Vlad the Impaler in Ţiganiada/The Gypsy Epic by Ion Budai-Deleanu (1)

Excerpts translated by Dr. George Anca 

From Epistolie închinătoare/ Dedication epistle

… As about nature of this mine make, that is of Țiganiada/The Gypsy Epic, I'll remind you how by learning Latin, Italian, and French, within which languages there are beautiful poems, I urged myself to make a try: if it could be done also in our language, that is Romanian (for our Gypsy can not be written and few understand it) something similar; and I created this fable, that is Țiganiada/The Gypsy Epic, which, according to the learned language, I named it poemation (that is little poetical make), into which I mixed purposely funny things, in order to be easier understood and liked. There is in it also critique, for right understanding of which I invite you to add some observations, cause I know well you'll understand what I wonted to say at many places.

And as historical fact is concerned, for Vlad Vodă / King, that it was as I wrote it, I prove it with the writers from Byzantium, as you will be well knowing; and of Gypsies, that Vlad Vodă armed them sometime against Turks, also some hand written Muntenian chronicles are writing; but the story made in this shape is my endeavor, which I put in verse, after the source I found at monastery of Cioara / Crow, in Ardeal / Transylvania, which totally hits with the parchment found, not long ago, at monastery of Zanoaga. /.../ Leon Dianeu, 1812.

 
 
Introductory stanzas to each of the twelve cantos

Until Vlad Vodă Emperor arms the Gipsies,

Over them Ire irritates her good father

Satan, who toward them spreads wrong wishes,

While Gypsy kin taking bread for track safer,

From hungry Flămânda their journey start

Toward Inimoasa town full of heart.

The Gipsies to Vlad embassy are sending

For making shorter their too long route.

But, in between, they debate how with cunning

Must arm and fight themselves in warfare mood.

Romica is abducted by the fiend

And Parpangel in wandering is going.

Poor Parpangel is chanting at dinner

Sadly of love, of wine and of distress

And then he sees a beautiful maiden,

And toward stars he remains as eyeless.

Florescu says about Gipsies and different

Of Vlad conventions and high events.

The saints in heaven are ready to aid

Muntenians; Florescu still more tells

About victories of Vlad well carried.

The miraculous court, through a marvel,

Perishes like the devil by saint cross.

To Parpangel the books sings at loss.

            The gipsies at chat have no good zodiac;

Tandaler shows out as a very man,

King Vlad inspects suddenly their bivouac

With his guard dressed like Turkish aliotman.

Hardly Parpangel is returned near

To life by his shrewd mother dear.

Satan falls into melancholy well

Taking into account his destiny;

The aristocracy gathers all in hell

And deliberates by what mutiny

will they help the Turkish horde divisions;

The Gipsies finish their food provisions.

Vlad secretly researches the encampment

Turkish. - Arginean comes out of his ghosts,

Then after he escapes with brave hand

From the middle of pagan armed hosts;

Vlad at night over the Turks is rushing,

Saint Michael breaks Satan's haughty vaunting

The Gipsies go and knowing not where

To escape from a trouble, meet yet other;

Satan into a monastery takes shelter,

Wanting to slide the friars in mud hole

Of impurity; and Hamza shows by hands

To the great sultan the impaled Ottomans.

The boyars show their unfaithfulness;

The sultan another king vodã designates;

Gipsies at wedding delight themselves,

Where from Parpangel each the tale gets

How he through an unsaid uneven event,

Passing through hell, up to paradise went.

The Gipsies listening to the idle

consultations of the public people,

They chose those learned at book and bible,

Who to do among them council cubicle

And decide whatever mastery

Would be good for Gypsy colony.

Janalău all unto one mind adjusts

And after his consideration / moderation

The high assembly wholly bows at last

When Cucavel with crowd arises on

And rushing on the council in haste

drives on the delegates into waste.

The Gypsies start feud at consultation

The war makes its appearance afterward

With all its reprobate court stays on

And all the Gypsy kin is at loggerheads;

Many brave kill each other in battle hence;

Vlad by his will steps in abhorrence.