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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3






21

"Dhritarashtra said, 'When Pandya had been slain and when that foremost
of heroes, viz., Karna was employed in routing and destroying the foe,
what, O Sanjaya, did Arjuna do in battle? That son of Pandu is a hero,
endued with great might, attentive to his duties, and a complete master
of the science of arms. The high-souled Sankara himself hath made him
invincible among all creatures. My greatest fears proceed from that
Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes. Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that Partha
achieved there on that occasion.'

"Sanjaya said, 'After Pandya's fall, Krishna quickly said unto Arjuna
these beneficial words, "I do not behold the King. The other Pandavas
also have retreated. If the Parthas had returned, the vast force of the
enemy would have been broken. In fulfilment of purposes entertained by
Ashvatthama, Karna is slaying the Srinjayas. A great carnage is being
made (by that warrior) of steeds and car-warriors and elephants." Thus
the heroic Vasudeva represented everything unto the diadem-decked
(Arjuna). Hearing of and beholding that great danger of his brother
(Yudhishthira), Partha quickly addressed Krishna, saying, "Urge the
steeds, O Hrishikesha." Then Hrishikesha proceeded on that irresistible
car. The encounter then that once more took place became exceedingly
fierce. The Kurus and the Pandavas once more fearlessly closed with each
other, that is, the Parthas headed by Bhimasena and ourselves headed by
the Suta's son. Then, O best of kings, there once more commenced a battle
between Karna and the Pandavas that swelled the population of Yama's
kingdom. With bows and arrows and spiked clubs and swords and lances and
axes and short clubs and Bhushundis and darts and rapiers and battle-axes
and maces and spears and polished Kuntas, and short shafts and hooks, the
combatants quickly fell upon one another, desirous of taking one
another's life. Filling the welkin, the cardinal points of the compass,
the subsidiary ones, the firmament, and the Earth, with the whizz of
arrows, the twang of bow-strings, the sound of palms, and the clatter of
car-wheels, foes rushed upon foes. Gladdened by that loud noise, heroes,
fought with heroes desirous of reaching the end of the hostilities. Loud
became the noise caused by the sound of bow-strings and fences and bows,
the grunt of elephants, and the shouts of foot-soldiers and falling men.
Hearing the terrible whizz of arrows and the diverse shouts of brave
warriors, the troops took fright, became pale, and fell down. Large
numbers of those foes thus employed in shouting and shooting weapons, the
heroic son of Adhiratha crushed with his arrows. With his shafts Karna
then despatched to Yama's abode twenty car-warriors among the brave
Pancala heroes, with their steeds, drivers, and standards. Then many
foremost of warriors of the Pandava army, endued with great energy and
quick in the use of weapons, speedily wheeling round, encompassed Karna
on all sides. Karna agitated that hostile force with showers of weapons
like the leader of an elephantine herd plunging into a lake adorned with
lotuses and covered with swans. Penetrating into the midst of his foes,
the son of Radha, shaking his best of bows, began to strike off and fell
their heads with his sharp shafts. The shield and coats of mail of the
warriors, cut off, fell down on the Earth. There was none amongst them
that needed the touch of a second arrow of Karna's. Like a driver
striking the steeds with the whip, Karna, with his shafts capable of
crushing coats of mail and bodies and the life that quickened them,
struck the fences (of his foes) perceivable only by their bow-strings.
Like a lion grinding herds of deer, Karna speedily grinded all those
Pandus and Srinjayas and Pancalas that came within range of his arrows.
Then the chief of the Pancalas, and the sons of Draupadi, O sire, and the
twins, and Yuyudhana, uniting together, proceeded against Karna. When
those Kurus, and Pancalas and Pandus were thus engaged in battle, the
other warriors, reckless of their very lives, began to strike at one
another. Well-cased in armour and coats of mail and adorned with
head-gears, combatants endued with great strength rushed at their foes,
with maces and short clubs and spiked bludgeons looking like uplifted
rods of the Destroyer, and jumping, O sire, and challenging one another,
uttered loud shouts. They struck one another, and fell down, assailed by
one another with blood rising from their limbs and deprived of brains and
eyes and weapons. Covered with weapons, some, as they lay there with
faces beautiful as pomegranates, having teeth-adorned mouths filled with
blood, seemed to be alive. Others, in that vast ocean of battle, filled
with rage mangled or cut or pierced or overthrew or lopped off or slew
one another with battle-axes and short arrows and hooks and spears and
lances. Slain by one another they fell down, covered with blood and
deprived of life like sandal trees cut down with the axe falling down and
shedding as they fall their cool blood-red juice. Cars destroyed by cars,
elephants by elephants, men by men, and steeds by steeds, fell down in
thousands. Standards, and heads, and umbrellas, and elephants, trunks,
and human arms, cut off with razor-faced or broad-headed or
crescent-shaped arrows, fell down on the Earth. Large numbers also of
men, and elephants, and cars with steed yoked thereto, were crushed in
that battle. Many brave warriors, slain by horsemen, fell down, and many
tuskers, with their trunks cut off, and banners and standards (on their
bodies), fell down like fallen mountains. Assailed by foot-soldiers, many
elephants and cars, destroyed or in course of destruction, fell down on
all sides. Horsemen, encountering foot-soldiers with activity, were slain
by the latter. Similarly crowds of foot-soldiers, slain by horsemen, laid
themselves down on the field. The faces and the limbs of those slain in
that dreadful battle looked like crushed lotuses and faded floral
wreaths. The beautiful forms of elephants and steeds and human beings, O
king, then resembled cloths foul with dirt, and became exceedingly
repulsive to look at.'"



