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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






25

"Sanjaya said, 'Against Yuyutsu who was employed in routing the vast army
of thy son, Uluka proceeded with speed saying "Wait, Wait." Then Yuyutsu,
O king, with a winged arrow of keen edge struck Uluka with great force,
like (Indra himself striking ) a mountain with the thunderbolt. Filled
with rage at this, Uluka, in that battle, cut off thy son's bow with a
razor-headed arrow and struck thy son himself with a barbed shaft.
Casting off that broken bow, Yuyutsu, with eyes red in wrath, took up
another formidable bow endued with greater impetus. The prince then, O
bull of Bharata's race, pierced Uluka with sixty arrows. Piercing next
the driver of Uluka, Yuyutsu struck Uluka once more. Then Uluka, filled
with rage pierced Yuyutsu with twenty shafts adorned with gold, and then
cut off his standard made of gold. That lofty and gorgeous standard made
of gold, O king, thus cut off (by Uluka), fell down in front of Yuyutsu's
car. Beholding his standard cut off, Yuyutsu, deprived of his senses by
wrath, struck Uluka with five shafts in the centre of the chest. Then
Uluka, O sire, in that battle, cut off, with a broad-headed arrow steeped
in oil, the head of his antagonist's driver, O best of the Bharatas.
Slaying next his four steeds he struck Yuyutsu himself with five arrows.
Deeply struck by the strong Uluka, Yuyutsu proceeded to another car.
Having vanquished him in battle, O king, Uluka proceeded quickly towards
the Pancalas and the Srinjayas and began to slaughter them with sharp
shafts. Thy son Srutakarman, O monarch, within half the time taken up by
a wink of the eye, fearlessly made Satanika steedless and driverless and
carless. The mighty car-warrior Satanika, however, staying on his
steedless car, O sire, hurled a mace, filled with rage, at thy son. That
mace, reducing thy son's car with its steeds and driver into fragments,
fell down upon the Earth with great speed, and pierced it through. Then
those two heroes, both enhancers of the glory of the Kurus, deprived of
their cars, retreated from the encounter, glaring at each other. Then thy
son, overcome with fear, mounted upon the car of Vivingsu, while Satanika
quickly got upon the car of Prativindhya. Shakuni, filled with rage,
pierced Sutasoma with many keen shafts, but failed to make the latter
tremble like a torrent of water failing to produce any impression upon a
mountain. Beholding that great enemy of his father, Sutasoma covered
Shakuni, O Bharata, with many thousands of arrows. Shakuni, however, that
warrior of sure aim and conversant with all methods of warfare, actuated
by desire of battle, quickly cut off all those shafts with his own winged
arrows. Having checked those shafts with his own keen arrows in battle,
Shakuni, filled with rage, struck Sutasoma with three arrows. Thy
brother-in-law then, O monarch, with his arrows cut off into minute
fragments the steeds, the standard, and the driver of his adversary, at
which all the spectators uttered a loud shout. Deprived of his steed and
car, and having his standard cut off, O sire, the great bowman
(Sutasoma), jumping down from his car, stood on the Earth, having taken
up a good bow. And he shot a large number of arrows equipped with golden
wings and whetted on stone, and shrouded therewith the car of thy
brother-in law in that battle. The son of Subala, however, beholding
those showers of arrows that resembled a flight of locusts, coming
towards his car, did not tremble. On the other hand, that illustrious
warrior crushed all those arrows with arrows of his own. The warriors
that were present there, as also the Siddhas in the firmament, were
highly pleased at sight of that wonderful and incredible feat of
Sutasoma, inasmuch as he contended on foot with Shakuni staying in his
car. Then Shakuni, with a number of broad-headed shafts of great
impetuosity, keen and perfectly straight, cut off, O king, the bow of
Sutasoma as also all his quivers. Bowless, and carless, Sutasoma then,
uplifting a scimitar of the hue of the blue lotus and equipped with an
ivory handle, uttered a loud shout. That scimitar of the intelligent
Sutasoma of the hue of the clear sky, as it was whirled by that hero, was
regarded by Shakuni to be as fatal as the rod of Death. Armed with that
scimitar he suddenly began to career in circles over the arena,
displaying, O monarch, the fourteen different kinds of manoeuvres, endued
as he was with skill and might. Indeed, he displayed in that battle all
those motions such as wheeling about and whirling on high, and making
side-thrusts and jumping forward and leaping on high and running above
and rushing forward and rushing upwards. The valiant son of Subala then
sped a number of arrows at his foe, but the latter quickly cut them off
with that excellent scimitar of his as they coursed towards him. Filled
with rage (at this), the son of Subala, O king, once more sped at
Sutasoma a number of shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison.
Aided by his skill and might, Sutasoma cut off even these with his
scimitar, displaying his great activity, and possessed as he was of
prowess equal to that of Garuda himself. With a razor-headed arrow of
great sharpness, Shakuni then, O king, cut off that bright scimitar of
his adversary as the latter careered in circles before him. Thus cut off,
(half of) that large scimitar suddenly fell down on the Earth, while half
of it, O Bharata, continued in the grasp of Sutasoma. Seeing his sword
cut off, the mighty car-warrior Sutasoma retreated six steps and then
hurled that half (of the scimitar) which he had in his grasp at his foe.
The fragment decked with gold and gems, cutting off the bow, with string,
of the illustrious Shakuni, quickly fell down on the Earth. Then Sutasoma
went to the great car of Srutakirti. Subala's son also, taking up another
formidable and invincible bow, proceeded towards the Pandava army,
slaying large numbers of foes (on the way). Beholding the son of Subala
careering fearlessly in battle, a loud uproar, O king, arose among the
Pandavas in that part of the army. People witnessed those large and proud
divisions bristling with arms, routed by the illustrious son of Subala.
Even as the chief of the celestials crushed the Daitya army, the son of
Subala destroyed that army of the Pandavas.'"



