Now trembling with alarm they stand, and now with hope they glow. Good sport they looked to have with him, and lay him in the dust, But the Andalusian hero evaded every thrust. And sometimes, with a gallant charge he threw them from their seat, He gored them with his savage horn, and trod them with his feet! Ah! great the shame of the vanquished knights; they dared not raise their eyes To the ladies who looked down and smiled from banks and balconies. For those soft eyes were fixed no more upon each vanquished knight, But on the monster proud and strong who conquered them in fight. The dames upon the royal seat to Zulema turned their eyes, And one, the loveliest of them all, who wore a strange disguise, Yet through her veil such rays she shot that she seemed like the sun on high When he rises, quenching all the stars that filled the midnight sky. She made a sign to him and spoke directly from her heart, Whose tongue is in a woman's eye. Ah! well it plays its part! She bade him to redeem the day and avenge each gallant knight Who had fallen in the dust before the foe in stubborn fight. And the Moor with gracious mien assents, and from his seat descends; But first with glance and waving scarf a tender message sends To the lovely Moorish damsel who had called him to the fray, And had filled his heart with sudden love upon the festal day. And as he leapt into the sand it was as if he flew, For love lent wings at his lady's nod, some glorious deed to do. And when the bull beheld approach, upon the bloody sand, His bold and tall antagonist, a dagger in his hand, He roared like thunder, with his hoofs he pawed the dusty ground, The plaza shook, the castle tower re-echoed to the sound! Long subject to the hand of man, and in subjection born, He thought to subject human foe to hoof and mighty horn. Zulema started toward the beast, loud cries would hold him back, But well he knew that victory would follow his attack. The bull was on him with a bound, and, glaring face to face, They stood one moment, while a hush fell on the crowded place. With bold right hand Zulema drew his keen and mighty blade; Blow after blow 'mid blood and dust upon his foe he laid; The startled beast retired before such onslaught of his foe, And the people shouted loud applause and the King himself bowed low. The bull with tossing head roared forth a challenge to the knight, As Zulema turned, and with a bound rushed to the desperate fight. Ah! cruel were the strokes that rained upon that foaming flank! Into the sand that life-blood like a shower of autumn sank. He roars, he snorts, he spurns the ground, the bloody dust flies high, Now here, now there, in angry pain they see the monster fly. He turns to see what new-found foe has crossed his path to-day; But when Zulema faces him he stops to turn away.