The Glove Poem by Peter Mamara

by M. Eminescu (1850-1889)

(After Schiller)

King Francis waits close to the lions-garden, so he can see,
How a fight between the wild beasts shall be.
The chieftains and the headship of the land gather around.

Ladies with nice tiaras line up on a high balcony.
The king signals with his hand. A gate opens
And a lion comes out with a slow step.
It looks around silently and yawns for a while.
And shaking its mane, it stretches its muscles and sits down.
The king makes a sign again and another gate opens.
And through it comes out a tiger,
Which, seeing the lion, roars at full volume.
It turns its tail in circle, and shows its tongue.
Scared, despite everything, it circles the lion and avoids it.
It snorts heavily and then roars and lay down next to the lion.

The king makes a sign again
And through two gates that are open
They let two leopards free,
Which have a hearty appetite for hostility.
The leopards throw themselves on the tiger.
But the tiger gets them with his ferocious claw.
The lion stands and roars.
The wild beasts got anxious
With the wish to devour each other,
And they give up.

A pretty hand from the edge of the balcony
Drops a glove between the tiger and the lion.
And then, lady Cunnigundah, said playfully:
"If your love for me is so intense, like you always say,
Let me see.
There is my glove. Go and bring it back to me."

A gentleman runs, and he climbs down in the scary backdrop,
Without being scared he boldly walks.
And with his daring fingers he lifts the glove,
Which was in the middle of those beasts.

The ladies and the gentlemen looked at him
— With surprise and in shock.

Being very calm
He takes back the glove intact.

Every mouth reverberates with praises.
Lady Cunnigundah gazes at him with gentle warmth
That promises him that he got lucky.

But he throws the glove in her face.
"My lady, a thank like this
I do no longer eagerly want."
And he left her in that instant.

(1881)

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