But yet the Persian army doth abound
With many a footman strong and hardy knight,
So doth the King’s own troop which all is framed
Of soldiers old, the Immortal Squadron named.
CXXII
‘But, for the most part, their unwieldy bands,
Both horse and foot, of no efficience are;
They give no heed to signals or commands,
Nor draw the sword, and only strike from far:
But there are some of bravery and skill,
Whom Persia’s princes ‘neath their standards bring;
Nay, there’s one squadron better, choicer still,
Styled the immortal squadron of the king.
CXXIII.
Ella è detta immortal, perchè difetto
In quel numero mai non fu pur d’uno:
Ma empie il loco voto, e sempre eletto
980 Sottentra uom novo, ove ne manchi alcuno.
Il Capitan del campo, Emiren detto,
Pari ha in senno e in valor pochi o nessuno.
E gli comanda il Re che provocarti
984 Debba a pugna campal con tutte l’arti.
CXXIII
“Immortal called is that band of right,
For of that number never wanteth one,
But in his empty place some other knight
Steps in, when any man is dead or gone:
This army’s leader Emireno hight,
Like whom in wit and strength are few or none,
Who hath in charge in plain and pitched field,
To fight with you, to make you fly or yield.
CXXIII
‘Immortal styled, for ev’n defect of one
Never occurs; whene’er a member dies,
Another’s chosen next him in renown,
Who in succession the void place supplies.
Equalled in sense or strength by few or none,
Is the camp’s captain, Emireno hight;
Him the king charged has to leave nought undone
Thee to a general action to incite.
CXXIV.
Nè credo già che al dì secondo tardi
L’esercito nemico a comparire.
Ma tu Rinaldo assai convien che guardi
988 Il capo, ond’è fra lor tanto desire:
Chè i più famosi in arme, e i più gagliardi
Gli hanno incontra arrotato il ferro e l’ire:
Perchè Armida se stessa in guiderdone,
992 A qual di loro il troncherà, propone.
CXXIV
“And well I know their army and their host
Within a day or two will here arrive:
But thee Rinaldo it behoveth most
To keep thy noble head, for which they strive,
For all the chief in arms or courage boast
They will the same to Queen Armida give,
And for the same she gives herself in price,
Such hire will many hands to work entice.
CXXIV
‘Nor do I think the army will retard
Its coming here beyond the second day.
Take care, Rinaldo, then, thy head to guard,
For which all such avidity display;
‘Gainst it the most famed warriors are opposed,
With sword and anger sharpened for the attack,
Since her fair self Armida has proposed
In guerdon to the knight that brings it back.
CXXV.
Fra questi è il valoroso e nobil Perso:
Dico Altamoro il Re di Sarmacante.
Adrasto v’è che ha il regno suo là verso
996 I confin dell’Aurora, ed è gigante:
Uom d’ogni umanità così diverso,
Che frena per cavallo un elefante.
V’è Tisaferno a cui, nell’esser prode,
1000 Concorde fama dà sovrana lode.
CXXV
“The chief of these that have thy murder sworn,
Is Altamore, the king of Samarcand!
Adrastus then, whose realm lies near the morn,
A hardy giant, bold, and strong of hand,
This king upon an elephant is borne,
For under him no horse can stir or stand;
The third is Tisipherne, as brave a lord
As ever put on helm or girt on sword.”
CXXV
‘The valorous princely Persian, Altamore,
Monarch of Samarcand, among them vies;
Adrastus, too, the giant king, whose power
Towards the far confines of Aurora lies,
One so diverse from all mankind, that he
An elephant bestrideth for his steed;
And Tisaphernes, to whose chivalry
Concordant fame awards the highest meed,’
CXXVI.
Così dice egli; e ‘l Giovinetto in volto
Tutto scintilla, ed ha negli occhj il foco.
Vorria già tra’ nemici essere avvolto:
1004 Nè cape in se, nè ritrovar può loco.
Quinci Vafrino al Capitan rivolto:
Signor, soggiunse, insin quì detto è poco.
La somma delle cose or quì si chiuda:
1008 Impugneransi in te l’arme di Giuda.
CXXVI
This said, from young Rinaldo’s angry eyes,
Flew sparks of wrath, flames in his visage shined,
He longed to be amid those enemies,
Nor rest nor reason in his heart could find.
But to the Duke Vafrine his talk applies,
“The greatest news, my lord, are yet behind,
For all their thoughts, their crafts and counsels tend
By treason false to bring thy life to end.”
CXXVI
As thus he spoke, Rinaldo’s face all o’er
Sparkled, his eyes flashed fire, and every vein
Swelled, as he burned to meet the foe once more,
Nor could contain himself, or calm remain.
Vafrino then: ‘In what I have premised.
But little, worthy captain, is revealed;
In this, the main part of the whole’s comprised:
The arms of Judas against thee they wield.’
