Fraternity-Testvériség, 1956 (34. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1956-07-01 / 7. szám
2 FRATERNITY FAREWELL TO MY LOVE * By Valentine (Bálint) Balassa** Unhappy is my lot; My pangs are great, God wot; My youth is turned to sighing. For toil is hard to bear, My yoke is harsh to wear In spite of all my trying. The good old times have flown By winds of evil blown, And left me to my crying. When autumn dews are done, Across the waning sun November winds come blowing. They snatch the falling leaves, Across the bitter eves Their yellow fragments strowing„ Soon where I walk today Along the greenwood way Strides winter with its snowing. Remarks * This poem was taken from the recently published anthology written by Egon Kunz under the title “Hungarian Poetry.” This valuable book may be ordered from Julia Kemeny, 1736 East 22nd St., Cleveland 14, O. ** Bálint Balassa is the first great Hungarian lyric poet. In 1574 he took part in the battles around Eger, and fell in love with Anna Losonczi, wife of the captain of Eger Castle. She inspired most of his love poems. He later joined the forces attacking Transylvania and was captured. Later spent years in Poland whose king was Báthory, prince of Transylvania. After his return he married his cousin, Christina Dobó. He became a Catholic, his marriage was annulled, and he turned again to his first love, Anna, then a widow, but Anna married someone else. Because of his violent nature, he got into trouble and fled to Poland, returning again in 1592. Having lost his estates in the meantime, he tried soldiering again and was killed by a Turkish cannon ball in the battle of Esztergom. He was the first to mould the then clumsy Hungarian language into easily flowing lines.
