E tosto appar di tutte l’arme in punto:
572 Tosto sotto i suoi Duci ogn’uom s’accoglie.
E l’ordinato esercito congiunto
Tutte le sue bandiere al vento scioglie;
E nel vessillo imperiale e grande
576 La trionfante Croce al ciel si spande.
LXXII
Some shirts of mail, some coats of plate put on,
Some donned a cuirass, some a corslet bright,
And halbert some, and some a habergeon,
So every one in arms was quickly dight,
His wonted guide each soldier tends upon,
Loose in the wind waved their banners light,
Their standard royal toward Heaven they spread,
The cross triumphant on the Pagans dead.
LXXII
Straightway inflamed with strong religious zeal,
Each with his wonted arms his limbs protects:
Straightway appear bright groups of flashing steel,
As each Crusader ‘neath his chief collects.
The marshalled hosts then joined, in gallant show
Their every banner to the breeze unloose,
And in the grand imperial standard, lo!
To Heaven streams proudly the triumphant Cross.
LXXIII.
Intanto il Sol, che de’ celesti campi
Va più sempre avanzando, e in alto ascende,
L’armi percote, e ne trae fiamme e lampi
580 Tremuli e chiari, onde le viste offende.
L’aria par di faville intorno avvampi,
E quasi d’alto incendio in forma splende;
E co’ feri nitriti il suono accorda
584 Del ferro scosso, e le campagne assorda.
LXXIII
Meanwhile the car that bears the lightning brand
Upon the eastern hill was mounted high,
And smote the glistering armies as they stand,
With quivering beams which dazed the wondering eye,
That Phaeton-like it fired sea and land,
The sparkles seemed up to the skies to fly,
The horses’ neigh and clattering armors’ sound
Pursue the echo over dale and down.
LXXIII
Meanwhile the sun, that in celestial fields
Rolls ever onwards, and ascends on high,
Their armour strikes, and from swords, helms, and shields,
Draws such fierce lightning that it blinds the eye.
With sparks the atmosphere appears to blaze
In one vast conflagration, and the sound
Of clanking iron blends with rampant neighs,
Whose deafening clangour stuns the country round.
LXXIV.
Il Capitan, che da’ nemici agguati
Le schiere sue d’assicurar desia,
Molti a cavallo leggiermente armati
588 A scoprir il paese intorno invia.
E innanzi i guastatori avea mandati,
Da cui si debba agevolar la via,
E i voti luoghi empire, e spianar gli erti:
592 E da cui siano i chiusi passi aperti.
LXXIV
Their general did with due care provide
To save his men from ambush and from train,
Some troops of horse that lightly armed ride
He sent to scour the woods and forests main,
His pioneers their busy work applied
To even the paths and make the highways plain,
They filled the pits, and smoothed the rougher ground,
And opened every strait they closed found.
LXXIV
The captain, to protect from ambuscade
His gallant legions, had detached a band
Of numerous horsemen, lightly armed, and bade
Them scour the circuit of the neighbouring land;
And in advance sent pioneers of skill,
The roads from all impediments to free,
To lay hills plain, fell woods, and valleys fill,
And that all passes closed might opened be.
LXXV.
Non è gente Pagana insieme accolta,
Non muro cinto di profonda fossa,
Non gran torrente, o monte alpestre, o folta
596 Selva, che ‘l lor viaggio arrestar possa.
Così degli altri fiumi il Re talvolta,
Quando superbo oltra misura ingrossa,
Sovra le sponde ruinoso scorre:
600 Nè cosa è mai che gli s’ardisca opporre.
LXXV
They meet no forces gathered by their foe,
No towers defenced with rampire, moat, or wall,
No stream, no wood, no mountain could forslow
Their hasty pace, or stop their march at all;
So when his banks the prince of rivers, Po,
Doth overswell, he breaks with hideous fall
The mossy rocks and trees o’ergrown with age,
Nor aught withstands his fury and his rage.
LXXV
There is no Pagan host together bound,
No sweeping flood, dense wood, nor mountain crest,
No wall encircled by a moat profound,
That can the Christians’ onward march arrest
Thus doth at times the mighty king of streams
O’erleap his banks with irresistible force,
As beyond measure swoln he proudly teems,
Nor is there aught that dare oppose his course.
LXXVI.
Sol di Tripoli il Re, che ‘n ben guardate
Mura, genti, tesori, ed arme serra,
Forse le schiere Franche avria tardate;
604 Ma non osò di provocarle in guerra.
Lor con messi, e con doni anco placate
Ricettò volontario entro la terra:
E ricevè condizion di pace,
608 Siccome imporle al pio Goffredo piace.
LXXVI
The King of Tripoli in every hold
Shut up his men, munition and his treasure,
The straggling troops sometimes assail he would,
Save that he durst not move them to displeasure;
He stayed their rage with presents, gifts and gold,
And led them through his land at ease and leisure,
To keep his realm in peace and rest he chose,
With what conditions Godfrey list impose.
