Jerusalem Delivered

by Torquato Tasso

  The cracks and bruises all amend they should,

  Each open passage, and each privy way

  About the piece, he kept with soldiers bold:

  But the loud rumor, both of that they say,

  And that they do, is heard within the hold,

  A thousand lights about the tower they view,

  And what they wrought all night both saw and knew.

  TWELFTH BOOK

  THE ARGUMENT.

  Her birth, her offspring, and her native land;

  Disguised she fireth Godfrey’s rolling fort.

  The burned piece falls smoking on the sand:

  With Tancred long unknown in desperate sort

  She fights, and falls through pierced with his brand:

  Christened she dies; with sighs, with plaints and tears.

  He wails her death; Argant revengement swears.

  I

  Now in dark night was all the world embarred;

  But yet the tired armies took no rest,

  The careful French kept heedful watch and ward,

  While their high tower the workmen newly dressed,

  The Pagan crew to reinforce prepared

  The weakened bulwarks, late to earth down kest,

  Their rampiers broke and bruised walls to mend,

  Lastly their hurts the wounded knights attend.

  II

  Their wounds were dressed, part of the work was brought

  To wished end, part left to other days,

  A dull desire to rest deep midnight wrought,

  His heavy rod sleep on their eyelids lays:

  Yet rested not Clorinda’s working thought,

  Which thirsted still for fame and warlike praise,

  Argantes eke accompanied the maid

  From place to place, which to herself thus said:

  III

  “This day Argantes strong, and Solyman,

  Strange things have done, and purchased great renown,

  Among our foes out of the walls they ran,

  Their rams they broke and rent their engines down:

  I used my bow, of naught else boast I can,

  My self stood safe meanwhile within this town,

  And happy was my shot, and prosperous too,

  But that was all a woman’s hand could do.

  IV

  “On birds and beasts in forests wild that feed

  It were more fit mine arrows to bestow,

  Than for a feeble maid in warlike deed

  With strong and hardy knights herself to show.

  Why take I not again my virgin’s weed,

  And spend my days in secret cell unknow?”

  Thus thought, thus mused, thus devised the maid,

  And turning to the knight, at last thus said:

  V

  “My thoughts are full, my lord, of strange desire

  Some high attempt of war to undertake,

  Whether high God my mind therewith inspire

  Or of his will his God mankind doth make,

  Among our foes behold the light and fire,

  I will among them wend, and burn or break

  The tower, God grant therein I have my will

  And that performed, betide me good or ill.

  VI

  “But if it fortune such my chance should be,

  That to this town I never turn again,

  Mine eunuch, whom I dearly love, with thee

  I leave my faithful maids, and all my train,

  To Egypt then conducted safely see

  Those woful damsels and that aged swain,

  Help them, my lord, in that distressed case,

  Their feeble sex, his age, deserveth grace.”

  VII

  Argantes wondering stood, and felt the effect

  Of true renown pierce through his glorious mind,

  “And wilt thou go,” quoth he, “and me neglect,

  Disgraced, despised, leave in this fort behind?

  Shall I while these strong walls my life protect

  Behold thy flames and fires tossed in the wind,

  No, no, thy fellow have I been in arms,

  And will be still, in praise, in death, in harms.

  VIII

  “This heart of mine death’s bitter stroke despiseth,

  For praise this life, for glory take this breath.”

  “My soul and more,” quoth she, “thy friendship prizeth,

  For this thy proffered aid required uneath,

  I but a woman am, no loss ariseth

  To this besieged city by my death,

  But if, as God forbid, this night thou fall,

  Ah! who shall then, who can, defend this wall!”

  IX

  “Too late these ‘scuses vain,” the knight replied,

  “You bring; my will is firm, my mind is set,

  I follow you whereso you list me guide,

  Or go before if you my purpose let.”

  This said, they hasted to the palace wide

  About their prince where all his lords were met,

  Clorinda spoke for both, and said, “Sir king,

  Attend my words, hear, and allow the thing:

  X

  “Argantes here, this bold and hardy knight,

  Will undertake to burn the wondrous tower,

  And I with him, only we stay till night

  Bury in sleep our foes at deadest hour.”

  The king with that cast up his hands on height,

  The tears for joy upon his cheeks down pour.

  “Praised,” quoth he, “be Macon whom we serve,

  This land I see he keeps and will preserve:

  XI

  “Nor shall so soon this shaken kingdom fall,

  While such unconquered hearts my state defend:

  But for this act what praise or guerdon shall

  I give your virtues, which so far extend?

  Let fame your praises sound through nations all,

  And fill the world therewith to either end,

  Take half my wealth and kingdom for your meed?

  You are rewarded half even with the deed.”

  XII

  Thus spake the prince, and gently ‘gan distrain,

  Now him, now her, between his friendly arms:

  The Soldan by, no longer could refrain

  That noble envy which his bosom warms,

  “Nor I,” quoth he, “bear this broad sword in vain,

  Nor yet am unexpert in night alarms,

  Take me with you: ah.” Quoth Clorinda, “no!

