The Water Man by France Preseren

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The Water Man by France Preseren


Though long for its beauties Ljubljana was known,
Than Urska there never was any more fair,
No maidens, no women were known anywhere
In flow’ring allurement with her to compare. –
The star of the morning midst stars is most bright:
So also did Urska midst girls most delight.

Of maidens and women, both spinsters and wed,
In private the eyes with hot tears would smart
When he whom they loved gave to Urska his heart;
But she had of suitors too few, for her part.
Once she of a much-vaunted youth was aware,
she tried to entrap him in her open snare.

She knew how to promise and how to refuse,
And how to be amiable, how to be proud;
The young she enticed, to the old smiles allowed;
With talents and tricks she was fully endowed;
For long she kept men eating out of her hand,
But met one at last whom she could not withstand.

One afternoon, Sunday, the Old Market Square:
The trumpets and fiddles and zithers all played,
From all of Ljubljana, lo, every fair maid
Lightheartedly danced in the linden tree’s shade;
Among them queen Urska the beautiful reigned:
For long she to join in the dancing disdained.

Though many invite, she rejects everyone,
She snubs their entreaties and proud is her glance,
With new-found excuses refusing to dance;
The sun is now setting, the shadows advance,
Already the seventh hour fully has passed
When Urska decides to start dancing at last.

But when she in search of a partner looks around
A youth by a small yellow table she spies;
No stalwart his equal is there ‘neath the skies,
To dance with him ev’ry girl highly would prize. –
Fair Urska, desiring a catch with her hook,
Directs on him, as though enamoured, a look.

This seeing the young man approaches the maid:
“Do you wish to dance?” – for he has the first word –
“Where Sava’s swift waters with Danube’s are stirred
This morning I first of your great beauty heard,
Already, fair Urska, we two are well met,
Already, fair Urska, to dance I am set!”

He speaks and in front of her deeply he bows,
Fair Urska bestows upon him a sweet smile:
“I have not a single step danced yet awhile,
For you I’ve been waiting, I’ll say without guile;
So come, waste no time now, just give me your hand,
The sun’s going down and the dance soon will end!”

The handsome young man now gives Urska his hand,
And swiftly the pair round the dance-floor take flight
As if each is borne on two wings feather-light,
Their spinning around’s an ethereal sight;
It cannot be seen if they touch the ground,
As swept by a whirlwind they dance round and round.

In awe, the musicians now play not a sound,
On seeing this sight all the bystanders stare;
And, hearing the trumpeters no longer blare,
The youth loudly stamps and they hear him declare:
“I care not a whit for the fiddle and bass
Let others strings sound when I’m dancing apace!”

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