22

"Sanjaya said, 'Many elephant-warriors riding on their beasts, urged by
thy son, proceeded against Dhrishtadyumna, filled with rage and desirous
of compassing his destruction. Many foremost of combatants skilled in
elephant-fight, belonging to the Easterners, the Southerners, the Angas,
the Vangas, the Pundras, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Mekalas,
the Koshalas, the Madras, the Dasharnas, the Nishadas uniting with the
Kalingas, O Bharata, and showering shafts and lances and arrows like
pouring clouds, drenched the Pancala force therewith in that battle.
Prishata's son covered with his arrows and shafts those (foe-crushing)
elephants urged forward by their riders with heels and toes and hooks.
Each of those beasts that were huge as hills, the Pancala hero pierced
with ten, eight, or six whetted shafts, O Bharata. Beholding the prince
of the Pancalas shrouded by those elephants like the Sun by the clouds,
the Pandus and the Pancalas proceeded towards him (for his rescue)
uttering loud roars and armed with sharp weapons. Pouring their weapons
upon those elephants, those warriors began to dance the dance of heroes,
aided by the music of their bow-strings and the sound of their palms, and
urged by heroes beating the time. Then Nakula and Sahadeva, and the sons
of Draupadi, and the Prabhadrakas, and Satyaki, and Shikhandi, and
Chekitana endued with great energy,--all those heroes--drenched those
elephants from every side with their weapons, like the clouds drenching
the hills with their showers. Those furious elephants, urged on by
mleccha warriors dragging down with their trunks men and steeds and cars,
crushed them with their feet. And some they pierced with the points of
their tusks, and some they raised aloft and dashed down on the ground;
others taken aloft on the tusks of those huge beasts, fell down inspiring
spectators with fear. Then Satyaki, piercing the vitals of the elephant
belonging to the king of the Vangas staying before him, with a long shaft
endued with great impetuosity, caused it to fall down on the field of
battle. Then Satyaki pierced with another long shaft the chest of the
rider whom he could not hitherto touch, just as the latter was about to
jump from the back of his beast. Thus struck by Satwata, he fell down on
the Earth.

"'Meanwhile Sahadeva, with three shafts shot with great care, struck the
elephant of Pundra, as it advanced against him like a moving mountain,
depriving it of its standard and driver and armour and life. Having thus
cut off that elephant, Sahadeva proceeded against the chief of the Angas.