  Whom leave we here of prowess if you go?”

  XIII

  This spoken, ready with a proud refuse

  Argantes was his proffered aid to scorn,

  Whom Aladine prevents, and with excuse

  To Solyman thus gan his speeches torn:

  “Right noble prince, as aye hath been your use

  Your self so still you bear and long have borne,

  Bold in all acts, no danger can affright

  Your heart, nor tired is your strength with fight.

  XIV

  “If you went forth great things perform you would,

  In my conceit yet far unfit it seems

  That you, who most excel in courage bold,

  At once should leave this town in these extremes,

  Nor would I that these twain should leave this hold,

  My heart their noble lives far worthier deems,

  If this attempt of less importance were,

  Or weaker posts so great a weight could bear.

  XV

  “But for well-guarded is the mighty tower

  With hardy troops and squadrons round about,

  And cannot harmed be with little power,

  Nor fit the time to send whole armies out,

  This pair who passed have many a dreadful stowre,

  And proffer now to prove this venture stout,

  Alone to this attempt let them go forth,

  Alone than thousands of m
ore price and worth.

  XVI

  “Thou, as it best beseems a mighty king,

  With ready bands besides the gate attend,

  That when this couple have performed the thing,

  And shall again their footsteps homeward bend,

  From their strong foes upon them following

  Thou may’st them keep, preserve, save and defend:”

  Thus said the king, “The Soldan must consent,”

  Silent remained the Turk, and discontent.

  XVII

  Then Ismen said, “You twain that undertake

  This hard attempt, awhile I pray you stay,

  Till I a wildfire of fine temper make,

  That this great engine burn to ashes may;

  Haply the guard that now doth watch and wake,

  Will then lie tumbled sleeping on the lay;”

  Thus they conclude, and in their chambers sit,

  To wait the time for this adventure fit.

  XVIII

  Clorinda there her silver arms off rent,

  Her helm, her shield, her hauberk shining bright,

  An armor black as jet or coal she hent,

  Wherein withouten plume herself she dight;

  For thus disguised amid her foes she meant

  To pass unseen, by help of friendly night,

  To whom her eunuch, old Arsetes, came,

  That from her cradle nursed and kept the dame.

  XIX

  This aged sire had followed far and near,

  Through lands and seas, the strong and hardy maid,

  He saw her leave her arms and wonted gear,

  Her danger nigh that sudden change foresaid:

  By his white locks from black that changed were

  In following her, the woful man her prayed,

  By all his service and his taken pain,

  To leave that fond attempt, but prayed in vain.

  XX

  “At last,” quoth he, “since hardened to thine ill,

  Thy cruel heart is to thy loss prepared,

  That my weak age, nor tears that down distil,

  Not humble suit, nor plaint, thou list regard;

  Attend awhile, strange things unfold I will,

  Hear both thy birth and high estate declared;

  Follow my counsel, or thy will that done,”

  She sat to hear, the eunuch thus begun:

  XXI

  “Senapus ruled, and yet perchance doth reign

  In mighty Ethiop, and her deserts waste,

  The lore of Christ both he and all his train

  Of people black, hath kept and long embraced,

  To him a Pagan was I sold for gain,

  And with his queen, as her chief eunuch, placed;

  Black was this queen as jet, yet on her eyes

  Sweet loveliness, in black attired, lies.

  XXII

  “The fire of love and frost of jealousy,

  Her husband’s troubled soul alike torment,

  The tide of fond suspicion flowed high,

  The foe to love and plague to sweet content,

  He mewed her up from sight of mortal eye,

  Nor day he would his beams on her had bent:

  She, wise and lowly, by her husband’s pleasure,

  Her joy, her peace, her will, her wish did measure.

  XXIII

  “Her prison was a chamber, painted round

  With goodly portraits and with stories old,

  As white as snow there stood a virgin bound,

  Besides a dragon fierce, a champion bold

  The monster did with poignant spear through wound,

  The gored beast lay dead upon the mould;

  The gentle queen before this image laid.

  She plained, she mourned, she wept, she sighed, she prayed:

  XXIV

  “At last with child she proved, and forth she brought,

  And thou art she, a daughter fair and bright,

  In her thy color white new terror wrought,

  She wondered on thy face with strange affright,

  But yet she purposed in her fearful thought

  To hide thee from the king, thy father’s sight,

  Lest thy bright hue should his suspect approve,

  For seld a crow begets a silver dove.

  XXV

  “And to her spouse to show she was disposed

  A negro’s babe late born, in room of thee,

  And for the tower wherein she lay enclosed,

  Was with her damsels only wond and me,

  To me, on whose true faith she most reposed,

  She gave thee, ere thou couldest christened be,

  Nor could I since find means thee to baptize,

  In Pagan lands thou knowest it’s not the guise.

