OLLANTAY.
Hanco Huayllu,[39] of all my lords
Thou art most venerable and wise,
Being kin to the august High Priest,
It is my wish that thou shouldst give
The ring unto the Mountain Chief.
(Urco Huaranca kneels, and Hanco Huayllu addresses him.)
HANCO HUAYLLU.
This ring around thy finger’s placed
That thou mayst feel, and ne’er forget,
That when in fight thou art engaged,
Clemency becomes a hero chief.
URCO HUARANCA.
A thousand times, illustrious king,
I bless thee for thy trust in me.
HANCO HUAYLLU.
Behold the valiant Mountain Chief,
Now fully armed from head to foot,
And bristling like the quiscahuan,[40]
Accoutred as becomes a knight.
(Turning to Urco Huaranca.)
Ne’er let thine enemies take thee in rear
Man of the Puna,[41] it ne’er can be said
You fled or trembled as a reed.
URCO HUARANCA.
Hear me, warriors of the Andes!
Already we have a valiant king,
It might be he will be attacked;
’Tis said th’ old Inca sends a force,
The men of Cuzco now advance.
We have not a single day to lose;
Call from the heights our Puna men,
Prepare their arms without delay,
Make Tampu strong with rampart walls,
No outlet leave without a guard;
On hill slopes gather pois’nous herbs
To shoot our arrows, carrying death.
OLLANTAY.
(to Urco Huaranca).
Select the chiefs!
Fix all the posts for different tribes;
Our foes keep marching without sleep—
Contrive to check them by surprise.
The compi[42] ruse may cause their flight.
URCO HUARANCA.
Thirty thousand brave Antis are here,
Amongst them no weakling is found;
Apu Maruti,[43] the mighty in war,
From high Uilcapampa[44] will come,
On steep Tinquiqueru[45] he’ll stand
To march when the signal appears;
On the opposite side of the stream
Prince Chara[46] has mustered his force;
In the gorge Charamuni[47] I post
Ten thousand armed Antis on watch;
Another such force is in wait
On the left, in the vale of Pachar.[48]
We are ready to meet our foes,
We await them with resolute calm;
They will march in their confident pride
Until their retreat is cut off,
Then the trumpet of war shall resound,
From the mountains the stones shall pour down,
Great blocks will be hurled from above.
The Huancas[49] are crushed or dispersed,
Then the knife shall do its fell work,
All will perish by blows from our hands,
Our arrows will follow their flight.