Jerusalem, behold, appeared in sight,
Jerusalem they view, they see, they spy,
Jerusalem with merry noise they greet,
With joyful shouts, and acclamations sweet.
III
Winged are their eager hearts and winged their feet;
Unconscious of their speed, on, on, they fly.
But when the ascending sun with fervent heat
Had struck the arid plains and risen on high,
Lo! fair Jerusalem appears in sight,
Lo! countless fingers point there, and exclaim
Ten thousand voices that in one unite,
‘Hail! Hail! Jerusalem, Jerusalem!’
IV.
Così di naviganti audace stuolo,
Che mova a ricercar estranio lido,
E in mar dubbioso, e sotto ignoto polo
28 Provi l’onde fallaci, e ‘l vento infido;
S’alfin discopre il desiato suolo,
Il saluta da lunge in lieto grido:
E l’uno all’altro il mostra, e intanto oblia
32 La noja, e ‘l mal della passata via.
IV
As when a troop of jolly sailors row
Some new-found land and country to descry,
Through dangerous seas and under stars unknowe,
Thrall to the faithless waves, and trothless sky,
If once the wished shore begun to show,
They all salute it with a joyful cry,
And each to other show the land in haste,
Forgetting quite their pains and perils past.
IV
Thus, when a crew of hardy mariners
Lured by the hope of new discovery, finds
Upon uncertain seas, ‘neath unknown stars,
Fallacious waters and deceptive winds,
If they at length behold the wished-for land
Afar salute it with exultant cries;
Each points it out to each with eager hand,
Forgetting his past toils and miseries.
V.
Al gran piacer che quella prima vista
Dolcemente spirò nell’altrui petto,
Alta contrizion successe, mista
36 Di timoroso e riverente affetto.
Osano appena d’innalzar la vista
Ver la Città, di Cristo albergo eletto;
Dove morì, dove sepolto fue,
40 Dove poi rivestì le membra sue.
V
To that delight which their first sight did breed,
That pleased so the secret of their thought
A deep repentance did forthwith succeed
That reverend fear and trembling with it brought,
Scantly they durst their feeble eyes dispreed
Upon that town where Christ was sold and bought,
Where for our sins he faultless suffered pain,
There where he died and where he lived again.
V
To the great pleasure which that first fond look
Of Salem’s walls excited in each breast,
Succeeded deep contrition that partook
Of fear and reverence, by whose weight oppressed
They scarcely dared lift up their longing gaze
To where Christ chose to fix His earthly reign,
There where He died, and where He buried was,
And where triumphantly He rose again.
VI.
Sommessi accenti, e tacite parole,
Rotti singulti, e flebili sospiri
Della gente, che in un s’allegra, e duole,
44 Fan che per l’aria un mormorio s’aggiri;
Qual nelle folte selve udir si suole,
S’avvien che tra le frondi il vento spiri:
O quale infra gli scoglj, o presso ai lidi
48 Sibila il mar, percosso, in rauchi stridi.
VI
Soft words, low speech, deep sobs, sweet sighs, salt tears
Rose from their hearts, with joy and pleasure mixed;
For thus fares he the Lord aright that fears,
Fear on devotion, joy on faith is fixed:
Such noise their passions make, as when one hears
The hoarse sea waves roar, hollow rocks betwixt;
Or as the wind in holts and shady greaves,
A murmur makes among the boughs and leaves.
VI
The mute appeal, the supplicating voice,
The broken sobs, the plaintive wailing sighs
Of those still grieving ev’n as they rejoice,
Cause such a murmur through the air to rise
As in dense forests strikes the traveller’s ear,
When through its leaves the blasts of autumn pour;
Or as when dashed upon the rocks we hear
With hollow boom the broken billows roar.
VII.
Nudo ciascuno il piè calca il sentiero;
Chè l’esempio de’ Duci ogni altro move.
Serico fregio o d’or, piuma o cimiero
52 Superbo dal suo capo ogn’un rimove:
Ed insieme del cor l’abito altero
Depone, e calde e píe lagrime piove.
Pur, quasi al pianto abbia la via rinchiusa,
56 Così parlando ogn’un se stesso accusa:
VII
Their naked feet trod on the dusty way,
Following the ensample of their zealous guide,
Their scarfs, their crests, their plumes and feathers gay,
They quickly doffed, and willing laid aside,
Their molten hearts their wonted pride allay,
Along their watery cheeks warm tears down slide,
And then such secret speech as this, they used,
While to himself each one himself accused.
VII
Barefoot the soldiers tread the hallowed path,
Each by his captain’s meek example led;
His silken scarf and haughty crest each hath
Straightway removed from his now humbled head,
And with it cast aside his heart’s proud dress,
While warm repentant tears his eyes suffuse.
Yet as if such could not his grief express,
Each thus repining doth himself accuse:
VIII.
