THE "DAUGHTER OF SLAVA

379

is

^

a

I

it,

and am therefore yet more limited in my quotations from the sonnets themselves. Those of the first canto, where the lovemotive still strong and enters into quaint rivalry with the author's Slav enthusiasm, are the earliest and most valuable fruits of Kollar's muse. Celakovsky was undoubtedly right in stating that the poetic genius of KoUar left him with his younger years. In the twelfth sonnet of the first book Kollar describes his hesitation an between the two subjects that inspired him. There The easily noticeable echo of Anacreon in the song. poet writes — is

have translated a considerable part of

"

"

"

of

of

of of

I

of

wished to sing of the thrones the Bohemian kings, of the Attila, the arrival the brothers, Vlasta and Libussa^ God, and how he taught his Huns to use the crossbow. scourge

"In

I

'

'

of

I

wished to sing of the golden Carpathians, the wines of Tokay, the splendour the moon but when touched the strings of my lyre, Mina' and again Mina,' alone resounded in my ears.

I

wished to write of fables, flowers, kingdoms, but my pen, self-willed, traces other characters than those that

I

simple style

intended.

" My

The singular mixture of love and national enthusiasm

already noted appears quaintly — would be severe to say grotesquely — in another sonnet of the first book. Kollar writes —

"

for

I

Once when a heavy sleep closed her weary little eyelids, half an hour practised kissing her as a true Slav should.

" My

kisses were not such as Roman, Greek,

— sensual

or German

describes

They were pure, proper kisses, such as the customs of our Russian brothers allow. buffooneries.

See later,

^

'

j

it

,

also does not obey my will, and what when in company my heart carefully conceals my rash tongue reveals." speech

References to ancient Bohemian

legends.