Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Ancient Spanish Ballads lyrics

I Rio Verde, Rio Verde!   Many a corpse is bathed in thee, Both of Moors and eke of Christians,   Slain with swords most cruelly. And thy pure and crystal waters   Dappled are with crimson gore; For between the Moors and Christians   Long has been the fight and sore. Dukes and Counts fell bleeding near thee,   Lords of high renown were slain, Perished many a brave hidalgo   Of the noblemen of Spain. II Don Nuno, Count of Lara,   In anger and in pride, Forgot all reverence for the king,   And thus in wrath replied: "Our noble ancestors," quoth he,   "Ne'er such a tribute paid; Nor shall the king receive of us   What they have once gainsaid. "The base-born soul who deems it just   May here with thee remain; But follow me, ye cavaliers,   Ye noblemen of Spain." Forth followed they the noble Count,   They marched to Glera's plain; Out of three thousand gallant knights   Did only three remain. They tied the tribute to their spears,   They raised it in the air, And they sent to tell their lord the king   That his tax was ready there. "He may send and take by force," said they,   "This paltry sum of gold; But the goodly gift of liberty   Cannot be bought and sold." III The peasant leaves his plough afield,   The reaper leaves his hook, And from his hand the shepherd-boy.   Lets fall the pastoral crook. The young set up a shout of joy,   The old forget their years, The feeble man grows stout of heart.   No more the craven fears. All rush to Bernard's standard,   And on liberty they call; They cannot brook to wear the yoke,   When threatened by the Gaul. "Free were we born," 't is thus they cry   "And willingly pay we The duty that we owe our king   By the divine decree. "But God forbid that we obey   The laws of foreign knaves, Tarnish the glory of our sires,   And make our children slaves. "Our hearts have not so craven grown,   So bloodless all our veins, So vigorless our brawny arms,   As to submit to chains. "Has the audacious Frank, forsooth,   Subdued these seas and lands? Shall he a bloodless victory have? No, not while we have hands. "He shall learn that the gallant Leonese   Can bravely fight and fall, But that they know not how to yield;   They are Castilians all. "Was it for this the Roman power   Of old was made to yield Unto Numantia's valiant hosts   On many a bloody field? "Shall the bold lions that have bathed   Their paws in Libyan gore, Crouch basely to a feebler foe,   And dare the strife no more? "Let the false king sell town and tower,   But not his va**als free; For to subdue the free-born soul   No royal power hath he!"