Dunque ove tu, Signor, di mille rivi
Sanguinosi il terren lasciasti asperso,
D’amaro pianto almen duo fonti vivi
60 In sì acerba memoria oggi non verso?
Agghiacciato mio cor, chè non derivi
Per gli occhj, e stilli in lagrime converso?
Duro mio cor, chè non ti spetri e frangi?
64 Pianger ben merti ogn’or, s’ora non piangi.
VIII
“Flower of goodness, root of lasting bliss,
Thou well of life, whose streams were purple blood
That flowed here, to cleanse the soul amiss
Of sinful men, behold this brutish flood,
That from my melting heart distilled is,
Receive in gree these tears, O Lord so good,
For never wretch with sin so overgone
Had fitter time or greater cause to moan.”
VIII
‘What! where Thou didst, O Lord! bedew the earth,
With countless bloody rivers, may not I
At least two living rivulets pour forth
Of bitter drops in such sad memory?
Art made of ice, my heart, as not to leak
Distilled in tears through these mine eyes? Art thou
So made of stone as not dissolve and break?
Thou ‘dst aye deserve to weep, if tearless now.’
IX.
Dalla Cittade intanto un ch’alla guarda
Sta d’alta torre, e scopre i monti e i campi,
Colà giuso la polve alzarsi guarda,
68 Sicchè par che gran nube in aria stampi:
Par che baleni quella nube ed arda,
Come di fiamme gravida e di lampi:
Poi lo sp
lendor di lucidi metalli
72 Scerne, e distingue gli uomini, e i cavalli.
IX
This while the wary watchman looked over,
From tops of Sion’s towers, the hills and dales,
And saw the dust the fields and pastures cover,
As when thick mists arise from moory vales.
At last the sun-bright shields he gan discover,
And glistering helms for violence none that fails,
The metal shone like lightning bright in skies,
And man and horse amid the dust descries.
IX
Meanwhile the watch that from a tower descries
The mountains and the plain, beheld down there
The circling dust in such dense volumes rise,
That a cloud seemed imprinted in the air:
It seemed to flash with lurid light and blaze,
As pregnant with fierce flames and lightning’s force
Now marked the sheen of steel’s refulgent rays,
And now distinguished even man and horse.
X.
Allor gridava: oh qual per l’aria stesa
Polvere i’ veggio! o come par che splenda!
Su, suso, o cittadini, alla difesa
76 S’armi ciascun veloce, e i muri ascenda:
Già presente è il nemico. E poi ripresa
La voce: ogn’un s’affretti, e l’arme prenda:
Ecco il nemico, è quì: mira la polve,
80 Che sotto orrida nebbia il cielo involve.
X
Then loud he cries, “O what a dust ariseth!
O how it shines with shields and targets clear!
Up, up, to arms, for valiant heart despiseth
The threatened storm of death and danger near.
Behold your foes;” then further thus deviseth,
“Haste, haste, for vain delay increaseth fear,
These horrid clouds of dust that yonder fly,
Your coming foes does hide, and hide the sky.”
X
Doubting no more, he raised the loud alarm:
‘What dust I see, and how it seems to shine!
Up, up, O citizens! arm, quickly arm!
And for defence the embattled ramparts line,
The foe’s already here: ‘and then more loud,
‘Haste to your arms! arise, I say arise!
Behold the enemy, he’s here; you cloud
Of lurid dust behold that veils the skies.’
XI.
I semplici fanciulli, e i vecchj inermi,
E ‘l volgo delle donne sbigottite,
Che non sanno ferir, nè fare schermi,
84 Traean supplici e mesti alle Meschite.
Gli altri di membra, e d’animo più fermi
Già frettolosi l’arme avean rapite.
Accorre altri alle porte, altri alle mura:
88 Il Re va intorno, e ‘l tutto vede e cura.
XI
The tender children, and the fathers old,
The aged matrons, and the virgin chaste,
That durst not shake the spear, nor target hold,
Themselves devoutly in their temples placed;
The rest, of members strong and courage bold,
On hardy breasts their harness donned in haste,
Some to the walls, some to the gates them dight,
Their king meanwhile directs them all aright.
XI
Unarmed old age, and simple innocence,
The crowd of women smitten with despair,
Unfitted for attack or for defence,
Mournful and suppliant to the mosques repair.
The rest, who on stout hearts and hands depend,
Snatch up their trusty arms; some man the wall,
Others rush off the portals to defend;
The king goes round, provides, and sees to all
XII.
Gli ordini diede, e poscia ei si ritrasse
Ove sorge una torre infra due porte,
Sicch’è presso al bisogno; e son più basse
92 Quindi le piaggie, e le montagne scorte.
Volle che quivi seco Erminia andasse:
Erminia bella, ch’ei raccolse in corte,
Poi ch’a lei fu dalle Cristiane squadre
96 Presa Antiochia, e morto il Re suo padre.
XII
All things well ordered, he withdrew with speed
Up to a turret high, two ports between,
That so he might be near at every need,
And overlook the lands and furrows green.