LXXVI
Alone the king of Tripoli, perchance,
With arms, men, treasure, under bolt and bar,
Might have delayed the Christian host’s advance,
But dared not venture upon open war.
Nay, entertained them freely on his lands,
And both by gifts and embassies appeased,
Accepting terms of peace at Godfrey’s hands,
Such as to impose the pious captain pleased.
LXXVII.
Quì del Monte Seir, ch’alto e sovrano
Dall’Oriente alla Cittade è presso,
Gran turba scese di fedeli al piano,
612 D’ogni età mescolata, e d’ogni sesso.
Portò suoi doni al vincitor Cristiano:
Godea in mirarlo, e in ragionar con esso:
Stupia dell’armi peregrine: e guida
616 Ebbe da lor Goffredo amica e fida.
LXXVII
Those of Mount Seir, that neighboreth by east
The Holy City, faithful folk each one,
Down from the hill descended most and least,
And to the Christian Duke by heaps they gone,
And welcome him and his with joy and feast;
On him they smile, on him they gaze alone,
And were his guides, as faithful from that day
As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way.
LXXVII
Here from Mount Seir, which to the orient rears (I)
Its lofty head, and dominates the town,
Crowds of the faithful, from the tenderest years
Up to extreme old age, came
flocking down,
Rejoiced to see the Christian conqueror,
Whom they conversed with, and with stores supplied,
Nor failed to admire the arms the strangers wore.
From them Prince Godfrey had a friendly guide.
LXXVIII.
Conduce ei sempre alle marittime onde
Vicino il campo per diritte strade;
Sapendo ben che le propinque sponde
620 L’amica armata costeggiando rade:
La qual può far che tutto il campo abbonde
De’ necessarj arnesi; e che le biade
Ogn’isola de’ Greci a lui sol mieta:
624 E Scio pietrosa gli vendemmi, e Creta.
LXXVIII
Along the sands his armies safe they guide
By ways secure, to them well known before,
Upon the tumbling billows fraughted ride
The armed ships, coasting along the shore,
Which for the camp might every day provide
To bring munition good and victuals store:
The isles of Greece sent in provision meet,
And store of wine from Scios came and Crete.
LXXVII
Ever in hearing of the billows’ roar,
By paths direct he led the banded host,
Well knowing that along the adjacent shore,
To give assistance friendly vessels coast,
Which could the camp fully provided keep
With necessary stores, and cause that wheat
Each isle in Greece for him alone did reap,
Their vintage stony Scio and fair Crete.
LXXIX.
Geme il vicino mar sotto l’incarco
Dell’alte navi, e de’ più levi pini:
Sicchè non s’apre omai sicuro varco
628 Nel mar Mediterraneo ai Saracini.
Ch’oltre a quei c’ha Giorgio armati, e Marco
Ne’ Viniziani, e Liguri confini;
Altri Inghilterra, e Francia, ed altri Olanda,
632 E la fertil Sicilia altri ne manda.
LXXIX
Great Neptune grieved underneath the load
Of ships, hulks, galleys, barks and brigantines,
In all the mid-earth seas was left no road
Wherein the Pagan his bold sails untwines,
Spread was the huge Armado, wide and broad,
From Venice, Genes, and towns which them confines,
From Holland, England, France and Sicil sent,
And all for Juda ready bound and bent.
LXXIX
Beneath the weight of ships and lighter pines
The waters groan, so that no longer free
Passage is open for the Saracens,
Throughout the wide Mediterranean sea.
Besides the bottoms of Saints George and Mark,
Armed by Venetians and the Genoese,
England and France sent many a gallant bark,
And Holland, and the fertile Sicilies.
LXXX.
E questi che son tutti insieme uniti
Con saldissimi laccj in un volere,
S’eran carchi, e provvisti in varj liti
636 Di ciò ch’è d’uopo alle terrestri schiere:
Le quai trovando liberi e sforniti
I passi de’ nemici alle frontiere;
In corso velocissimo sen vanno
640 Là ‘ve Cristo soffrì mortale affanno.
LXXX
All these together were combined, and knit
With surest bonds of love and friendship strong,
Together sailed they fraught with all things fit
To service done by land that might belong,
And when occasion served disbarked it,
Then sailed the Asian coasts and isles along;
Thither with speed their hasty course they plied,
Where Christ the Lord for our offences died.
LXXX
And these, which were in closest union bound
Together by one will, from various lands
Came freighted deeply, and most amply found,
With all things needful for terrestrial bands;
Who, finding to dispute their path no foe,
And all the passes on the frontiers free,
With beating hearts and speed redoubled, go
To where Christ suffered mortal agony.
LXXXI.
