Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/479

 V.JUNE 16, im] NOTES AND QUERIES.

471

pretended, from the time of Octavius Csesar Augustus, or any Roman emperor. If I remember rightly, the piece of prose in which it is embedded makes no claim of antiquity for it. Its language resembles that of the 'Biscayan Proverbs' of 1596, reviewed in the Season at Biarritz, 2 April, 1896. (See p. 801 of ' Bibliographie Basque,' par J. Vinson, Paris, 1898.) The unique copy of this anony- mous collection exists in the Grand Ducal Library at Darmstadt. Dr. G. Nick, the librarian, supposes that it was brought from Spain by the Landgraf Ludwig, who visited King Philip III. in 1618. In these Lelo was translated cancion. It is probably a schoolboy's prize poem, perhaps a veiled expression of a home-rule tendency among the Biskaitarrak (Biscayans) when the Emperor Charles I. of Germany, the Holy Roman Emperor, passed through Durango and Markina. That Senor de Biscaya left his state bed and travelling chapel in the mansion of the Arcilla family in the latter pleasant town, and we went to see them. On returning to Durango, in the afternoon of 27 July, I had the words of the song printed on a sheet of paper at the press of Senor F. Elosu, and a hundred copies were distributed to various libraries and amateurs. I now see that I misread three words. At the beginning of the following month a clear photograph, but far too small, was taken of the Lelo by Senor Felipe Eizagirre, of Mar- kina, from whom copies may be obtained. An engraving of it, or a larger one, ought to be published in some scientific periodical. There is none in Basqueland. This is what the crabbed scrawl appears to convey :

1. 1.

Leloyllelo Sing "(he is) dead!"

Sing ! Leloyllelo. Sing "(he is) dead!"

Sing!

Lelo azcarac The vigorous songs ;

dead.

Yl leloa.

Z (= 2). Romaco armac Aleguin eta Vizcayac daroa Qansoa.

3.

Octabiano Munduco jaun Lecobidi Vizcaycoa.

4.

Ychasotati Eta leorres Ymini deusco Molsoa.

5. Leor celayac

Bereac dira

The song of the

2.

The arms of Rome (have) done their all : and Biscaya carries off the war song.

3.

Octavianus (is) Lord of the World : Lecobidi (is) that of Biscay.

4.

By sea

and by dry land he hath put upon us the troop (of warriors).

5. The plains (of the) dry

land are his ;

Mendi tantayac

Leusoac.

6. Lecu Yroniam*

Gagoc.aniam Noc berasen ?

Dau gogoa.

7.

Bildurric guichi Arma bardinas

Eramayasu Guexoa.

8.

Sojac gpgorrac Ba dyrituys Narru biloxa Sur boa.

9.

Bost urteco Egun gabean Gueldi bagaric Pochoa.

X.

Gureco bata Yl ba daguyam Bost amarren Gal doa.

11. Aec anys ta

Guc guychi ta ya Asquyn yn dugu

the tree - tops (on the)

mountains, the (very) mists (are his).

6. In the good town (of the)

fortress (plaza) while we stay ; " Who is to put (it)

down?" he hath (as his) thought.

7.

Little fear with equal (stock of)

arms !

Take it yourself, poor fellow !

8.

The coats of mail hard if they seem to you ; (Try)'the bare skin ! Let the beam (of the catapult) go !

9.

For five year(s), day (and) night, without ceasing the dog (hath been guard).

10.

The one of our (side) if he hath killed, five in ten (having) lost he goes.

11. They (have lost)t many,

and we (have lost) few ; and

now

an end we have made ! Let' him go crest- fallen (?)!i

12.

In our land, and in their country, of so many arrows (behold) the heap !

13. No more can be done.

Gueure lurrean Ta aen errian Biroch ayn baten Scamoa.

13. Esin gueyago

ta

The rest of the thirteenth and all the fifteenth strophe have been torn off the paper.

14. 14.

Tiber lecua The (fortified) place (on

the) Tiber Gueldico scabal will remain (with) open

(gates).

Uchin damayo He puts in empty-aban-

donment (for it) Grandoya. the grain-house.

16. 16.

Andi aristae Let the oaks grow tall !

Gueystosyn doas (Then) they go decaying.

With longing for ever

(A man) goes boorish.

Betico nayas Narr doa.

all Basqueland, this word might mean " at Pam- plona."
 * If Biscaya be taken, as it formerly was, for

f Or "He has."

J A mere guess for lal.