This ballad commemorates the death of Alonso de Aguilar, elder brother of ‘the great Captain’ Gonzalo de Córdoba, which took place in action at Sierra Bermeja on May 18, 1501. This date is important. A serious chronological mistake occurs in the opening line of the ballad, which places Aguilar’s death before the surrender of Granada in 1492; and this points to the conclusion that the romance [106] was not written till long after the event, when the exact details had been forgotten. It is of popular inspiration, no doubt, but it is clearly not ancient. Still, in default of any other romances fronterizos, we receive it gratefully. This section of Lockhart’s book is certainly the least adequate.[60] The border-ballads which he gives are most of them excellent, but unfortunately he gives us far too few of them. Some of his omissions may be explained. He tells us in almost so many words that he leaves out a later ballad on Aguilar’s death:—
¡Río Verde, río Verde, tinto vas en sangre viva![61]—
because there was already in existence an ‘exquisite version’ by the Bishop of Dromore[62]—whom some of you may not instantly identify with Thomas Percy, the editor of the Reliques. Most probably Lockhart omitted a ballad with [107] an effective refrain (perhaps borrowed from some Arabic song)—
Paseábase el ray moro per la ciudad de Granada—
because it had been translated, though with no very striking success, by Byron a little while before.[63] Nor can Lockhart be blamed for omitting the oldest of the romances fronterizos:—
Cercada tiene á Baeza ese arráez Audalla Mir.[64]
Hidden in Argote de Molina’s Nobleza de Andalucía,[65] this ballad was generally overlooked till 1899 when Sr. Menéndez y Pelayo did us the good service of reprinting it. It still awaits an English translator who, when he takes it in hand, may perhaps have something destructive to say respecting its alleged date (1368). Such a translator might also give us an English version of
Moricos, los mis moricos, los que ganáis mi soldada,[66]
which is thought to be the next oldest of these romances fronterizos. Or he might attempt to render
Álora la bien cercada, tu que estás á par del río,[67]