Ma precorsa è la fama apportatrice
De’ veraci romori, e de’ bugiardi:
Ch’unito è il campo vincitor felice:
644 Che già s’è mosso, e che non è chi ‘l tardi:
Quante e quai sian le squadre ella ridice:
Narra il nome, e ‘l valor de’ più gagliardi:
Narra i lor vanti, e con terribil faccia
648 Gli usurpatori di Sion minaccia.
LXXXI
The brazen trump of iron-winged fame,
That mingleth faithful troth with forged lies,
Foretold the heathen how the Christians came,
How thitherward the conquering army hies,
Of every knight it sounds the worth and name,
Each troop, each band, each squadron it descries,
And threat’neth death to those, fire, sword and slaughter,
Who held captived Israel’s fairest daughter.
LXXXI
But Fame precedes them, bearing in her flight
A host of true and lying rumours: how
Haply the conquering Paladins unite —
Have marched — nor is there can oppose them now —
What and how strong the squadrons are, portrays
The bravest names, their valour and renown —
Relates their vaunts, and with terrific gaze
The usurpers threatens of the holy town.
LXXXII.
E l’aspettar del male è mal peggiore,
Forse, che non parrebbe il mal presente;
Pende ad ogn’aura incerta di romore
652 Ogni orecchia sospesa, ed ogni mente:
E un confuso bisbiglio, entro e di fuore,
Trascorre i campi, e la città dolente.
Ma il vecchio Re ne’ già vicin periglj
656 Volge nel dubbio cor feri consiglj.
LXXXII
The fear of ill exceeds the evil we fear,
For so our present harms still most annoy us,
Each mind is prest and open every ear
To hear new tidings though they no way joy us,
This secret rumor whispered everywhere
About the town, these Christians will destroy us,
The aged king his coming evil that knew,
Did cursed thoughts in his false heart renew.
LXXXII
Anticipation of impending ill
Is worse perhaps than the ill itself to bear,
As in suspense its victims hang, and still
Catch at each doubtful blast, each breath of air.
Outside and in the dolorous city ran
Confused reports and whispers; on his part
The king, with peril thus impending, ‘gan
To brood dark schemes in his misgiving heart.
LXXXIII.
Aladin detto è il Re, che di quel regno
Novo signor, vive in continua cura.
Uom già crudel; ma ‘l suo feroce ingegno
660 Pur mitigato avea l’età matura.
Egli, che de’ Latini udì il disegno
C’han d’assalir di sua città le mura,
Giunge al vecchio timor novi sospetti;
664 E de’ nemici pave, e de’ soggetti.
LXXXIII
This aged prince ycleped Aladine,
Ruled in care, new sovereign of this state,
A tyrant erst, but now his fell engine
His graver are did somewhat mitigate,
He heard the western lords would undermine
His city’s wall, and lay his towers prostrate,
To former fear
he adds a new-come doubt,
Treason he fears within, and force without.
LXXXIII
This aged prince, called Aladine, now spent
In his new realm a life of constant fears;
Most cruel once, but his ferocious bent
Was somewhat softened by increasing years.
He having heard the Christians had designed
To storm the ramparts that his town inclose,
New doubts, mistrustful, with old fears combined,
Fearing his subjects no less than his foes.
LXXXIV.
Perocchè dentro a una città commisto
Popolo alberga, di contraria fede,
La debil parte e la minore in Cristo,
668 La grande e forte in Macometto crede:
Ma quando il Re fe’ di Sion l’acquisto,
E vi cercò di stabilir la sede,
Scemò i publici pesi a’ suoi Pagani;
672 Ma più gravonne i miseri Cristiani.
LXXXIV
For nations twain inhabit there and dwell
Of sundry faith together in that town,
The lesser part on Christ believed well,
On Termagent the more and on Mahown,
But when this king had made this conquest fell,
And brought that region subject to his crown,
Of burdens all he set the Paynims large,
And on poor Christians laid the double charge.
LXXXIV
Since in one city mixed together, lived
Two races of a faith most opposite,
The weak and lesser part in Christ believed,
The greater and the strong in Mahomet;
But when the king first gained the holy town
And there resolved to fix his royal seat,
The public dues he lessened for his own,
And on the wretched Franks heaped all the weight.
LXXXV.
Questo pensier, la ferità nativa
Che dagli anni sopita, e fredda langue,
Irritando inasprisce, e la ravviva
676 Sì, ch’assetata è più che mai di sangue.
Tal fero torna alla stagione estiva
Quel che parve nel giel piacevol angue:
Così leon domestico riprende
680 L’innato suo furor, s’altri l’offende.
LXXXV
His native wrath revived with this new thought,
With age and years that weakened was of yore,
Such madness in his cruel bosom wrought,
That now than ever blood he thirsteth more?
Jerusalem Delivered Page 160