Thither he did the sweet Erminia lead,
That in his court had entertained been
Since Christians Antioch did to bondage bring,
And slew her father, who thereof was king.
XII
He gave his orders quickly and withdrew,
Where ‘twixt two gates a turret soars on high, (2)
So that in need he’s near, and whence the view
Of each high land seems lower to the eye.
Thither he bade Erminia to repair,
Lovely Erminia whom his court received
When the Frank troops had captured Antioch, where
She was of her dear sire, the king, bereaved.
XIII.
Clorinda intanto incontra ai Franchi è gita:
Molti van seco, ed ella a tutti è innante.
Ma in altra parte, ond’è secreta uscita,
100 Sta preparato alle riscosse Argante.
La generosa i suoi seguaci incíta
Co’ detti, e con l’intrepido sembiante:
Ben con alto principio a noi conviene,
104 Dicea, fondar dell’Asia oggi la spene.
XIII
Against their foes Clorinda sallied out,
And many a baron bold was by her side,
Within the postern stood Argantes stout
To rescue her, if ill mote her betide:
With speeches brave she cheered her warlike rout,
And with bold words them heartened as they ride,
“Let us by some brave act,” quoth she, “this day
Of Asia’s hopes the groundwork found and lay.”
XIII
Clorinda then spurred forth to meet the Franks, (3)
Many went with her, but she led them all,
While at the sally-port Arganté ranks
His troops for rescue, should she backward fall:
Nor failed the fair her followers to incite
By her bold words and bearing for the fray.
‘By good beginnings,’ she exclaimed, ‘’tis right
That we found Asia’s future hopes to-day.’
XIV.
Mentre ragiona a’ suoi, non lunge scorse
Un Franco stuolo addur rustiche prede;
Che (come è l’uso) a depredar precorse;
108 Or con gregge, ed armenti al campo riede.
Ella ver lor, e verso lei sen corse
Il Duce lor, ch’a se venir la vede.
Gardo il Duce è nomato, uom di gran possa,
112 Ma non già tal ch’a lei resister possa.
XIV
While to her folk thus spake the virgin brave,
Thereby behold forth passed a Christian band
Toward the camp, that herds of cattle drave,
For they that morn had forayed all the land;
The fierce virago would that booty save,
Whom their commander singled hand for hand,
A mighty man at arms, who Guardo hight,
But far too weak to match with her in fight.
XIV
Even as she spoke, not distant far was seen
A troop of Franks removing rustic prey.
They, as their wont, a foraging had been,
And with their spoil now campwards bent their way.
She against them, and in a fatal hour
‘Gainst her advanced their chief, who marked her course —
Gardo by name,
a soldier of great power,
But yet not one that could resist her force.
XV.
Gardo a quel fero scontro è spinto a terra
In su gli occhj de’ Franchi e de’ Pagani,
Ch’allor tutti gridar, di quella guerra
116 Lieti augurj prendendo, i quai fur vani.
Spronando addosso agli altri ella si serra,
E val la destra sua per cento mani.
Seguirla i suoi guerrier per quella strada
120 Che spianar gli urti, e che s’aprì la spada.
XV
They met, and low in dust was Guardo laid,
‘Twixt either army, from his sell down kest,
The Pagans shout for joy, and hopeful said,
Those good beginnings would have endings blest:
Against the rest on went the noble maid,
She broke the helm, and pierced the armed breast,
Her men the paths rode through made by her sword,
They pass the stream where she had found the ford.
XV.
By that fierce shock Gardo was hurled afar
Upon the earth, ‘neath Franks’ and Pagans’ eyes;
At which the latter shout, and of the war
Infer propitious but false auguries;
Then spurring on, she closed in with the rest.
Equal to hundreds her sole arm appeared,
While her bold followers through the passage pressed,
Which her fierce charge had oped, and broad sword cleared.
XVI.
Tosto la preda al predator ritoglie:
Cede lo stuol de’ Franchi a poco a poco;
Tanto che’n cima a un colle ei si raccoglie,
124 Ove ajutate son l’arme dal loco.
Allor, siccome turbine si scioglie
E cade dalle nubi aereo foco,
Il buon Tancredi, a cui Goffredo accenna,
128 Sua squadra mosse, ed arrestò l’antenna.
XVI
Soon was the prey out of their hands recovered,
By step and step the Frenchmen gan retire,
Till on a little hill at last they hovered,
Whose strength preserved them from Clorinda’s ire:
When, as a tempest that hath long been covered
In watery clouds breaks out with sparkling fire,
With his strong squadron Lord Tancredi came,
His heart with rage, his eyes with courage flame.
XVI.
Soon from the spoiler is redeemed the spoil,
And slow fell back the Franks until they found
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