Indiana State Sentinel

"Rio Bravo"—A Mexican Lament.
Such of our readers of the Columbian Magazine as have seen the Vera Cruz Journal containing the original of the Rio Bravo Lament by the popular Mexican poet, Don Jose Maria Joacquim de Ho Axe de Saltillo, will perhaps not find the following hasty translation [by Charles Fenno Hoffman] unacceptable.

Rio Bravo: Rio Bravo:
Saw men ever such a sight,
Since the field of Roncesvalles
Sealed the fate of many a knight?
Dark is Palo Alto's story,
Sad Resaca de la Palma's route,
On those fatal fields so gory,
Many a gallant life cut out.
There our best and bravest lances,
Shivered 'gainst the Northern steel,
Left the valiant hearts that couched them,
Neath the Northern charger's heel.
Rio Bravo! Rio Bravo!
Minstrel ne'er knew such a fight,
Since the field of Roncesvalles
Sealed the fate of many a knight.
Rio Bravo, fatal river,
Saw ye not while red with gore,
Tumult in all headless quiver,
A ghastly trunk upon thy shore?
Heard ye not the wounded coursers
Stuck upon your trampled banks,
As the scorched wind's artillery
Thundered on our shattered ranks?
There Arista, best and bravest,
There Raguena, tried and true,
On the fatal field thou layest,
Nobly did all men could do.
Vainly there those heroes sally,
Castile up Monterey's shores
"Rio Bravo"—"Roncesvalles,"
Ye are the names blent evermore.
Wepest thou lorn lady Ioza,
For thy lover 'mid the slain,
Brave La Vega's leechant section
Cleft his slayer to the brain.
Brave La Vega, who all lonely,
By a host of foes beset,
Yielded up his sabre nobly
When his equal there he met.
Other champions not less noted,
Sleep Debalb that sullen wave:
Rio Bravo they bestowed
An army to an ocean grave.
On they came, those Northern horsemen,
Like the eagles toward the sun,
Followed then the Southern bayonets,
And the fight was lost and won.
Oh! for Orlando's horn to rally
His Paladins on that sad shore:
"Rio Bravo" "Roncesvalles."
Ye are names blent evermore.