The Shepherd Rides on Donkey-back

written by: Petofi, Sandor

The shepherd rides on donkey-back, His feet are dangling wide, The lad is big, but bigger still His bitterness inside.

He played his flute, he grazed his flock Upon a grassy hill When he was told his sweetheart girl Was desperately ill.

He rides his donkey in a flash And races to her bed, But by the time he reached the house His precious one was dead.

The lad was bitter, hoped to die, But what he did instead: He took a stick and struck a blow Upon the donkey's head.

translated by: Nora

*can't say I agree with the animal cruelty displayed at the end but is still a famous Hungarian poem.*

UNTRANSLATED in Hungarian

Megy a juhász szamáron

Megy a juhász szamáron, Földig ér a lába; Nagy a legény, de nagyobb Boldogtalansága.

Gyepes hanton furulyált, Legelészett nyája. Egyszercsak azt hallja, hogy Haldoklik babája.

Fölpattan a szamárra, Hazafelé vágtat; De már késõn érkezett, Csak holttestet láthat.

Elkeseredésében Mi telhetett tõle? Nagyot ütött botjával A szamár fejére.

Kúnszentmiklós, 1844. július

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.