"'Nakula, however, causing Sahadeva to desist, himself afflicted the
ruler of the Angas with three long shafts, each resembling the rod of
Yama, and his foe's elephant with a hundred arrows. Then the ruler of the
Angas hurled at Nakula eight hundred lances bright as the rays of the
Sun. Each of these Nakula cut off into three fragments. The son of Pandu
then cut off the head of his antagonist with a crescent-shaped arrow. At
this that mleccha king, deprived of life, fell down with the animal he
rode. Upon the fall of the prince of the Angas who was well-skilled in
elephant-lore, the elephant-men of the Angas, filled with rage, proceeded
with speed against Nakula, on their elephants decked with banners that
waved in the air, possessing excellent mouths, adorned with housings of
gold, and looking like blazing mountains, from desire of crushing him to
pieces. And many Mekalas and Utkalas, and Kalingas, and Nishadas, and
Tamraliptakas, also advanced against Nakula, showering their shafts and
lances, desirous of slaying him. Then the Pandus, the Pancalas, and the
Somakas, filled with rage, rushed with speed for the rescue of Nakula
shrouded by those warriors like the Sun by the clouds. Then occurred a
fierce battle between those car-warriors and elephant-men, the former
showering their arrows and shafts the latter their lances by thousands.
The frontal globes and other limbs and the tusks and adornments of the
elephants, exceedingly pierced with shafts, were split and mangled. Then
Sahadeva, with four and sixty impetuous arrows, quickly slew eight of
those huge elephants which fell down with their riders. And Nakula also,
that delighter of his race, bending his excellent bow with great vigour,
with many straight shafts, slew many elephants. Then the Pancala prince,
and the grandson of Sini (Satyaki) and the sons of Draupadi and the
Prabhadrakas, and Shikhandi, drenched those huge elephants with showers
of shafts. Then in consequence of those rain-charged clouds constituted
by the Pandava warriors, those hills constituted by the elephants of the
foe, fell, struck down by torrents of rain formed by their numerous
shafts, like real mountains struck down with a thunder-storm. Those
leaders of the Pandava car-warriors then, thus slaying those elephants of
thine cast their eyes on the hostile army, which, as it fled away at that
time resembled a river whose continents had been washed away. Those
warriors of Pandu's son, having thus agitated that army of thine,
agitated it once more, and then rushed against Karna.'"



23

"Sanjaya said, 'While Sahadeva, filled with rage, was thus blasting thy
host, Duhshasana, O great king, proceeded against him, the brother
against the brother. Beholding those two engaged in dreadful combat, all
the great car-warriors uttered leonine shouts and waved their garments.
Then, O Bharata, the mighty son of Pandu was struck in the chest with
three arrows by thy angry son armed with bow. Then Sahadeva, O king,
having first pierced thy son with an arrow, pierced him again with
seventy arrows, and then his driver with three. Then Duhshasana, O
monarch, having cut off Sahadeva's bow in that great battle, pierced
Sahadeva himself with three and seventy arrows in the arms and the chest.
Then Sahadeva filled with rage, took up a sword, in that dreadful
conflict, and whirling, hurled it quickly towards the car of thy son.
Cutting off Duhshasana's bow with string and arrow fixed on it, that
large sword fell down on the Earth like a snake from the firmament. Then
the valiant Sahadeva taking up another bow, shot a deadly shaft at
Duhshasana. The Kuru warrior, however, with his keen-edged sword, cut off
into two fragments that shaft, bright as the rod of Death, as it coursed
towards him. Then whirling that sharp sword, Duhshasana quickly hurled it
in that battle as his foe. Meanwhile that valiant warrior took up another
bow with a shaft. Sahadeva, however, with the greatest ease, cut off,
with his keen shafts, that sword as it coursed towards him, and caused it
to fall down in that battle. Then, O Bharata, thy son, in that dreadful
battle, quickly sped four and sixty shafts at the car of Sahadeva.
Sahadeva, however, O king, cut off every one of those numerous arrows as
they coursed with great impetuosity towards him, with five shafts of his.
Checking then those mighty shafts sped by thy son, Sahadeva, in that
battle, sped a large number of arrows at his foe. Cutting off each of
those shafts with three shafts of his, thy son uttered a loud shout,
making the whole Earth resound with it. Then Duhshasana, O king, having
pierced Sahadeva in that battle, struck the latter's driver with nine
arrows. The valiant Sahadeva then, O monarch, filled with rage, fixed on
his bow-string a terrible shaft resembling the Destroyer himself and
forcibly drawing the bow, he sped that shaft at thy son. Piercing with
great speed through his strong armour and body, that shaft entered the
Earth, O king, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Then thy son,
that great car-warrior, swooned away, O king. Beholding him deprived of
his senses, his driver quickly took away the car, himself forcibly struck
all the while with keen arrows. Having vanquished the Kuru warrior thus,
the son of Pandu, beholding Duryodhana's division, began to crush it on
all sides. Indeed, O king, as a man excited with wrath crushes swarm of
ants, even so, O Bharata did that son of Pandu begin to crush the Kaurava
host.'"



