Ancient Spanish Ballads by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A ballad is a brief narrative poem, typically structured in four-line stanzas with a consistent rhythm, meant to convey a story in a quick and memorable way. This form has its roots in oral tradition — ballads were sung or recited long before they were written down. Longfellow opted for the ballad form in this case because his source material consisted of ballads: ancient Spanish romances that had been handed down through generations. The form aligns well with the content.

The Moors were Muslim residents of the Iberian Peninsula, which includes present-day Spain and Portugal. They were descended from North African and Arab peoples who entered Spain in 711 CE. For about seven centuries, Christian kingdoms in the north battled to take back lands from Moorish rulers in a conflict called the Reconquista. The battle of Rio Verde takes place within this extensive historical struggle.

A hidalgo (derived from the Spanish hijo de algo, meaning "son of something") was part of the lower Spanish nobility—not a duke or a count, but a person of acknowledged noble lineage who enjoyed exemptions from certain taxes and obligations. The term shows up in various ballads, indicating that these poems focus on the rights and pride of the Spanish noble class.

He translated and adapted them. The originals are anonymous medieval Spanish ballads from the romancero tradition. Longfellow turned them into English verse, making decisions about rhythm, word order, and emphasis. They are his take on older poems, not original works—which is why the collection is called Ancient Spanish Ballads.

The ballad claims that true freedom isn't something that can be bought, sold, or taxed. Don Nuno and his knights reject the king's demand not out of financial inability, but because paying would signify that the king holds power over something they view as out of his grasp. The last two lines emphasize this point: gold can be seized by force, but freedom cannot.

In medieval aristocracy, "base-born" referred to someone of low class or common status. Don Nuno is implying that only a person lacking noble heritage—without the pride and traditions that come with nobility—would agree to the king's tax. This statement serves as an insult meant to shame any knight who might consider going along with it, suggesting they would be betraying their own class.

It’s a display of theatrical disdain. Rather than respectfully handing over the money, the knights stick it to the tips of their weapons and raise them high. They’re essentially saying: here’s your money, come and take it if you’re brave enough. The spear transforms a simple financial exchange into a challenge of might.

Both ballads focus on the Spanish nobility and their sense of honor. Ballad I mourns the noblemen who died in battle, highlighting their sacrifice as tragic and deserving of remembrance. Ballad II depicts these same noblemen standing up for their rights against a king. Together, they create a picture of a class marked by its readiness to die and its determination not to submit.