Orlando Furioso Part 105

XVI To Immortality 'tis sacred; there A lovely nymph, that from the hill descends, To the Lethean river makes repair; Takes from those swans their burden, and suspends The names about an image, raised in air Upon a shaft, which in mid fane ascends; There consecrates and fixes them so fast, That all throughout eternity shall last.

XVII Of that old sire, and why he would dispense Idly, all those fair names, as 'twould appear, And of the birds and holy place, from whence The nymph was to the river seen to steer, The solemn mystery, and the secret sense, Astolpho, marvelling, desired to hear; And prayed the man of G.o.d would these unfold, Who to the warrior thus their meaning told.

XVIII "There moves no leaf beneath, thou hast to know, But here above some sign thereof we trace; Since all, in Heaven above or Earth below, Must correspond, though with a different face.

That ancient, with his sweeping beard of snow, By nought impeded and so swift of pace, Works the same end and purpose in our clime, As are on earth below performed by Time.

XIX "The life of man its final close attains, When on the wheel is wound the fatal twine; There fame, and here above the mark remains; For both would be immortal and divine, But for that bearded sire's unwearied pains, And his below, that for their wreck combine.

One drowns them, as thou seest, mid sand and surges.

And one in long forgetfulness immerges.

XX "And even, as here above, the raven, daw, Vulture, and divers other birds of air, All from the turbid water seek to draw The names, which in their sight appear most fair; Even thus below, pimps, flatterers, men of straw, Buffoons, informers, minions, all who there Flourish in courts, and in far better guise And better odour, than the good and wise;

XXI "And by the crowd are gentle courtiers hight, Because they imitate the a.s.s and swine: When the just Parcae or (to speak aright) Venus and Bacchus cut their master's twine, -- These base and sluggish dullards, whom I cite -- Born but to blow themselves with bread and wine, In their vile mouths awhile such names convey, Then drop the load, which is Oblivion's prey.

XXII "But as the joyful swans, that, singing sweet, Convey the medals safely to the fane, So they whose praises poets well repeat, Are rescued from oblivion, direr pain Than death. O Princes, wary and discreet, That wisely tread in Caesar's steps, and gain Authors for friends! They, doubt it not, shall save Your n.o.ble names from Lethe's laxy wave.

XXIII "Rare as those gentle swans are poets too, That well the poet's name have merited, As well because it is Heaven's will, that few Great rulers should the paths of glory tread, As through foul fault of sordid lordlings, who Let sacred Genius beg his daily bread; Who putting down the Virtues, raise the tribe Of Vices, and the liberal arts proscribe.

XXIV "Believe it, that these ignorant men should be Blind and deprived of judgment, is G.o.d's doom; Who makes them loathe the light of poetry, That envious Death may wholly them consume.

Besides that Song can quicken and set free Him that is prisoned in the darkness tomb, Though foul his name, if Cirrha him befriend.

Its savour myrrh and spikenard shall transcend.

XXV "Aeneas not so pious, nor of arm So strong Achilles, Hector not so bold, Was, as 'tis famed; and mid the nameless swarm, Thousands and thousands higher rank might hold: But gift of palace and of plenteous farm, Bestowed by heirs of them, whose deeds they told, Have moved the poet with his honoured hand, To place them upon Glory's highest stand.

XXVI "Augustus not so holy and benign Was as great Virgil's trumpet sounds his name, Because he savoured the harmonious line.

His foul proscription pa.s.ses without blame.

That Nero was unjust would none divine, Nor haply would he suffer in his fame, Though Heaven and Earth were hostile, had he known The means to make the tuneful tribe his own.

XXVII "Homer a conqueror Agamemnon shows, And makes the Trojan seem of coward vein, And from the suitors, faithful to her vows, Penelope a thousand wrongs sustain: Yet -- would'st thou I the secret should expose? -- By contraries throughout the tale explain: That from the Trojan bands the Grecian ran; And deem Penelope a courtezan.