24

"Sanjaya said, 'While Nakula was employed in destroying and routing the
Kaurava divisions in battle with great force, Vikartana's son Karna,
filled with rage, checked him, O king. Then Nakula smiling the while,
addressed Karna, and said, "After a long time, through the favour of the
gods, I am seen by thee, and thou also, O wretch, dost become the object
of my sight. Thou art the root of all these evils, this hostility, this
quarrel. It is through thy faults that the Kauravas are being thinned,
encountering one another. Slaying thee in battle today, I will regard
myself as one that has achieved his object, and the fever of my heart
will be dispelled." Thus addressed by Nakula, the Suta's son said unto
him the following words befitting a prince and a bowman in particular,
"Strike me, O hero. We desire to witness thy manliness. Having achieved
some feats in battle, O brave warrior, thou shouldst then boast. O sire,
they that are heroes fight in battle to the best of their powers, without
indulging in brag. Fight now with me to the best of thy might. I will
quell thy pride." Having said these words the Suta's son quickly struck
the son of Pandu and pierced him, in that encounter, with three and
seventy shafts. Then Nakula, O Bharata, thus pierced by the Suta's son,
pierced the latter in return with eighty shafts resembling snakes of
virulent poison. Then Karna, that great bowman, cutting off his
antagonist's bow with a number of arrows winged with gold and whetted on
stone, afflicted him with thirty arrows. Those arrows, piercing through
his armour drank his blood in that battle, like the Nagas of virulent
poison drinking water after having pierced through the Earth. Then
Nakula, taking up another formidable bow whose back was decked with gold,
pierced Karna with twenty arrows and his driver with three. Then, O
monarch, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Nakula, filled with rage,
cut off Karna's bow with a razor-headed shaft of great keenness. Smiling
the while, the heroic son of Pandu then struck the bowless Karna, that
foremost of car-warriors, with three hundred arrows. Beholding Karna thus
afflicted, O sire, by the son of Pandu, all the carwarriors there, with
the gods (in the welkin), were filled with great wonder. Then Vikartana's
son Karna taking up another bow, struck Nakula with five arrows in the
shoulder-joint. With those arrows sticking to him here, the son of Madri
looked resplendent like the Sun with his own rays while shedding his
light on the Earth. Then Nakula piercing Karna with seven shafts, once
more, O sire, cut off one of the horns of Karna's bow. Then Karna, taking
up in that battle a tougher bow, filled the welkin on every side of
Nakula with his arrows. The mighty car-warrior, Nakula, however, thus
suddenly shrouded with the arrows shot from Karna's bow quickly cut off
all those shafts with shafts of his own. Then was seen overspread in the
welkin a vast number of arrows like to the spectacle presented by the sky
when it is filled with myriads of roving fireflies. Indeed, the sky
shrouded with those hundreds of arrows shot (by both the warriors)
looked, O monarch, as if it was covered with flights of locusts. Those
arrows, decked with gold, issuing repeatedly in continuous lines, looked
beautiful like rows of cranes while flying through the welkin. When the
sky was thus covered with showers of arrows and the sun himself hid from
the view, no creature ranging the air could descend on the Earth. When
all sides were thus covered with showers of arrows, those two high-souled
warriors looked resplendent like two Suns risen at the end of the Yuga.
Slaughtered with the shafts issuing from Karna's bow the Somakas, O
monarch, greatly afflicted and feeling much pain, began to breathe their
last. Similarly, thy warriors, struck with the shafts of Nakula,
dispersed on all sides, O king, like clouds tossed by the wind. The two
armies thus slaughtered by those two warriors with their mighty celestial
shafts, retreated from the range of those arrows and stood as spectators
of the encounter. When both the armies were driven off by means of the
shafts of Karna and Nakula, those two high-souled warriors began to
pierce each other with showers of shafts. Displaying their celestial
weapons on the field of battle, they quickly shrouded each other, each
desirous of compassing the destruction of the other. The shafts shot by
Nakula, dressed with Kanka and peacock feathers, shrouding the Suta's
son, seemed to stay in the welkin. Similarly, the shafts sped by the
Suta's son in that dreadful battle, shrouding the son of Pandu, seemed to
stay in the welkin. Shrouded within arrowy chambers, both the warriors
became invisible, like the Sun and the Moon, O king, hidden by the
clouds. Then Karna, filled with rage and assuming a terrible aspect in
the battle, covered the son of Pandu with showers of arrows from every
side. Completely covered, O monarch, by the Suta's son, the son of Pandu
felt no pain like the Maker of day when covered by the clouds. The son of
Adhiratha then, smiling the while, sped arrowy lines, O sire, in hundreds
and thousands, in that battle. With those shafts of the high-souled
Karna, an extensive shade seemed to rest on the field of battle. Indeed,
with those excellent shafts constantly issuing out (of his bow), a shade
was caused there like that formed by the clouds. Then Karna, O monarch,
cutting off the bow of the high-souled Nakula, felled the latter's driver
from the car-niche with the greatest ease. With four keen shafts, next,
he quickly despatched the four steeds of Nakula, O Bharata, to the abode
of Yama. With his shafts, he also cut off into minute fragments that
excellent car of his antagonist as also his standard and the protectors