CXXVII.
Di parte in parte poi tutto gli espose
Ciò che di fraudolente in lui si tesse:
L’arme, e ‘l velen, le insegne insidiose,
1012 Il vanto udito, i premj, e le promesse.
Molto chiesto gli fu, molto rispose:
Breve tra lor silenzio indi successe.
Poscia innalzando il Capitano il ciglio
1016 Chiede a Raimondo: Or qual’è il tuo consiglio?
CXXVII
Then all from point to point he gan expose
The false compact, how it was made and wrought,
The arms and ensigns feigned, poison close,
Ormondo’s vaunt, what praise, what thank he sought,
And what reward, and satisfied all those
That would demand, inquire, or ask of aught.
Silence was made awhile, when Godfrey thus, —
“Raymondo, say, what counsel givest thou us?”
CXXVII
Then, bit by bit, explained in terms precise
The treacherous stratagems for him prepared:
The poisoned arms, the counterfeit device,
The vaunts he heard, the promise, the reward;
Much to their many questions he replied,
When, a brief pause occurring, his bold brow
The captain raising, to Raimondo cried:
‘Sage counsellor, what counsel offerest thou?’
CXXVIII.
Ed egli: È mio parer ch’ai novi albóri,
Come concluso fu, più non s’assaglia;
Ma si stringa la torre: onde uscir fuori
1020 Chi dentro stassi a suo piacer non vaglia:
E posi il nostro campo, e si ristori
Frattanto ad uopo di maggior battaglia.
&n
bsp; Pensa poi tu s’è meglio usar la spada
1024 Con forza aperta, o ‘l gir tenendo a bada.
CXXVIII
“Not as we purposed late, next morn,” quoth he,
“Let us not scale, but round besiege this tower,
That those within may have no issue free
To sally out, and hurt us with their power,
Our camp well rested and refreshed see,
Provided well gainst this last storm and shower,
And then in pitched field, fight, if you will;
If not, delay and keep this fortress still.
CXXVIII
‘I would not, as we had agreed, begin
The assault,’ he answered, ‘at the dawn of day,
But so invest the tower, that those within
Will not be able to escape away;
And let the camp repose, so that restored
It be, meanwhile, for more decisive fray.
Determine thou, were’t better use the sword
With open force, or that in wait it lay?
CXXIX.
Mio giudizio è però ch’a te convegna
Di te stesso curar sovra ogni cura;
Chè per te vince l’oste, e per te regna.
1028 Chi senza te l’indrizza, e l’assicura?
E perchè i traditor non celi insegna;
Mutar le insegne a’ tuoi guerrier procura.
Così la fraude a te palese fatta
1032 Sarà da quel medesmo in chi s’appiatta.
CXXIX
“But lest you be endangered, hurt, or slain,
Of all your cares take care yourself to save,
By you this camp doth live, doth win, doth reign,
Who else can rule or guide these squadrons brave?
And for the traitors shall be noted plain,
Command your guard to change the arms they have,
So shall their guile be known, in their own net
So shall they fall, caught in the snare they set.”
CXXIX
‘But, in my judgment, it behoves thee most
Thyself to care for beyond every care;
Since thro’ thee conquers, thro’ thee reigns the host;
And who would guide it were not Godfred there?
And, that the traitors’ arms be not concealed,
Command thy gallant guard to alter theirs;
The fraud will thus be unto thee revealed
By the same villains that have laid the snares.’
CXXX.
Risponde il capitan: come hai per uso,
Mostri amico volere e saggia mente;
Ma quel che dubbio lasci, or sia conchiuso.
1036 Uscirem contro alla nemica gente.
Nè già star deve in muro o in vallo chiuso
Il campo domator dell’Oriente.
Sia da quegli empj il valor nostro esperto
1040 Nella più aperta luce, in loco aperto.
CXXX
“As it hath ever,” thus the Duke begun,
“Thy counsel shows thy wisdom and thy love,
And what you left in doubt shall thus be done,
We will their force in pitched battle prove;
Closed in this wall and trench, the fight to shun,
Doth ill this camp beseem, and worse behove,
But we their strength and manhood will assay,
And try, in open field and open day.
CXXX
‘Thou dost, as ever,’ the bold chief replied,
‘A friendly will and sage discretion show;
But what is doubtful let us now decide,
And march at once against the impious foe:
The Orient’s victors should not mewed up be
Behind stone walls, or in dark trenches fight;
No — let the infidel our valour see
In the open field, in the most open light
CXXXI.
Non sosterran delle vittorie il nome,
Non che de’ vincitor l’aspetto altero,
Non che l’arme: e lor forze saran dome,
1044 Fermo stabilimento al nostro impero.
La torre o tosto renderassi, o come
Altri nol vieti, il prenderla è leggiero.
