LXXXIII.
Io tel difenderò, colui rispose;
E feglisi all’incontro in questo dire:
E con voglie egualmente in lui sdegnose
660 L’altro si mosse, e con eguale ardire.
Ma quì stese la mano, e si frappose
La tiranna dell’alme in mezzo all’ire;
Ed all’uno dicea: deh non t’incresca
664 Ch’a te compagno, a me campion s’accresca.
LXXXIII
And with that word his cutting sword he drew,
That glittered bright, and sparkled flaming fire;
Upon his foe the other champion flew,
With equal courage, and with equal ire.
The gentle princess, who the danger knew,
Between them stepped, and prayed them both retire.
“Rambald,” quoth she, “why should you grudge or plain,
If I a champion, you an helper gain?
LXXXIII.
‘I will,’ Rambaldo fearlessly replied,
And dashed against his rival at the word.
No less impatience Eustace testified,
And with like eagerness unsheathed his sword.
But their soul’s tyrant rushed between the two
With outstretched hand their anger to restrain;
To one, ‘Ah grieve not,’ she exclaimed, ‘that you
Another comrade, I a champion gain.
LXXXIV.
S’ami che salva i’ sia, perchè mi privi
In sì grand’uopo della nova aita?
Dice all’altro: opportuno, e grato arrivi
668 Difensor di mia fama, e di mia vita.
Nè vuol ragion, nè sarà mai ch’io schivi
Compagnia nobil tanto, e sì gradita.
Così parlando, ad or ad or tra via
672 Alcun novo campion le sorvenia.
LXXXIV
“If me you love, why wish you me deprived
In so great need of such a puissant knight?
But welcome Eustace, in good time arrived,
Defender of my state, my life, my right.
I wish my hapless self no longer lived,
When I esteem such good assistance light.”
Thus talked they on, and travelled on their way
Their fellowship increasing every day.
LXXXIV.
If you desire my safety, why deprive
Me of fresh succour in this urgent strait?’
To Eustace: ‘Opportunely you arrive
To guard my honour and avert my fate.
Unreasonable ‘twere that I prevent
Such friends from coming, or their aid disclaim.’
As thus she spoke and on her journey went,
From various quarters various champions came.
LXXXV.
Chi di là giunge, e chi di qua: nè l’uno
Sapea dell’altro; e’l mira bieco e torto.
Essa lieta gli accoglie, ed a ciascuno
676 Mostra del suo venir gioja e conforto.
Ma già nello schiarir dell’aer bruno
S’era del lor partir Goffredo accorto:
E la mente, indovina de’ lor danni,
680 D’alcun futuro mal par che s’affanni.
LXXXV
From every side they come, yet wist there none
Of others coming or of others’ mind,
She welcomes all, and telleth every one,
What joy her thoughts in his arrival find.
But when Duke Godfrey wist his knights were gone,
Within his breast his wiser soul divined
Some hard mishap upon his friends should light,
For which he sighed all day, and wept all night.
LXXXV.
From here, from there, unknown to each they came,
Each sourly scowling at the other. She
Welcomed them all, and showed to all the same
Delight once more her gallant friends to see;
But when the dawn had night’s dark shadows cleared,
Godfred at once of their departure knew;
His mind, prophetic of misfortune, feared
The untold evils that might thence ensue.
LXXXVI.
Mentre a ciò pur ripensa, un messo appare
Polveroso, anelante, in vista afflitto,
In atto d’uom, ch’altrui novelle amare
684 Porti, e mostri il dolore in fronte scritto.
Disse costui: Signor, tosto nel mare
La grande armata apparirà d’Egitto:
E l’avviso, Guglielmo il qual comanda
688 Ai liguri naviglj, a te ne manda.
LXXXVI
A messenger, while thus he mused, drew near,
All soiled with dust and sweat, quite out of breath,
It seemed the man did heavy tidings bear,
Upon his looks sate news of loss and death:
“My lord,” quoth he, “so many ships appear
At sea, that Neptune bears the load uneath,
From Egypt come they all, this lets thee weet
William Lord Admiral of the Genoa fleet,
LXXXVI.
Him, as he mused, a herald stood before,
Travel-stained, breathless, and of mournful mien,
Resembling one that bitter tidings bore,
On whose sad forehead the sad news was seen.
‘O prince,’ he said, ‘soon, soon upon these seas
Egypt’s immense armada will appear!
From William, who commands the Genoese
Fleet, this intelligence to thee I bear.’
LXXXVII.
