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Nightingale Budimirovich the Sailor
Hero
LOFTY are the heights of heaven, and deep
the Ocean-sea, broad are the steppes over
all the South, fathomless the Dnyepr's reefs.
Swamps and mosses lie over the sea, and frosts
afar in the North. Barren are the shores about
the White sea, and dark the forests that hem in
Smolensk. Lofty hills stand about Chigunsk;
wide stand the gates, and sarafans[1]
are fair on the
Moshy river; round Opskof town spread the open
plains.
From beneath the oak, oak, the damp oak,
the willow-bush, from the white curling bush, the
crimson elm, and the jacinth stone, flowed Mother
Volga river: past Kazan, Ryazan, and Astrakhan
she flowed, and fell through her seventy mouths
into the blue sea, the Turkish sea!
'Twas not the storm-clouds gathering, nor blue
clouds rolling up, but thirty dark-red ships and
three, sailing from out the glorious sea. From
Kadol's Isle in the land of Ledenetz they ran, over
the many-bayed sea, with green curving lines of
shore, towards Mother Dnyepr river.
One ship, the fairest, sailed before, as flies the
falcon clear, and proudly she bore her head on
high. Like a dragon fierce her prow was fashioned,
ears were two sharp spears,—little white ermines
hung thereon. Her brows were rare black sables
from Siberia, from Yakutsk, and her eyes fair
jacinth stones; rare gems, self-luminous, were
they, not for beauty, but for guidance in the dark
autumn nights. Her mane was two red foxes, her
tail, two white sea-bears. The sails and pennons on
that dark-red ship were of the silk of Samarcand;
the cables and cordage likewise of that silk, that
weareth not, teareth not; and the masts of gold,
and the anchors from Siberia, of damascened steel.
For oh! my brothers, our ship was fair adorned!
—Amid the ship stood a green tiled bower, its
ceiling hung with black cut velvet, its walls with
sables black. Its covering was foxes and martens,
long and downy, from Siberian caves.
In that green tiled bower, on carven seats of precious
fishes' teeth, sat Nightingale Budimirovich:[3]
on his right sat his lady mother, young Ulyana
Vasilievna, on his left his body-guard of three
hundred youths, none better. Shoes of green
morocco were on their feet, and golden buckles
with silver tongues; their garments were of fine
scarlet cloth; on their heads were Norman caps.
On his sounding gusly played Nightingale, and
solaced his lady mother. String after string he
touched, and blended his voice therewith in tones
from Novgorod and Jerusalem, in ditties from over
the sea blue and glorious, from Kadol's Isle and
the green-bayed shore.
Then quickly he went forth, and began to pace
the ship, to shake back his yellow curls, and speak
this word:
"Brothers, and brave guards of mine! Hearken
to your chief, and do the deed commanded: take
that we run not into the shallows, but sail securely
past."
So they sounded the depths, and ran in safety
past the perilous reefs. But Nightingale still
paced the deck, shook back his curls, and gave
further command to his good youths:
"Listen to your chieftain, and do the thing
commanded: climb now the mast, and from the
topmost yard look toward famous Kief town, and
see if it be far."
They answered from the yard:
"Aï, young Nightingale Budimirovich! Kief
town standeth close at hand."
Then he gave commandment that they should
run into the harbour, and cast out steel anchors
upon the steep shores, and throw out three landing
stages; one of red gold for Nightingale himself,
one of silver for his good body-guard, and one of
bronze for his lady mother, the honourable widow,
Ulyana Vasilievna.
Then young Nightingale took his golden keys,
and from his treasure-chests, iron bound, he drew
great store of treasure: forty forties of black
sables, fox and marten skins without number,
countless geese and swans, fine damask on which
the red gold corrodeth not, the fair silver breaketh
not. Not dear was the red gold, the pure silver
upon that damask fair; that which was beyond
price was the pattern from beyond the sea, of
Nightingale's own devising. All these things he
laid on a dish of gold, and went to Prince Vladimir's
palace of white stone, to the banquet hall.
There he crossed himself as prescribed, did reverence
as enjoined, to all, to two, to three, to four
sides, and to the royal Prince in particular, greeting
him and his Princess.
"Hail, thou bold and goodly youth!" spoke
Vladimir then. "I know neither thy name nor
country, whether thou be a Tzar or Tzarevich, a
King or Crown Prince, or a fierce Kazák from
the peaceful Don."
"None of these am I," quoth the youth; "but
young Nightingale Budimir's son, from the blue
sea, from the Isle of Kadol in the land of Ledenetz."
