ABORIGINAL AMERICAN POETRY. 17 



" When I smito off his h'ead, shall his lifeless lips scornfully tell me that I am unworthy of his 

 daughter, and that I shall never possess her ? 



" Then shall I no longer supplicate him on low-bent knees, for I, not he, shall be sovereign, and 

 my will, not his, all-jTOwerful." 



According to Messrs. Rivero and Tschudi, the Peruvian actors reached great perfection 

 in Ihe representation of comedies. They were encouraged not only by the hearty applause 

 of an audience that delighted in the drama, but also by rich rewards from those in 

 authority The same authors inform us that, with the exception of the dramatic, all the 

 compositions of the Peruvians were destined to be sung. Some of the ancient tunes of 

 their yaravis or love-poems are said to be sweet and melodious. The music of three of them 

 (one in sol ?ninor, one in la minor and one in re minor) is given in " Peruvian Antiquities." 

 But such music was the exception rather than the rule. Like most rude populations, the 

 populace of the empire preferred the din of noisy instruments. In a paper on Ancient 

 Music, by M. Oscar Comettant, included in the " Compte Rendu " of the Congrès des 

 Americanistes for 1870, I find an example of a yaravis, of which the following is a 

 translation : — 



"When the poor turtle-dove has lost the object of its affections, in its wild grief it flutters its 

 wings and flies restlessly to and fro. 



n. 



Everywhere it seeks for the missing one, flying far over the broad fields, and searching with the 

 inquiring eye of love, eveiy tree and eveiy plant. 



III. 



But, alas ! it has sought in vain, and now, hopeless, with throbbing heart, it weeps unceasingly — 

 weeps fountains, rivers, gulfs, oceans of tears. 



IV. 



Such, alas ! is my case! So have I been in my sorrow ever since that sad daj^ when I was so ill- 

 fated as to lose thee, my sweet charmer, my divine enchanter. 



I weep, though I know it is in vain. For my sorrow is so great that I breathe only tears, terrors, 

 anguish and cries of lamentation. 



VI. 



The whole universe is moved by my sorrow, for I am the most faithful of lovers. Lo ! all crea- 

 tion weepj for my lot — men, beasts, fishes and birds. 



Sec. ii, 1887. 3. 