Soggiunse a questo poi, che dalle navi
Sendo condotta vettovaglia al campo,
I cavalli, e i cammeli onusti e gravi
692 Trovato aveano a mezza strada inciampo:
E che i lor difensori uccisi, o schiavi
Restar pugnando, e nessun fece scampo;
Da’ ladroni d’Arabia, in una valle,
696 Assaliti alla fronte ed alle spalle.
LXXXVII
“Besides a convoy coming from the shore
With victual for this noble camp of thine
Surprised was, and lost is all that store,
Mules, horses, camels laden, corn and wine;
Thy servants fought till they could fight no more,
For all were slain or captives made in fine:
The Arabian outlaws them assailed by night,
When least they feared, and least they looked for fight.
LXXXVII.
He added, ‘that a convoy from the fleet,
While stores escorting for the camp’s supplies
With camels and well-laden horse, did meet,
Midway from thence, a terrible surprise,
The guards being slain or prisoners made; that not
‘Scaped of their force a single cavalier,
Arabian robbers, in a lonely spot,
Having attacked them in the front and rear.
LXXXVIII.
E che l’insano ardire, e la licenza
Di que’ barbari erranti è omai sì grande,
Ch’in guisa d’un diluvio intorno, senza
700 Alcun contrasto, si dilata e spande;
Onde convien ch’a porre in lor temenza
Alcuna squadra di guerrier si mande,
Ch’assicuri la via che dalle arene
704 Del mar di Palestina al campo viene.
LXXXVIII
“Their frantic boldness doth presume so far,
That many Christians have they falsely slain,
And like a raging flood they spared are,
And overflow each country, field and plain;
Send therefore some strong troops of men of war,
To force them hence, and drive them home again,
And keep the ways between these tents of thine
And those broad seas, the seas of Palestine.”
LXXXVIII.
‘And that th
e license and unbridled force
Of these barbarians has become so great,
That like a torrent which o’erleaps its course
And finds no check, they gather and dilate.
Whence, to strike terror in those lawless bands,
‘Twere well some squadrons from the host to send,
And so secure the roads that from the sands
Of Syria’s seabord to the camp extend.’
LXXXIX.
D’una in un’altra lingua in un momento
Ne trapassa la fama e si distende:
E ‘l volgo de’ soldati alto spavento
708 Ha della fame che vicina attende.
Il saggio Capitan, che l’ardimento
Solito loro in essi or non comprende,
Cerca con lieto volto, e con parole,
712 Come li rassicuri e riconsole.
LXXXIX
From mouth to mouth the heavy rumor spread
Of these misfortunes, which dispersed wide
Among the soldiers, great amazement bred;
Famine they doubt, and new come foes beside:
The duke, that saw their wonted courage fled,
And in the place thereof weak fear espied,
With merry looks these cheerful words he spake,
To make them heart again and courage take.
LXXXIX.
From tongue to tongue alarming rumours fly,
And in a moment through the army spread.
The thoughts of famine that appears so nigh
The vulgar fill with overwhelming dread.
The observant chief, who with profound dismay
How drooped their wonted confidence had seen,
Sought to console and chase their fears away
By hopeful words and reassuring mien.
XC.
O per mille periglj, e mille affanni
Meco passati in quelle parti, e in queste,
Campion di Dio, ch’a ristorare i danni
716 Della Cristiana sua fede nasceste;
Voi, che l’armi di Persia e i Greci inganni,
E i monti e i mari, e ‘l vento e le tempeste,
Della fame i disagj e della sete
720 Superaste; voi dunque ora temete?
XC
“You champions bold, with me that ‘scaped have
So many dangers, and such hard assays,
Whom still your God did keep, defend and save
In all your battles, combats, fights and frays,
You that subdued the Turks and Persians brave,
That thirst and hunger held in scorn always,
And vanquished hills, and seas, with heat and cold,
Shall vain reports appal your courage bold?
XC.
‘Ye, who such countless perils have passed o’er
In various distant latitudes with me;
Champions of Christ! created to restore
The many losses of Christianity;
Who Persia’s arms and Greece’s snares of yore,
Seas, storms, cold, mountain passes overcame;
Who the dire pangs of thirst and hunger bore;
What! are you frightened now? — for shame! for shame!
XCI.
Dunque il Signor, che n’indirizza, e move,
Già conosciuto in caso assai più rio,
Non v’assicura? quasi or volga altrove
724 La man della clemenza, e ‘l guardo pio?
Tosto un dì fia, che rimembrar vi giove
Gli scorsi affanni, e sciorre i voti a Dio.
Or durate magnanimi, e voi stessi
728 Serbate, prego, ai prosperi successi.
XCI
“That Lord who helped you out at every need,
When aught befell this glorious camp amiss,
Shall fortune all your actions well to speed,
On whom his mercy large extended is;
Tofore his tomb, when conquering hands you spreed,
With what delight will you remember this?
Be strong therefore, and keep your valors high
To honor, conquest, fame and victory.”
XCI.