26

"Sanjaya said, 'Kripa, O king, resisted Dhrishtadyumna in battle, like a
Sarabha in the forest resisting a proud lion. Checked by the mighty son
of Gautama, Prishata's son, O Bharata, could not advance even one step.
Beholding Gautama's car in front of Dhrishtadyumna's, all creatures were
inspired with fright and regarded the latter's destruction to be at hand.
Car-warriors and horsemen, becoming very cheerless, said, "Without doubt,
this foremost of men, Sharadvata's son of mighty energy and great
intelligence and versed in celestial weapon, is filled with rage at the
death of Drona. Will Dhrishtadyumna today escape from the hands of
Gautama? Will this vast army escape today this great danger? Will not
this brahmana slay all of us together? The form that he has assumed
today, even like that of the Destroyer himself, shows that he will today
act after the manner of Drona himself. The preceptor Gautama, endued with
great lightness of hands, is ever victorious in battle. Possessing a
knowledge of weapons, he is endued with great energy and filled with
rage." Diverse speeches like these, uttered by the warriors of both the
armies were, O monarch, heard there as those two heroes encountered each
other. Drawing deep breath in rage, Sharadvata's son Kripa, O king, began
to afflict the son of Prishata in all his vital limbs while the latter
stood inactive. Struck in that battle by the illustrious Gautama,
Dhrishtadyumna, greatly stupefied, knew not what to do. His driver then,
addressing him said, "It is not all right with thee, O son of Prishata.
Never before have I seen such a calamity overtake thee in battle. It is a
lucky chance, it seems, that these shafts, capable of penetrating the
very vitals, sped by that foremost of brahmanas aiming at thy vital
limbs, are not striking thee. I will presently cause the car to turn
back, like the current of a river dashed back by the sea. I think that
brahmana, by whom thy prowess hath been annihilated, is incapable of
being slain by thee." Thus addressed, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, slowly
said, "My mind becometh stupefied, O sire, and perspiration covereth my
limbs. My body trembles and my hair stands on end. Avoiding that brahmana
in battle, proceed slowly to where Arjuna is, O charioteer; arrived at
the presence of either Arjuna or Bhimasena, prosperity may be mine. Even
this is my certain conviction." Then, O monarch, the charioteer, urging
the steeds, proceeded to the spot where the mighty bowman Bhimasena was
battling with thy troops. Beholding the car, O sire, of Dhrishtadyumna
speedily moving away from that spot, Gautama followed it, shooting
hundreds of shafts. And that chastiser of foes also repeatedly blew his
conch. Indeed, he routed the son of Prishata like Indra routing the
Danava Namuci.

