BUDAI'S VLAD THE IMPALER 5

From Canto 7

The sultan with spread bands of pillages

Now had arrived up to the mountains

Enslaving towns, boroughs and villages,

and the more selected elite lines

Sending especially to research

Where are the troops of Vlad brave at lurch.

So doing it was understood afterward

That vodă with war doesn't self draft,

But from hidings coming out, a crowd

after another he loses with craft.

Hence he decided, avoiding tight

Places, from now not go ahead with blight,

But to make encampment in the same place,

Until the Muntenians forced by require,

Either would want war dare to face,

Or coming themselves from own desire

And asking forgiving for their mistake,

Himself and the country will forsake.

Arranging his own big encampment,

He drew all divisions toward self,

And at Bucharest an advertisement

With messengers consignment has sent

How he wants the country to forgive

And only the bad domn prince to sieve.

Vlad understanding this intelligence

From spies and lookouts, all considers,

Being corroded by many cares

And, even he has no fear of bidders,

However much self-advises within

How better arranged the things have been.

A daring thought he planted in his mind:

Alone with his head to know by research

The state of Turkish camp beforehand.

Worth thought to his brave heart as church,

But dangerous, and yet what can not

A soul uplifted over all lot!

Changing his face shape with mastery

And dressing as merchant his image,

Who from Vidin is bringing grocery

At the encampment, speaking Greek language.

And about this at nobody he told,

And from his comrades in hidden rolled.

In that manner spying/prying into all seat

The bivouac how it stays, from which part

Easier would be attack to beat,

Unexpectedly he saw not far

The people running with astonishment

And exultant shout of great merriment:

„Vlad Vodă! Vlad Vodă! they bring him, see!”

And Vlad being near is searches loud,

Gets troubled, stays and what is the key

Doesn't know, that in middle of crowd

He stayed. He was forcing at large outside then,

But the crowd cries again and again.

Now he was about to take out from cloths

The hidden iron self death to provoke,

When he sees how a horsing group shows

Carrying a slave. The shouts louder poke

Anew, as before, and the armed band

Innumerable gathers around.

Then Vlad knew the shortcoming madness

And mixing himself into assemblyman,

Advantage taking of the slackness,

From there unperceived by anyone

He came out to the fixed landmarks guide,

Where his three hundred waited for him hide. 

                                               Translation by George Anca