The Shepherd Rides on Donkey-back
written by: Petofi, Sandor
The shepherd rides on donkey-back,
His feet are dangling wide,
The lad is big, but bigger still
His bitterness inside.
He played his flute, he grazed his flock
Upon a grassy hill
When he was told his sweetheart girl
Was desperately ill.
He rides his donkey in a flash
And races to her bed,
But by the time he reached the house
His precious one was dead.
The lad was bitter, hoped to die,
But what he did instead:
He took a stick and struck a blow
Upon the donkey's head.
translated by: Nora
*can't say I agree with the animal cruelty displayed at the end but is still a famous Hungarian poem.*
UNTRANSLATED in Hungarian
Megy a juhász szamáron
Megy a juhász szamáron,
Földig ér a lába;
Nagy a legény, de nagyobb
Boldogtalansága.
Gyepes hanton furulyált,
Legelészett nyája.
Egyszercsak azt hallja, hogy
Haldoklik babája.
Fölpattan a szamárra,
Hazafelé vágtat;
De már későn érkezett,
Csak holttestet láthat.
Elkeseredésében
Mi telhetett tőle?
Nagyot ütött botjával
A szamár fejére.
Kúnszentmiklós, 1844. július
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