"'The invincible Shikhandi, the cause of Bhishma's death, was in that
battle, resisted by Hridika's son who smiled repeatedly as he fought with
the former. Shikhandi, however, encountering the mighty car-warrior of
the Hridikas, struck him with five keen and broad-headed shafts at the
shoulder-joint. Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarma filled with rage,
pierced his foe with sixty winged arrows. With a single arrow then, he
cut off his bow, laughing the while. The mighty son of Drupada, filled
with wrath, took up another bow, and addressing the son of Hridika, said,
"Wait, Wait." Then, O monarch, Shikhandi sped at his foe ninety shafts of
great impetuosity, all equipped with golden wings. Those shafts, however,
all recoiled from Kritavarma's armour. Seeing those shafts recoil and
scattered on the surface of the Earth, Shikhandi cut off Kritavarma's bow
with a keen razor-headed arrow. Filled with wrath he struck the bowless
son of Hridika, who then resembled a hornless bull, in the arms and the
chest, with eighty arrows. Filled with rage but torn and mangled with
shafts, Kritavarma vomited blood through his limbs like a jar disgorging
the water with which it is filled. Bathed in blood, the Bhoja king looked
beautiful like a mountain, O king, streaked with streams of liquefied red
chalk after a shower. The puissant Kritavarma then, taking up another bow
with a string and an arrow fixed thereon, struck Shikhandi in his
shoulder-joint. With those shafts sticking to his shoulder-joint,
Shikhandi looked resplendent like a lordly tree with its spreading
branches and twigs. Having pierced each other, the two combatants were
bathed in blood, and resembled a couple of bulls that have gored each
other with their horns Carefully exerting themselves to slay each other,
those two mighty car-warriors moved in a 1,000 circles with their
respective cars on that arena. Then Kritavarma, O king, in that
encounter, pierced the son of Prishata with seventy shafts all of which
were equipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone. The ruler of the
Bhojas then, that foremost of smiters, sped with great activity a
terrible and fatal shaft at his foe. Struck therewith, Shikhandi quickly
swooned away. Overcome with stupefaction, he supported himself by seizing
his flag-staff. The driver then of that foremost of car-warriors speedily
bore him away from the fight. Scorched with the shaft of Hridika's son he
drew breath upon breath repeatedly. After the defeat of the heroic son of
Drupada, O lord, the Pandava army, slaughtered on all sides, fled away
from the field."