XXVIII "What fame Eliza, she so chaste of sprite, On the other hand, has left behind her, hear!

Who widely is a wanton baggage hight, Solely that she to Maro was not dear, Marvel not this should cause me sore despite, And if my speech diffusive should appear.

Authors I love, and pay the debt I owe, Speaking their praise; an author I below!

XXIX "There earned I, above all men, what no more Time nor yet Death from me shall take away; And it behoved our Lord, of whom I bore Such testimony, so my paints to pay.

It grieves me much for them, on whom her door Courtesy closes on a stormy day; Who meagre, pale, and worn with hopeless suit, Knock night and day, and ever without fruit.

x.x.x Henceforth with that apostle let the peer Remain; for I have now to make a spring As far as 'tis from heaven to earth; for here I cannot hang for ever on the wing.

I to the dame return, who was whilere Wounded by jealousy with cruel sting.

I left her where, successively o'erthrown, Three kings she quickly upon earth had strown;

x.x.xII And afterwards arriving in a town, At eve, which on the road to Paris lay, Heard tidings of Rinaldo's victory blown; And how in Arles the vanquished paynim lay.

-- Sure, her Rogero with the king is gone -- As soon as reappears the dawning day, Towards fair Provence, whither (as she hears) King Charlemagne pursues, her way she steers.

x.x.xIII She towards Provence, by the nearest road, So journeying, met a maid of mournful air; Who, though her cheeks with tears were overflowed, Was yet of visage and of manners fair.

She was it, so transfixed with Love's keen goad, Who sighed for Monodante's valiant heir, Who at the bridge had left her lord a thrall, When with King Rodomont he tried a fall.

x.x.xIV She sought one of an otter's nimbleness, By water and by land, a cavalier So fierce, that she that champion -- to redress Her wrongs -- might match against the paynim peer.

When good Rogero's lady, comfortless, To that fair dame, as comfortless, drew near, Her she saluted courteously, and next Demanded by what sorrow she was vext.

x.x.xV Flordelice marked the maid, that, in her sight, Appeared a warrior fitted for her needs; And of the bridge and river 'gan recite, Where Argier's mighty king the road impedes; And how he had gone nigh to slay her knight; Not that more doughty were the monarch's deeds; But that the wily paynim vantage-ground In that streight bridge and foaming river found.

x.x.xVI "Are you (she said) so daring and so kind, As kind and daring you appear in show, Venge me of him that has my lord confined, And makes me wander thus, opprest with woe, For love of Heaven; or teach me where to find At least a knight who can resist the foe, And of such skill that little boot shall bring His bridge and river to the pagan king.

x.x.xVII "Besides that so you shall achieve an end, Befitting courteous man and cavalier, You will employ your valour to befriend The faithfullest of lovers far and near.

His other virtues I should ill commend, So many and so many, that whoe'er Knoweth not these, may well be said to be One without ears to hear or eyes to see."

x.x.xVIII The high-minded maid, to whom aye welcome are All n.o.ble quests, by which she worthily May hope a great and glorious name to bear, Straight to the paynim's bridge resolves to hie; And now so much the more -- as in despair -- Wends willingly, although it were to die: In that she, ever with herself at strife, Deeming Rogero lost, detested life.

x.x.xIX "O loving damsel (she made answer), I Offer mine aid, for such as 'tis, to do The hard and dread adventure, pa.s.sing by Causes beside that move me, most that you A matter of your lover testify, Which I, in sooth, hear warranted of few; That he is constant; for i'faith I swear, I well believed all lovers perjured were."

XL With these last words a sigh that damsel drew, A sigh which issued from her heart; then said: "Go we"; and, with the following sun, those two At the deep stream arrived and bridge of dread: -- Seen of the guard, that on his bugle blew A warning blast, when strangers thither sped -- The pagan arms him, girds his goodly brand, And takes upon the bridge his wonted stand;

XLI And as the maid appears in martial scale, The moody monarch threatens her to slay, Unless her goodly courser and her mail, As an oblation to the tomb she pay.