Quì il magnanimo tace, e fa partita;
1048 Chè ‘l cader delle stelle al sonno invita.
CXXXI
“The fame of our great conquests to sustain,
Or bide our looks and threats, they are not able,
And when this army is subdued and slain
Then is our empire settled, firm and stable,
The tower shall yield, or but resist in vain,
For fear her anchor is, despair her cable.”
Thus he concludes, and rolling down the west
Fast set the stars, and called them all to rest.
CXXXI
‘In part by prestige of the name dismayed,
They’ll not withstand the victor’s haughty face,
Much less his arms; whence firmly shall be laid
Upon their overthrow our empire’s base.
The tower will soon surrender, if bereft
Of outward aid, or we can storm the keep.’
Here ceased the noble paladin, and left,
Since the stars, sinking, wooed the world to sleep.
Canto ventesimo
TWENTIETH BOOK
ARGOMENTO.
Giunge l’oste Pagana, e crudel guerra
Fa col campo fedele. Il fier Soldano
L’assediata rocca anco disserra;
Vago d’andare a guerreggiar nel piano,
N’esce col Re; ma l’uno e l’altro a terra
Estinto cade da famosa mano.
Placa Rinaldo Armida. I Cristian scempio
Fan de’ nemici, e poi van lieti al tempio.
THE ARGUMENT.
Makes with the Christians and their faithful power;
The Soldan longs in field to prove his might,
With the old king quits the besieged tower;
Yet both are slain, and in eternal night
A famous hand gives each his fatal hour;
Rinald appeased Armida; first the field
The Christians win, then praise to God they yield.
I.
Già il Sole avea desti i mortali all’opre:
Già dieci ore del giorno eran trascorse;
Quando lo stuol ch’alla gran torre è sopre,
4 Un non so che da lunge ombroso scorse,
Quasi nebbia che a sera il mondo copre:
E ch’era il campo amico alfin s’accorse,
Che tutto intorno il Ciel di polve adombra,
8 E i colli sotto, e le campagne ingombra.
I
The sun called up the world from idle sleep,
And of the day ten hours were gone and past
When the bold troop that had the tower to keep
Espied a sudden mist, that overcast
The earth with mirksome clouds and darkness deep,
And saw it was the Egyptian camp at last
Which raised the dust, for hills and valleys broad
That host did overspread and overload.
I
ALREADY the tenth hour had passed; their works,
Waked by the sun, mankind had now resumed,
When, from the summit of the tower, the Turks
Afar saw something shadowy, that loomed
Like cloud at falling eve. At length they knew
That ’twas the friendly host, beneath whose tread
To heaven the dust in murky volumes flew,
And o’er the plains and neighbouring mountains spread.
II.
Alzano allor dall’alta cima i gridi
Insino al Ciel le assediate genti:
Con quel romor con che, dai Tracj nidi,
12 Vanno a stormi le gru ne’ giorni algenti:
E tra le nubi a più tepidi lidi
Fuggon stridendo innanzi ai freddi venti:
Ch’or la giunta speranza in lor fa pronte
16 La mano al saettar, la lingua all’onte.
II
Therewith a merry shout and joyful cry
The Pagans reared from their besieged hold;
The cranes from Thrace with such a rumor fly,
His hoary frost and snow when Hyems old
Pours down, and fast to warmer regions hie,
From the sharp winds, fierce storms and tempests cold;
And quick, and ready this new hope and aid,
Their hands to shoot, their tongues to threaten made.
II
Then from the lofty summit to the sky
Raised up their voices the beleaguered host,
With noise resembling Thracian herons’ cry
When their nests quitting at the approach of frost,
Which, screaming, fly the freezing blast before,
In countless flocks, in search of warmer lands.
Their fallen hopes, thence revivified, restore
Gibes to their tongues and arrows to their hands.
III.
Ben s’avvisano i Franchi, onde dell’ire
L’impeto novo, e ‘l minacciar procede:
E miran d’alta parte, ed apparire
20 Il poderoso campo indi si vede.
Subito avvampa il generoso ardire
In que’ petti feroci, e pugna chiede.
La gioventute altera accolta insieme,
24 Dà, grida, il segno, invitto Duce: e freme.
III
From whence their ire, their wrath and hardy threat
Proceeds, the French well knew, and plain espied,
For from the walls and ports the army great
They saw; her strength, her number, pomp, and pride,
Swelled their breasts with valor’s noble heat;
Battle and fight they wished, “Arm, arm!” they cried;
The youth to give the sign of fight all prayed
Their Duke, and were displeased because delayed
III
Quickly the Frank besiegers knew from whence
Their threats proceed, and that new burst of ire,
And, looking from a lofty eminence,
Beheld the Egyptian armament entire.
At once their breasts a generous warmth inflamed,
All burned with ardour to begin the fray;
‘Give us the signal, peerless chief!’ exclaimed
The haughty youth, impatient of delay.
IV.
Jerusalem Delivered Page 288