27

"Sanjaya said, 'The white steeded (Arjuna) also, O monarch, routed thy
force even as the winds, approaching a heap of cotton, scatters it on all
sides. Against him rushed the Trigartas, the Sivis, the Kauravas, the
Salwas, the samsaptakas, and that force which consisted of the Narayanas.
And Satyasena and Candradeva, and Mitradeva and Satrunjaya, and Susruta's
son, and Citrasena, and Mitravarman, O Bharata, and the king of the
Trigartas surrounded by his brothers and by his sons that were all mighty
bowmen accomplished in diverse weapons, suddenly advanced, shooting and
scattering showers of shafts in that battle, against Arjuna, like a
fierce current of water towards the ocean. Those warriors in hundreds of
thousands, approaching Arjuna, seemed to melt away like snakes at sight
of Garuda. Though slaughtered in battle, they did not still leave the son
of Pandu like insects, O monarch, never receding from a blazing fire.
Satyasena, in that encounter, pierced that son of Pandu with three
arrows, and Mitradeva pierced him with three and sixty, and Candradeva
with seven. And Mitravarman pierced him with three and seventy arrows,
and Susruta's son with seven. And Satrunjaya pierced him with twenty, and
Susharma with nine. Thus pierced in that encounter by many, Arjuna
pierced all those kings in return. Indeed, piercing the son of Susruta
with seven arrows, he pierced Satyasena with three, Satrunjaya with
twenty and Candradeva with eight, Mitradeva with a hundred, Srutasena
with three, Mitravarman with nine, and Susharma with eight. Then slaying
king Satrunjaya with a number of arrows whetted on stone, he smote off
from his trunk, the head, decked with headgear, of Susruta's son. Without
any delay he then, with a number of other shafts, despatched Candradeva
to the abode of Yama. As regards the other mighty car-warriors vigorously
contending with him, he checked each of them with five arrows. Then
Satyasena filled with rage, hurled a formidable lance in that battle
aiming at Krishna and uttered a leonine roar. That ironmouthed lance
having a golden shaft, piercing through the left arm of the high-souled
Madhava, penetrated into the Earth. Madhava being thus pierced with that
lance in great battle the goad and the reins, O king, fell down from his
hands. Beholding Vasudeva's limb pierced through, Pritha's son Dhananjaya
mustered all his wrath and addressing Vasudeva said, "O mighty-armed one,
bear the car to Satyasena, O puissant one, so that I may, with keen
shafts, despatch him to Yama's abode." The illustrious Keshava then,
quickly taking up the goad and the reins, caused the steeds to bear the
car to the front of Satyasena's vehicle. Beholding the Ruler of the
Universe pierced, Pritha's son Dhananjaya, that mighty car-warrior,
checking Satyasena with some keen arrows, cut off with a number of
broad-headed shafts of great sharpness, the large head of that king
decked with earrings, from off his trunk at the head of the army. Having
thus cut off Satyasena's head, he then despatched Citravarman with a
number of keen shafts, and then the latter's driver, O sire, with a keen
calf-toothed arrow. Filled with rage, the mighty Partha then, with
hundreds of shafts, felled the samsaptakas in hundreds and thousands.
Then, O king, with a razor-headed arrow equipped with wings of silver,
that mighty car-warrior cut off the head of the illustrious Mitrasena.
Filled with rage he then struck Susharma in the shoulder-joint. Then all
the samsaptakas, filled with wrath, encompassed Dhananjaya on all sides
and began to afflict him with showers of weapons and make all the points
of the compass resound with their shouts. Afflicted by them thus, the
mighty car-warrior Jishnu, of immeasurable soul, endued with prowess
resembling that of Sakra himself, invoked the Aindra weapon. From that
weapon, thousands of shafts, O king, began to issue continually. Then O
king, a loud din was heard of falling cars with standards and quivers and
yokes, and axles and wheels and traces with chords, of bottoms of cars
and wooden fences around them, of arrows and steeds and spears and
swords, and maces and spiked clubs and darts and lances and axes, and
Sataghnis equipped with wheels and arrows. Thighs and necklaces and
Angadas and Keyuras, O sire, and garlands and cuirasses and coats of
mail, O Bharata, and umbrellas and fans and heads decked with diadems lay
on the battle-field. Heads adorned with earrings and beautiful eyes, and
each resembling the full moon, looked, as they lay on the field, like
stars in the firmament. Adorned with sandal-paste, beautiful garlands of
flowers and excellent robes, many were the bodies of slain warriors that
were seen to lie on the ground. The field of battle, terrible as it was,
looked like the welkin teeming with vapoury forms. With the slain princes
and kshatriyas of great might and fallen elephants and steeds, the Earth
became impassable in that battle as if she were strewn with hills. There
was no path on the field for the wheels of the illustrious Pandava's car,
engaged as he was in continually slaying his foes and striking down
elephants and steeds with his broad-headed shafts. It seemed, O sire,
that the wheels of his car stopped in fright at the sight of his own self
careering in that battle through that bloody mire. His steeds, however,
endued with the speed of the mind or the wind, dragged with great efforts
and labour those wheels that had refused to move. Thus slaughtered by
Pandu's son armed with the bow, that host fled away almost entirely,
without leaving even a remnant, O Bharata, contending with the foe.
Having vanquished large numbers of the samsaptakas in battle, Pritha's
son Jishnu looked resplendent, like a blazing fire without smoke.'"



