Rider's Song by Federico García Lorca
"Rider's Song" is a poignant short poem by Federico García Lorca that explores themes of unattainable goals and existential despair. The poem centers around a rider journeying towards Córdoba, a city rich in historical and cultural significance, particularly during its time as the capital of Arabic Spain. Despite the seemingly favorable conditions—riding a noble black pony and carrying olives—the rider's aspirations are undermined by a sense of inevitability. The recurring refrain, "Córdoba/ Far away and alone," sets a somber tone, suggesting a profound isolation in the pursuit of one's dreams. As the narrative unfolds, the moon, often a malevolent figure in Lorca's work, ominously turns red, symbolizing violence and foreboding. The narrator's acknowledgment that "I'll never reach Córdoba" encapsulates the futility of his quest, with the looming presence of death adding a haunting layer to the poem. The piece resonates deeply with readers, especially considering Lorca's own life, marked by a fear of death and a tragic ending at a young age. This interplay of aspiration and mortality provides a rich ground for reflection on the human condition.
Rider's Song by Federico García Lorca
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: “Canción de jinete,” 1927 (collected in Selected Poems of Federico García Lorca, 2005)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
In “Rider’s Song,” one of his most popular short poems, García Lorca has written a parable about the unattainability of goals. The refrain that frames the poem, “Córdoba/ Far away and alone,” indicates in somber tones the rider’s destination. Córdoba in the eleventh century was the capital of Arabic Spain and the richest city in Europe, and for a modern traveler it is still a city of great cultural wealth.
Mounted on a valiant black pony, olives in his saddlebag, the moon lighting his way, conditions seem optimum for the rider. The moon is usually a malevolent figure in García Lorca’s poetry, however, and it soon turns red, the color of violence and blood. “Although I know the roads/ I’ll never reach Córdoba,” exclaims the narrator, and the reader discovers why: “Death is looking at me/ From the towers of Córdoba.” The road seems suddenly long, and the poem ends the way that it began: “Córdoba/ Far away and alone.” The poem takes on special meaning for the reader who knows that García Lorca greatly feared death and was executed at the age of thirty-eight in the midst of a brilliant career.
Bibliography
Bonaddio, Federico, ed. A Companion to Federico García Lorca. Rochester, N.Y.: Boydell & Brewer, 2007.
Cobb, Carl. Federico García Lorca. Boston: Twayne, 1967.
Craige, Betty Jean. Lorca’s “Poet in New York”: The Fall into Consciousness. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1977.
Edwards, Gwynne. Lorca: Living in the Theatre. London: Peter Owen, 2003.
Gibson, Ian. Federico García Lorca: A Life. New York: Pantheon, 1989.
Honig, Edwin. García Lorca. Norfolk, Conn.: New Directions, 1963.
Staunton, Leslie. Lorca: A Dream of Life. London: Bloomsbury, 1998.
Stone, Rob. The Flamenco Tradition in the Works of Federico García Lorca and Carlos Saura: The Wounded Throat. Lewiston, N.Y.: E. Mellen Press, 2004.