and shacks, He even saw a witch. “Turn back, noble prince, A girl is waiting for you. I see her in the crystal globe! I see her waiting for you!” Impassioned, he fled And in his great flight, He rushed through the mountains To Ramira, the girl in the night. It was as if he could hear her voice Calling his name with longing. In his mind, he saw her face, Her enchanting smile. * Meanwhile, alone at her threshold, With big, tear-filled eyes, The girl mourned her father, The boatman, named Tavoi. Left alone in the world Without any help, The poor girl seemed lost Without her old father. But one day at dusk, On the road from the north, She saw in the distance Her prince riding. The beautiful girl rejoiced, Handkerchief wiping her face, That no one would see Her tear-streaked face. They met in a secret hour, When everything seemed lost, Words exchanged for kisses, Impassioned in the night. * In the morning that followed, On their way to the palace, They joyfully crossed His entire kingdom. Seeing the land was beautiful And the kindness of the world, They pledged to be one; The prince and his beautiful girl. At the threshold of summer, Echoes of joy filled the palace, And the whole kingdom rejoiced, For the boy who was to be king. Then the courtiers rejoiced, The poor mother was happy, And the good king delighted, His tears wiped away. Amazed by the beautiful girl, By her enchanting smile They immediately agreed to hold A wedding like none before. A grand imperial wedding Like none had ever seen, With musicians and acrobats, With various kinds of dishes. The moon rejoiced in the sky, And the stars danced, The sun laughed continuously, And the blooming fields laughed too. From the heavens, they still looked down And watched over their treasure, The old boatman Tavoi With Ramira's mother.