28

"Sanjaya said, 'King Duryodhana, O monarch, himself fearlessly received
Yudhishthira, as the latter was engaged in shooting large numbers of
shafts. The royal Yudhishthira the just, speedily piercing thy son, that
mighty car-warrior, as the latter was rushing towards him with
impetuosity, addressed him, saying, "Wait, Wait." Duryodhana, however,
pierced Yudhishthira, in return, with nine keen arrows, and filled with
great wrath, struck Yudhishthira's driver also with a broad-headed shaft.
Then king Yudhishthira sped at Duryodhana three and ten arrows equipped
with wings of gold and whetted on stone. With four shafts that mighty
car-warrior then slew the four steeds of his foe, and with the fifth he
cut off from his trunk the head of Duryodhana's driver. With the sixth
arrow he felled the (Kuru) king's standard on the Earth, with the seventh
his bow, and with the eighth his scimitar. And then with five more shafts
king Yudhishthira the just deeply afflicted the Kuru monarch. Thy son,
then, alighting from that steedless car, stood on the Earth in imminent
danger. Beholding him in that situation of great peril, Karna and Drona's
son and Kripa and others rushed suddenly towards the spot, desirous of
rescuing the king. Then the (other) sons of Pandu, surrounding
Yudhishthira, all proceeded to the encounter, upon which, O king, a
fierce battle was fought. Thousands of trumpets then were blown in that
great engagement, and a confused din of myriad voices arose there, O
king. There where the Pancalas engaged the Kauravas, in battle, men
closed with men, and elephants with foremost of elephants. And
car-warriors closed with car-warriors, and horse with horse. And the
various couples of battling men and animals, of great prowess and armed
with diverse kinds of weapons and possessed of great skill presented a
beautiful sight, O king, over the field. All those heroes endued with
great impetuosity and desirous of compassing the destruction of one
another, fought beautifully and with great activity and skill. Observing
the (sanctioned) practices of warriors, they slew one another in battle.
None of them fought from behind others. For only a very short time that
battle presented a beautiful aspect. Soon it became an encounter of mad
men, in which the combatants showed no regard for one another. The
car-warrior, approaching the elephant, pierced the latter with keen
shafts and despatched it to Yama's presence by means of straight arrows.
Elephants, approaching steeds, dragged down many of them in that battle,
and tore them (with their tusks) most fiercely in diverse places. Large
numbers of horsemen also, encompassing many foremost of steeds, made a
loud noise with their palms, and closed with them. And those horsemen
slew those steeds as they ran hither and thither, as also many huge
elephants as these wandered over the field, from behind and the flanks.
Infuriate elephants, O king, routing large numbers of steeds, slew them
with their tusks or crushed them with great force. Some elephants, filled
with wrath pierced with their tusks horses with horsemen. Others seizing
such with great force hurled them to the ground with violence. Many
elephants, struck by foot-soldiers availing of the proper opportunities,
uttered terrible cries of pain and fled away on all sides. Among the
foot-soldiers that fled away in that great battle throwing down their
ornaments, there were many that were quickly encompassed on the field.
Elephant-warriors, riding on huge elephants, understanding indications of
victory, wheeled their beasts and causing them to seize those beautiful
ornaments, made the beasts to pierce them with their tusks. Other
foot-soldiers endued with great impetuosity and fierce might, surrounding
those elephant-warriors thus engaged in those spots began to slay them.
Others in that great battle, thrown aloft into the air by elephants with
their trunks, were pierced by those trained beasts with the points of
their tusks as they fell down. Others, suddenly seized by other
elephants, were deprived of life with their tusks. Others, borne away