Fair Bradamant who knew the piteous tale, How murdered by him Isabella lay, The story gentle Flordelice had taught; Replied in answer to that paynim haught.

XLII "Wherefore, O brutish man, for your misdeed Should penance by the innocent be done?

'Tis fitting to appease her you should bleed; You killed her, and to all the deed is known.

So that, of trophied armour or of weed Of those so many, by your lance o'erthrown, Your armour should the blest oblation be, And you the choicest victim, slain by me;

XLIII "And dearer shall the gift be from my hand; Since I a woman am, as she whilere; Nor save to venge her have I sought this strand; In this desire alone I hither steer: But first, 'tis good some pact we understand, Before we prove our prowess with the spear: You shall do by me, if o'erthrown, what you By other prisoners have been wont to do.

XLIV "But if, as I believe and trust, you fall, I will your horse and armour have (she cried), And taking down all others from the wall, Hang on the tomb alone those arms of pride; And will that you release each warlike thrall."

-- "The pact is just (King Rodomont replied), But those, my prisoners, are not here confined, And therefore cannot be to you consigned.

XLV "These have I sent into mine Africk reign; But this I promise thee, and pledge my fay; If, by strange fortune, thou thy seat maintain, And I shall be dismounted in the fray; Delivered, all, shall be the captive train, Within what time suffices to convey An order thither, that they our of hand 'Should do what thou, if conqueror, may'st command.

XLVI "But art thou undermost, as fitter were, And, as thou surely wilt be, I from thee Not therefore will thy forfeit armour tear, Nor shall thy name inscribed, as vanquished, be.

To thy bright face, bright eyes, and beauteous hair, All breathing love and grace, the victory Will I resign; let it suffice that thou Then stoop to love me, as thou hatest now.

XLVII "To fall by me thou needest not disdain; I with such strength, such nerve am fortified."

Somedeal she smiled; but smiled in bitter vein; Savouring of anger more than aught beside.

She spake not to that haughty man again, To the bridge-end returned the damsel, plied Her courser with the rowels, couched her spear, And rode to meet the furious cavalier.

XLVIII King Rodomont prepares his course to run; Comes on at speed; and with such mighty sound Echoes that bridge, the thundering noise might stun The ears of many distant from the ground.

The golden lance its wonted work has done; For that fierce Moor, in tourney so renowned, This from the saddle lifts, in air suspends, Then headlong on the narrow bridge extends.

XLIX Scarce for her horse the martial damsel can Find s.p.a.ce to pa.s.s, when she has thrown her foe; And little lacked, and mighty risque she ran Of falling into that deep stream below: But, born of wind and flame, good Rabican So dextrous was, and could so lightly go, He picked a path along the outer ledge, And could have paced upon a faulchion's edge.

L The damsel wheeled, towards the cavalier Returned, and him bespoke in sportive way; "Who is the loser now to thee is clear, And who is undermost in this a.s.say."

Silent remained the monarch of Argier, Amazed, that woman him on earth should lay.

He cannot, or he will not speak; and lies On earth, like one astound, in idiot guise.

LI Silent and sad, he raised himself from ground, And when he some few paces thence had gone, His s.h.i.+eld unbraced and helm and mail unbound, He flung against the tomb; and thence, alone, Afoot the moody monarch left that ground: Yet not till he had given command to one (Of his four squires was he) to do his hest Relating to those captives, as exprest.

LII He parts; and save that in a caverned cell He dwelt, no further news of him were known: Meanwhile the harness of that infidel Bradamant hung upon the lofty stone; And having thence removed all plate and sh.e.l.l Wherewith (as by the writing it was shown) The cavaliers of Charles their limbs had drest, She moved not, nor let other move, the rest.

LIII Besides the arms of Monodantes' heir Were those of Sansonet and Olivier, Who, bound in search of good Orlando, were Thither conducted by the road most near.