  XXVI

  “To me she gave thee, and she wept withal,

  To foster thee in some far distant place.

  Who can her griefs and plaints to reckoning call,

  How oft she swooned at the last embrace:

  Her streaming tears amid her kisses fall,

  Her sighs, her dire complaints did interlace?

  And looking up at last, ‘O God,’ quoth she,

  ‘Who dost my heart and inward mourning see,

  XXVII

  “‘If mind and body spotless to this day,

  If I have kept my bed still undefiled,

  Not for myself a sinful wretch I pray,

  That in thy presence am an abject vilde,

  Preserve this babe, whose mother must denay

  To nourish it, preserve this harmless child,

  Oh let it live, and chaste like me it make,

  But for good fortune elsewhere sample take.

  XXVIII

  “‘Thou heavenly soldier which delivered hast

  That sacred virgin from the serpent old,

  If on thine altars I have offerings placed,

  And sacrificed myrrh, frankincense and gold,

  On this poor child thy heavenly looks down cast,

  With gracious eye this silly babe behold;’

  This said, her strength and living sprite was fled,

  She sighed, she groaned, she swooned in her bed.

  XXIX

  “Weeping I took thee, in a little chest,

  Covered with herbs and leaves, I brought thee out

  So secretly, that none of all the rest

  Of such an act suspicion had or doubt,

  To wilderness my steps I first addressed,

  Where horrid shades enclosed me round about,

  A tigress there I met, in whose fierce eyes

  Fury and wrath, rage, death and terror lies:

  XXX

  “Up to a tree I leaped, and on the grass,

  Such was my sudden fear, I left thee lying,

  To thee the beast with furious course did pass,

  With curious looks upon thy visage prying,

  All suddenly both meek and mild she was,

  With friendly cheer thy tender body eying:

  At last she licked thee, and with gesture mild

  About thee played, and thou upon her smiled.

  XXXI

  “Her fearful muzzle full of dreadful threat,

  In thy weak hand thou took’st withouten dread;

  The gentle beast with milk-outstretched teat,

  As nurses’ custom, proffered thee to feed.

  As one that wondereth on some marvel great,

  I stood this while amazed at the deed.

  When thee she saw well filled and satisfied,

  Unto the woods again the tigress hied.

  XXXII

  “She gone, down from the tree I came in haste,

  And took thee up, and on my journey wend,

  Within a little thorp I stayed at last,

  And to a nurse the charge of thee commend,

  And sporting with thee there long time I passed,

  Till term of sixteen months were brought to end,

&nb
sp; And thou begun, as little children do,

  With half clipped words to prattle, and to go.

  XXXIII

  “But having passed the August of mine age,

  When more than half my tap of life was run,

  Rich by rewards given by your mother sage,

  For merits past, and service yet undone,

  I longed to leave this wandering pilgrimage,

  And in my native soil again to won,

  To get some seely home I had desire,

  Loth still to warm me at another’s fire.

  XXXIV

  “To Egypt-ward, where I was born, I went,

  And bore thee with me, by a rolling flood,

  Till I with savage thieves well-nigh was hent;

  Before the brook, the thieves behind me stood:

  Thee to forsake I never could consent,

  And gladly would I ‘scape those outlaws wood,

  Into the flood I leaped far from the brim,

  My left hand bore thee, with the right I swim.

  XXXV

  “Swift was the current, in the middle stream

  A whirlpool gaped with devouring jaws,

  The gulf, on such mishap ere I could dream,

  Into his deep abyss my carcass draws,

  There I forsook thee, the wild waters seem

  To pity thee, a gentle wind there blows

  Whose friendly puffs safe to the shore thee drive,

  Where wet and weary I at last arrive:

  XXXVI

  “I took thee up, and in my dream that night,

  When buried was the world in sleep and shade,

  I saw a champion clad in armor bright

  That o’er my head shaked a flaming blade,

  He said, ‘I charge thee execute aright,

  That charge this infant’s mother on thee laid,

  Baptize the child, high Heaven esteems her dear,

  And I her keeper will attend her near:

  XXXVII

  “‘I will her keep, defend, save and protect,

  I made the waters mild, the tigress tame,

  O wretch that heavenly warnings dost reject!’

  The warrior vanished having said the same.

  I rose and journeyed on my way direct

  When blushing morn from Tithon’s bed forth came,

  But for my faith is true and sure I ween,

  And dreams are false, you still unchristened been.

  XXXVIII

  “A Pagan therefore thee I fostered have,

  Nor of thy birth the truth did ever tell,

  Since you increased are in courage brave,

  Your sex and nature’s-self you both excel,

  Full many a realm have you made bond and slave,

  Your fortunes last yourself remember well,

  And how in peace and war, in joy and teen,

  I have your servant, and your tutor been.

  XXXIX

  “Last morn, from skies ere stars exiled were,

  In deep and deathlike sleep my senses drowned,