from their own divisions into the midst of others, were, O king, mangled
by huge elephants which rolled them repeatedly on the ground. Others,
whirled on high like fans, were slain in that battle. Others, hither and
thither on the field, that stood full in front of other elephants had
their bodies exceedingly pierced and torn. Many elephants were deeply
wounded with spears and lances and darts in their cheeks and frontal
globes and parts between their tusks. Exceedingly afflicted by fierce
car-warriors and horsemen stationed on their flanks, many elephants,
ripped open, fell down on the Earth. In that dreadful battle many
horsemen on their steeds, striking foot-soldiers with their lances,
pinned them down to the Earth or crushed them with great force. Some
elephants, approaching mail-clad car-warriors, O sire, raised them aloft
from their vehicles and hurled them down with great force upon the Earth
in that fierce and awful fight. Some huge elephants slain by means of
cloth-yard shafts, fell down on the Earth like mountain summits riven by
thunder. Combatants, encountering combatants, began to strike each other
with their fists, or seizing each other by the hair, began to drag and
throw down and mangle each other. Others, stretching their arms and
throwing down their foes on the Earth, placed their feet on their chests
and with great activity cut off their heads. Some combatant, O king,
struck with his feet some foe that was dead, and some, O king, struck off
with his sword, the head of a falling foe, and some thrust his weapon
into the body of a living foe. A fierce battle took place there, O
Bharata, in which the combatants struck one another with fists or seized
one another's hair or wrestled with one another with bare arms. In many
instances, combatants, using diverse kinds of weapons, took the lives of
combatants engaged with others and, therefore, unperceived by them.
During the progress of that general engagement when all the combatants
were mangled in battle, hundreds and thousands of headless trunks stood
up on the field. Weapons and coats of mail, drenched with gore, looked
resplendent, like cloths dyed with gorgeous red. Even thus occurred that
fierce battle marked by the awful clash of weapons. Like the mad and
roaring current of the Ganga it seemed to fill the whole universe with
its uproar. Afflicted with shafts, the warriors failed to distinguish
friends from foes. Solicitous of victory, the kings fought on because
they fought that fight they should. The warriors slew both friends and
foes, with whom they came in contact. The combatants of both the armies
were deprived of reason by the heroes of both the armies assailing them
with fury. With broken cars, O monarch, the fallen elephants, and steeds
lying on the ground, and men laid low, the Earth, miry with gore and
flesh, and covered with streams of blood, soon became impassable, Karna
slaughtered the Pancalas while Dhananjaya slaughtered the Trigartas. And
Bhimasena, O king, slaughtered the Kurus and all the elephant divisions
of the latter. Even thus occurred that destruction of troops of both the
Kurus and the Pandavas, both parties having been actuated by the desire
of winning great fame, at that hour when the Sun had passed the
meridian.'"



29

"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have heard from thee, O Sanjaya, of many poignant
and unbearable griefs as also of the losses sustained by my sons. From
what thou hast said unto me, from the manner in which the battle has been
fought, it is my certain conviction, O Suta, that the Kauravas are no
more. Duryodhana was made carless in that dreadful battle. How did
Dharma's son (then) fight, and how did the royal Duryodhana also fight in
return? How also occurred that battle which was fought in the afternoon?
Tell me all this in detail, for thou art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya.'

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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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