‘What! doth not God, who leads you with such care,
As in severer trials has been proved,
Assure your spirits? or hath He elsewhere
His clement arm and countenance removed?
Soon your past toils ye will with joy recall,
When at His shrine your promised vows ye pay;
Meanwhile bear up with courage, and let all
Reserve themselves for that triumphant day.’
XCII.
Con questi detti le smarrite menti
Consola, e con sereno e lieto aspetto;
Ma preme mille cure egre e dolenti,
732 Altamente riposte in mezzo al petto.
Come possa nutrir sì varie genti
Pensa, fra la penuria e fra ‘l difetto:
Come all’armata in mar s’opponga, e come
736 Gli Arabi predatori affreni, e dome.
XCII
Their hopes half dead and courage well-nigh lost,
Revived with these brave speeches of their guide;
But in his breast a thousand cares he tost,
Although his sorrows he could wisely hide;
He studied how to feed that mighty host,
In so great scarceness, and what force provide
He should against the Egyptian warriors sly,
And how subdue those thieves of Araby.
XCII.
By such like words, and by his looks serene,
He cheered their ‘wildered spirits, and repressed
A thousand sick and carking cares within
The deep recesses of his anxious breast:
How best such various nations to maintain
‘Mid loss and scarcity; how Egypt’s fleet
Oppose successfully upon the main,
And how the Arab plunderers defeat.
Canto sesto
SIXTH BOOK
ARGOMENTO.
Argante ogni Cristiano a giostra appella:
Indi Otton, non eletto, a lui s’oppone
Audace troppo, e tolto vien di sella;
Onde sen va nella città prigione.
Tancredi pur con lui pugna novella
Comincia; ma a lei tregua il bujo impone.
Erminia che del suo Signor si crede
Curare il mal, muove notturna il piede.
THE ARGUMENT.
Otho not chosen doth his strength assay,
But from his saddle tumbleth in the dust,
And captive to the town is sent away:
Tancred begins new fight, and when both trust
To win the praise and palm, night ends the fray:
Erminia hopes to cure her wounded knight,
And from the city armed rides by night.
I.
Ma d’altra parte le assediate genti
Speme miglior conforta e rassicura:
Ch’oltre il cibo raccolto, altri alimenti
4 Son lor dentro portati a notte oscura:
Ed han munite d’arme e d’instrumenti
Di guerra, verso l’aquilon, le mura,
Che d’altezza accresciute, e sode, e grosse,
8 Mostran di non temer d’urti o di scosse.
I
But better hopes had them recomforted
That lay besieged in the sacred town;
With new supply late were they victualled,
When night obscured the earth with shadows brown;
Their armes and engines on the walls they spread,
Their slings to cast, and stones to tumble down;
And all that side which to the northward lies,
High rampiers and strong bulwarks fortifies.
I.
But brighter hopes console and reassure
The drooping hearts of the beleaguered side;
Since, besides all their stores, at night’s obscure
Northwards they had with engines fortified,
And war’s most formidable arms, the walls:
Which thus increased in height and strength, defied
The shock of rams and strokes of flying balls.
II.
E ‘l Re pur sempre queste parti, e quelle
Lor fa innalzare, e rinforzare i fianchi,
O l’aureo Sol risplenda, od alle stelle
12 Ed alla Luna il fosco ciel s’imbianchi:
E in far continuamente arme novelle
Sudano i fabbri affaticati e stanchi.
In sì fatto apparecchio, intollerante
16 A lui sen venne, e ragionogli Argante.
II
Their wary king commands now here now there,
To build this tower, to make that bulwark strong,
Whether the sun, the moon, or stars appear,
To give them time to work, no time comes wrong:
In every street new weapons forged were,
By cunning smiths, sweating with labor long;
While thus the careful prince provision made,
To him Argantes came, and boasting said:
II.
Nor ceased the king to make them still upraise
The walls around and outworks fortify;
Or by the golden sun’s effulgent rays,
Or when the moon and stars lit up the sky.
Forging new arms no rest the armourer knows,
For ever sweating with incessant stroke.
But while preparing, scornful of repose,
Arganté sought the monarch, and thus spoke:
III.
E insino a quando ci terrai prigioni
Fra queste mura in vile assedio, e lento?
Odo ben io stridere incudi, e suoni
20 D’elmi e di scudi e di corazze io sento;
Ma non veggio a qual uso: e quei ladroni
Scorrono i campi, e i borghi a lor talento:
Nè v’è di noi chi mai lor passo arresti,
24 Nè tromba che dal sonno almen li desti.
III
“How long shall we, like prisoners in chains,
Captived lie inclosed within this wall?
I see your workmen taking endless pains
To make new weapons for no use at all;
Meanwhile these western thieves destroy the plains,
Your towns are burnt, your forts and castles fall,
Yet none of us dares at these gates out-peep,
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