按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Nyamwezi languages。〃 The examples given （Sultan Majnun） are only
verses supposed to be chanted by the characters in the tale。 It is
improbable that the Yaos and Nyamwezis borrowed the custom of
inserting verse into prose tales from Arab literature； where the
intercalated verse is usually of a moral and reflective character。
Mr。 Jamieson； in Illustrations of Northern Antiquities （p。 379）；
preserved a cante…fable called Rosmer Halfman； or The Merman Rosmer。
Mr。 Motherwell remarks （Minstrelsy； Glasgow； 1827； p。 xv。）： 〃Thus I
have heard the ancient ballad of Young Beichan and Susy Pye dilated
by a story…teller into a tale of remarkable dimensionsa paragraph
of prose and then a screed of rhyme alternately given。〃 The example
published by Mr。 Motherwell gives us the very form of Aucassin and
Nicolete； surviving in Scotch folk lore：…
〃Well ye must know that in the Moor's Castle； there was a mafsymore；
which is a dark deep dungeon for keeping prisoners。 It was twenty
feet below the ground； and into this hole they closed poor Beichan。
There he stood； night and day； up to his waist in puddle…water； but
night or day it was all one to him； for no ae styme of light ever
got in。 So he lay there a lang and weary while； and thinking on his
heavy weird； he made a murnfu' sang to pass the timeand this was
the sang that he made； and grat when he sang it； for he never
thought of escaping from the mafsymore； or of seeing his ain
countrie again：
〃My hounds they all run masterless；
My hawks they flee from tree to tree；
My youngest brother will heir my lands；
And fair England again I'll never see。
〃O were I free as I hae been；
And my ship swimming once more on sea；
I'd turn my face to fair England；
And sail no more to a strange countrie。〃
Now the cruel Moor had a beautiful daughter called Susy Pye； who was
accustomed to take a walk every morning in her garden； and as she
was walking ae day she heard the sough o' Beichan's sang； coming as
it were from below the ground。〃
All this is clearly analogous in form no less than in matter to our
cante…fable。 Mr。 Motherwell speaks of fabliaux； intended partly for
recitation； and partly for being sung； but does not refer by name to
Aucassin and Nicolete。 If we may judge by analogy； then； the form
of the cante…fable is probably an early artistic adaptation of a
popular narrative method。
STOUR； an ungainly word enough； familiar in Scotch with the sense of
wind…driven dust； it may be dust of battle。 The French is Estor。
BIAUCAIRE； opposite Tarascon； also celebrated for its local hero；
the deathless Tartarin。 There is a great deal of learning about
Biaucaire； probably the author of the cante…fable never saw the
place； but he need not have thought it was on the sea…shore； as （p。
39） he seems to do。 There he makes the people of Beaucaire set out
to wreck a ship。 Ships do not go up the Rhone； and get wrecked
there； after escaping the perils of the deep。
On p。 42； the poet clearly thinks that Nicolete； after landing from
her barque； had to travel a considerable distance before reaching
Biaucaire。 The fact is that the poet is perfectly reckless of
geography； like him who wrote of the set…shore of Bohemia。
PAINTED WONDROUSLY。 No one knows what is really meant by e miramie。
PLENTIFUL LACK OF COMFORT： rather freely for Mout i aries peu
conquis。
MALENGIN： a favourite word of Sir Thomas Malory： 〃mischievous
intent。〃
FEATS OF YOUTH： ENFANCES； the regular term for the romance of a
knight's early prowess。
TWO APPLES； nois gauges in the original。 But walnuts sound
inadequate。
Here the MS。 has a lacuna。
There is much useless learning about the realm of Torelore。 It is
somewhere between Kor and Laputa。 The custom of the Couvade was
dimly known to the poet。 The feigned lying…in of the father may
have been either a recognition of paternity （as in the sham birth
whereby Hera adopted Heracles） or may have been caused by the belief
that the health of the father at the time of the child's birth
affected that of the child。 Either origin of the Couvade is
consistent with early beliefs and customs。
EYEBRIGHT。 This is a purely fanciful rendering of Esclaire。
Footnotes：
｛1｝ Gaston Paris； in M。 Bida's edition； p。 xii。 Paris； 1878。 The
blending is not unknown in various countries。 See note at end of
Translation。
｛2｝ I know not if I unconsciously transferred this criticism from
M。 Gaston Paris。
｛3｝ 〃Love in Idleness。〃 London； 1883； p。 169。
｛4｝ Theocritus； x。 37。
｛5｝ I have not thought it necessary to discuss the conjectures；
they are no more；about the Greek or Arabic origin of the cante…
fable； about the derivation of Aucassin's name； the supposed copying
of Floire et Blancheflor； the longitude and latitude of the land of
Torelore； and so forth。 In truth 〃we are in Love's land to…day；〃
where the ships sail without wind or compass； like the barques of
the Phaeacians。 Brunner and Suchier add nothing positive to our
knowledge； and M。 Gaston Paris pretends to cast but little light on
questions which it is too curious to consider at all。 In revising
the translation I have used with profit the versions of M。 Bida； of
Mr。 Bourdillon； the glossary of Suchier； and Mr。 Bourdillon's
glossary。 As for the style I have attempted； if not Old English； at
least English which is elderly； with a memory of Malory。
End