of his car-wheels, and mace, and sword, and shield decked with a hundred
moons, and other utensils and equipments of battle. Then Nakula,
steedless and carless and armourless, O monarch, quickly alighting from
his car, stood, armed with a spiked bludgeon. Even that terrible
bludgeon, so uplifted by the son of Pandu, the Suta's son, O king, cut
off with many keen arrows capable of bearing a great strain. Beholding
his adversary weaponless. Karna began to strike him with many straight
shafts, but took care not to afflict him greatly. Thus struck in that
battle by that mighty warrior accomplished in weapons, Nakula, O king,
fled away precipitately in great affliction. Laughing repeatedly, the son
of Radha pursued him and placed his stringed bow, O Bharata, around the
neck of the retreating Nakula. With the large bow around his neck, O
king, the son of Pandu looked resplendent like Moon in the firmament when
within a circular halo of light, or a white cloud girdled round by
Indra's bow. Then Karna, addressing him, said, "The words thou hadst
uttered were futile. Canst thou utter them now once more in joy,
repeatedly struck as thou art by me? Do not, O son of Pandu, fight again
with those amongst the Kurus that are possessed of greater might. O
child, fight with them that are thy equals. Do not, O son of Pandu, feel
any shame for it. Return home, O son of Madri, or go thither where
Krishna and Phalguna are." Having addressed him thus he abandoned him
then. Acquainted with morality as the brave Karna was, he did not then
slay Nakula who was already within the jaws of death. Recollecting the
words of Kunti, O king, Karna let Nakula go. The son of Pandu, thus let
off, O king, by that bowman, Suta's son, proceeded towards Yudhishthira's
car in great shame. Scorched by the Suta's son, he then ascended his
brother's car, and burning with grief he continued to sigh like a snake
kept within a jar. Meanwhile Karna, having vanquished Nakula, quickly
proceeded against the Pancalas, riding on that car of his which bore many
gorgeous pennons and whose steeds were as white as the Moon. There, O
monarch, a great uproar arose among the Pandavas when they saw the leader
of the Kaurava army proceeding towards the Pancala car-throngs. The
Suta's son, O monarch, made a great massacre there at that hour when the
Sun had reached the meridian, that puissant warrior careering all the
while with the activity of a wheel. We beheld many Pancala car-warriors
borne away from the battle on their steedless and driverless cars with
broken wheels and broken axles and with standards and pennons also that
were broken and torn, O sire. And many elephants were seen to wander
there in all directions (with limbs scorched by arrows) like individuals
of their species in the wide forest with limbs scorched and burned in a
forest conflagration. Others with their frontal globes split open, or
bathed in blood, or with trunks lopped off, or with their armour cut
down, or their tails lopped off, fell down, struck by the high-souled
Karna, like straggling clouds. Other elephants, frightened by the shafts
and lances of Radha's son proceeded against Radha's son himself like
insects towards a blazing fire. Other huge elephants were seen striking
against one another and shedding blood from various limbs like mountains
with rillets running down their breasts. Steeds of the foremost breed,
divested of breast-plates and their ornaments of silver and brass and
gold, destitute of trappings and bridle-bits and yak-tails and
saddle-cloths, with quivers fallen off from their backs, and with their
heroic riders,--ornaments of battle,--slain, were seen wandering here and
there on the field. Pierced and cut with lances and scimitars and swords,
O Bharata, we beheld many a horseman adorned with armour and head-gear,
slain or in course of being slain or trembling with fear, and deprived, O
Bharata, of diverse limbs. Cars also, decked with gold, and unto which
were yoked steeds of great fleetness, were seen by us dragged with
exceeding speed hither and thither, their riders having been slain. Some
of these had their axles and poles broken, and some, O Bharata, had their
wheels broken; and some were without banners and standards, and some were
divested of their shafts. Many car-warriors also were seen there, by us,
O monarch, wandering all around, deprived of their cars and scorched with
the shafts of the Suta's son. And some destitute of weapons and some with
weapons still in their arms were seen lying lifeless on the field in
large numbers. And many elephants also were seen by us, wandering in all
directions, studded with clusters of stars, adorned with rows of
beautiful bells, and decked with variegated banners of diverse hues.
Heads and arms and chests and other limbs, cut off with shafts sped from
Karna's bow, were beheld by us lying around. A great and fierce calamity
overtook the warriors (of the Pandava army) as they fought with whetted
arrows, and mangled as they were with the shafts of Karna. The Srinjayas,
slaughtered in that battle by the Suta's son, blindly proceeded against
the latter's self like insects rushing upon a blazing fire. Indeed, as
that mighty car-warrior was engaged in scorching the Pandava divisions,
the kshatriyas avoided him, regarding him to be the blazing Yuga fire.
Those heroic and mighty car-warriors of the Pancala that survived the
slaughter fled away. The brave Karna, however, pursued those broken and
retreating warriors from behind, shooting his shafts at them. Endued with
great energy, he pursued those combatants divested of armour and
destitute of standards. Indeed, the Suta's son, possessed of great might,
continued to scorch them with his shafts, like the dispeller of darkness
scorching all creatures when he attains to the meridian.'"

