Page:Brandes - Poland, a Study of the Land, People, and Literature.djvu/202

190 which ring through the romance, an occasional chord is struck which sounds like a Polish chord.

Even the renowned song, which in a certain sense is the spirit of the whole book, condensed into the smallest possible space (it is sung at a dance in one of the principal scenes in the book), is built upon motives from Polish ballads, still sung during the Cracovian dance.

The ballads always consist of two-line verses, the first of which gives an image and the second a parallel or an explanation of it.

For instance:—

"Yonder by the high walls of Cracow the Vistula flows, All the sons of Poland pass away in long lines."

Hauch expresses it thus:—

"The floods of the Vistula wind slowly under the walls of Cracow, Strong hosts march to break the eagle's dungeons."

Or again:—

"They all march out with smiles and do not return, Therefore woods, meadows, and women all mourn deeply."

Hauch:—

"Sword and scythe flashed in smoke and fog on the plain, Not a warrior comes back from the wild fight, Therefore field and meadow mourn, And Poland's daughters have lost their merry smile."

The composition of Hauch's poem as a whole is far above the scattered lines of the ballads in effect, but the Polish diction is shorter, it has more emphasis and force.

Although the events of 1863 gave rise to several more or less eloquent and well-considered articles in the Danish press, they called forth nothing else of literary value save four or five fine poems by Snoilsky, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper. Since then the people of Denmark have not given much thought to Poland; the last uprising has been called the death battle of the Poles, and the Polish nation is regarded as dead.

But "it is not yet all over with Poland," although this poor Poland resembles an elegant and defenceless woman upon whom all have fallen and trampled. Even in the thirties the friends of Poland regarded its history as closed.