Then he offered his gifts to Vladimir and
his Princess. The Princess was greatly pleased
thereat, accepting and praising them all; and in
particular the damask, the like of which for richness,
and cunningness of device, was not in Kief
nor ever had been. And the Princess Apraxia
entreated Vladimir that he would give Nightingale
sweet viands, green wine, and sweet mead.
So Vladimir feasted him, and spake in pleasure:
"Aï, young Nightingale, what guerdon shall I
bestow upon thee in return for all these great
gifts? Wilt thou have cities with their villages,
or golden treasure?"
And Nightingale made answer, as he paced the
banquet hall: "None of these do I need, for I
have all these things at my desire. But grant me
now a little plat, whereon to build three golden-crowned
towers, within the green garden of fair
Love, where they bake pepper-cakes and little
tarts; where pancakes are sold, and children barter
wares."
"As thou knowest, so do," answered courteous
Prince Vladimir: "build where thou wilt, in my
green royal gardens."
"Thanks, royal Vladimir, for thy princely gift,"
quoth Nightingale, and went straightway to his
men.
"Brothers, my brave, stout guards, do now the
thing commanded: put off your kaftans of scarlet
for labour, of elkskin, and heavy foot-gear. Take
sharp steel axes, go to Love's garden, root up the
oaks and elms, hew oaken beams, and build me
there this night, three golden-crowned towers, with
roofs overlapping and rich halls, so that I may
dwell there at to-morrow's dawn."
Then late, right late at even, his good youths
laboured like woodpeckers tapping trees, and at
midnight the palace was complete. Three-towered
it stood, with golden domes which merged, three
latticed halls, and in the midst a guest-chamber.
Full richly were the towers adorned. In the
heavens stood a sun—and in the towers a sun; in
heaven a moon—a moon in the towers likewise;
stars and dawns in heaven and in the towers, and
all beauty under heaven.
—Early chimed the bells for matins, when Love
the Fair awoke from sleep, washed herself very
white, and gazed from her latticed casement upon
her garden green. And lo! a marvel presented
itself to her—three gold-domed towers stood in
her garden fair.
"Ho there, nurses and handmaidens mine!"
Love cried, "come hither and view this marvel.
But yestere'en that hillock was bare, and now 'tis
fully crowned."
"Prithee, dear Love," they answered, "look
thyself! For thy fate hath come to thy court."
Then Love put her shoes in haste upon her
naked feet, flung her robe upon one shoulder, and
ran out to walk in her garden fair. When she
came to the first, the grated tower, she heard a
clashing and a clinking, and listened there: 'twas
Nightingale's brave body-guard telling over his
countless treasures of gold. As she listened at
the second tower of glass, she caught a whispering
praying God for her dear son. And at the third
tower of red gold was again clashing and great
noise; for fair young Nightingale sat therein,
on a stool of precious fishes' teeth,[4] playing on
his harp and singing. String after string he
plucked, accompanying his voice in songs from
Novgorod and Jerusalem, and all the little ballads
from beyond the blue Turkish sea, and Kadol's
Isle, with its many bays and green incurving
shores.
The maiden rejoiced greatly, and was likewise
greatly terrified, and listened all that day until
the eventide. Then she entered the lofty tower,
prayed God, and bowed to Nightingale. Nightingale
returned her greeting, and she spoke:
"Young Nightingale Budimir's son! thou art
unwedded; take me, a fair maid, to wife."
To this Nightingale made answer: "Thou art
pleasing to me, maiden, in all things save this one;
—that I like not,—thou hast wooed a husband
for thyself. This should not be, fair damsel.
Better were it for thee to be at home, drawing
water, milking the cows, feeding the calves."
Upon that, with great shame she turned and ran
to her home.
Then young Nightingale Budimirovich donned
with speed his richest apparel, and went to Prince
Vladimir of royal Kief, in state, to woo, seated
himself in the great place, and spoke this word:
"Aï, thou Prince of royal Kief town! Thou
hast a much-loved niece, young Love. Give her
to me now for my wife."
So Prince Vladimir betrothed the fair maiden,
his niece, and the young people went to God's
church to take the golden crowns.
Then in haste did young Nightingale remove
from Love's garden his golden-crowned towers,
made all things as they were at the first, and
betook himself to his dark-red ship with his lady
mother, his good body-guard, and his fair young
wife, and sailed away to his own land. There he
dwelt henceforth, and his wife, in joy and peace.
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