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Various - "Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 1, December 11, 1841"

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Poster poems: Ballads
Articles published by guardian.co.uk Books

Fidel and Che: a revolutionary friendship

After last week's fairly open theme, I thought I'd go with something a bit more structured this time. As I type this, I'm listening to Steeleye Span and thinking about the great ballad traditions of Britain and Ireland. What is a ballad? I suppose the most inclusive definition would be that it's a singable narrative poem: that covers a multitude but will do for the moment.

Ballads in English stretch back to the middle ages, with fine examples to be found among the Scottish border ballads and the English Robin Hood poems. These early ballads are among the best-known poems and stories in the language, and form part of the common heritage of English speakers everywhere. They gave rise to a tradition of ballad-making that endures down to the present day.

In fact, most poets since have tried their hand at the ballad at one time or another, and the result has been to deny any definition more specific than the one I ventured in my first paragraph. If you look around the internet, you'll come up with a wide selection of poems that are called ballads but have little in common formally. Stanza length varies from two to 10 or more lines, and all sorts of metrical and rhyming patterns are used. A good number will be singable in only the loosest possible sense, and at times the narrative tends to get lost in a mesh of more-or-less successful verbal embroidery.

So, what should a ballad be? Well, "proper" ballad stanzas are quatrains in which the first and third lines have four stresses and the second and third have three. The lines will rhyme A-B-C-B or A-B-A-B. It's as simple, and as difficult, as that. Here's an example, from Robert Burns's extremely singable Comin Thro' the Rye:

Gin a body meet a body
          Comin thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body –
          Need a body cry.

Burns wrote a good number of ballads, and his lead was followed by many 19th-century poets. Two examples that I particularly like are Robert Browning's Confessions and Christina Rossetti's Up-Hill, but you can find ballads by just about any Romantic or Victorian poet if you look for them.

There is a long, strong tradition of ballads and ballad singers in Ireland, too. It is hardly surprising, then, that the great appropriator of tradition, WB Yeats, tried his hand at the form. At least four of his poems have the word "ballad" in the title; the pick of the bunch, for my money, is The Ballad of Father Gilligan, which may have benefited from having been written with a specific tune in mind.

Ballads continued to be written in the 20th century; perhaps the most unexpected exponents were Ezra Pound, with his Ballad of the Goodly Fere, and WH Auden. In fact, the ballad The Quarry is probably my favourite Auden poem.

And so, this week I invite a chorus of balladeering. You may choose to go the whole hog and write in ballad stanzas or you might prefer to take a more liberal view of the formal requirements. Either way, sing up and – as they say at all the best Irish sessions when calling for a bit of hush for the singer – one voice please.

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Despite red faces over its fictional content, the Holocaust memoir that impressed Oprah Winfrey is still to be published
When Argentinian doctor Che Guevara and Cuban lawyer Fidel Castro met in Mexico City, it was the beginning of a friendship that would change the world. Simon Reid-Henry talks about the contrasting personalities of the leading men in his groundbreaking dual biography, Fidel and Che