Deep in a vale, Erminia stayed her haste,
To be recalled she had no cause to fear,
This foremost hazard had she trimly past;
But dangers new, tofore unseen, appear,
New perils she descried, new doubts she cast.
The way that her desire to quiet brought,
More difficult now seemed than erst she thought.
XCVII.
But when Erminia found herself at last
Deep in the lonely valley, she drew rein,
Nor feared, the first risks having safely passed,
That aught could now impede her or detain.
Then thought of what had not occurred before
To her rapt fancy; access she perceived
Would still be very difficult, much more
Than in love’s fevered transports she believed.
XCVIII.
Vede or che sotto il militar sembiante
Ir tra fieri nemici è gran follia:
Nè d’altra parte palesarsi, innante
780 Ch’al suo signor giungesse, altrui vorria.
A lui secreta ed improvvisa amante
Con sicura onestà giunger desia.
Onde si ferma, e da miglior pensiero
784 Fatta più cauta, parla al suo scudiero:
XCVIII
Armed to ride among her angry foes,
She now perceived it were great oversight,
Yet would she not, she thought, herself disclose,
Until she came before her chosen knight,
To him she purposed to present the rose
Pure, spotless, clean, untouched of mortal wight,
She stayed therefore, and in her thoughts more wise,
She called her squire, whom thus she gan advise.
XCVIII.
She saw what utter folly she had shown,
In going through bitter foes in warlike guise;
Moreover she desired to pass unknown,
And first be seen by the beloved eyes.
To him with frank unsullied modesty
She wished to come an unexpected guest;
Whence, made more cautious by such scruples, she
Paused, and her squire to this effect addressed:
XCIX.
Essere, o mio fedele, a te conviene
Mio precursor; ma sii pronto e sagace.
Vattene al campo, e fa’ ch’alcun ti mene
788 E t’introduca ove Tancredi giace:
A cui dirai, che donna a lui ne viene
Che gli apporta salute, e chiede pace:
Pace, posciach’Amor guerra mi move,
792 Ond’ei salute, io refrigerio trove.
XCIX
“Thou must,” quoth she, “be mine ambassador,
Be wise, be careful, true, and diligent,
Go to the camp, present thyself before
The Prince Tancredi, wounded in his tent;
Tell him thy mistress comes to cure his sore,
If he to grant her peace and rest consent
Gainst whom fierce love such cruel war hath raised,
So shall his wounds be cured, her torments eased.
XCIX.
‘Thou must, O faithful, my precursor be,
But thou must be both diligent and wise.
Go to the camp, and find one on some plea
To introduce thee where Tancredi lies;
Tell him that hither hath a lady flown,
Who brings him health, and doth for peace apply:
Peace, since to war Love urges me alone,
Whence he may health experience, solace I;
C.
E ch’essa ha in lui sì certa e viva fede,
Che ‘n suo poter non teme onta nè scorno.
Dì sol questo a lui solo; e s’altro ei chiede,
796 Dì non saperlo, e affretta il tuo ritorno.
Io (chè questa mi par sicura sede)
In questo mezzo quì farò soggiorno.
Così disse la donna: e quel leale
800 Gía veloce così, come avesse ale.
C
“And say, in him such hope and trust she hath,
That in his powers she fears no shame nor scorn,
Tell him thus much, and whatso’er he saith,
Unfold no more, but make a quick return,
I, for this place is free from harm and scath,
Within this valley will meanwhile sojourn.”
Thus spake the princess: and her servant true
To execute the charge imposed, flew;
C.
‘And has in him such trustful lively faith,
As at his hands to feel no shame, no scorn.
Nor breathe but this; if more he questioneth,
Feign ignorance, and hasten thy return;
Meanwhile to yonder wood I will retire,
Since it appeareth a secure retreat.’
Thus spake the lady, and that loyal squire
Went, as though wingèd were his nimble feet.
CI.
E seppe in guisa oprar, ch’amicamente
Entro ai chiusi ripari ei fu raccolto:
E poi condotto al cavalier giacente
804 Che l’ambasciata udì con lieto volto.
E già lasciando ei lui, che nella mente
Mille dubbj pensier avea rivolto,
Ne riportava a lei dolce risposta;
808 Ch’entrar potrà, quando più lice, ascosta.
CI
And was received, he so discreetly wrought,
First of the watch that guarded in their place,
Before the wounded prince then was he brought,
Who heard his message kind, with gentle grace,
Which told, he left him tossing in his thought
A thousand doubts, and turned his speedy pace
To bring his lady and his mistress word,
She might be welcome to that courteous lord.
CI.
And managed so adroitly his career,
That through the intrenchments he was led, and took
Her message to the couchant cavalier,
Who heard its import with delighted look.
Then, leaving him revolving o’er and o’er
A thousand wild conjectures in his mind,
Back to his mistress courteous answer bore,
That she could safe and secret ingress find.
CII.
Ma ella intanto impaziente, a cui
Troppo ogni indugio par nojoso e greve,
Numera fra se stessa i passi altrui,
812 E pensa: or giunge, or entra, or tornar deve.
E già le sembra, e se ne duol, colui
Men del solito assai spedito e leve.
Spingesi alfine innanzi, e ‘n parte ascende
816 Onde comincia a discoprir le tende.
CII
But she, impatient, to whose desire
Grievous and harmful seemed each little stay,
Recounts his steps, and thinks, now draws he nigher,
Now enters in, now speaks, now comes his way;
And that which grieved her most, the careful squire
Less speedy seemed than e’er before that day;
Lastly she forward rode with love to guide,
Until the Christian tents at hand she spied.
CII.
Impatient she meanwhile, to whom appears
An age each moment, in impetuous mood
The footsteps counts that she in fancy hears:
‘He reaches — enters — now return he should.’
To her it seems, for which she frets, that he
Uses less speed than wont; and in suspense,
Gallops at length to an acclivity
Where a first view she catches of the tents.
CIII.
Era la notte, e ‘l suo stellato velo
Chiaro spiegava e senza nube alcuna:
E già spargea rai luminosi, e gelo
820 Di vive perle la sorgente Luna.
>
L’innamorata Donna iva col Cielo
Le sue fiamme sfogando ad una ad una:
E secretarj del suo amore antico
824 Fea i muti campi, e quel silenzio amico.
CIII
Invested in her starry veil, the night
In her kind arms embraced all this round,
The silver moon from sea uprising bright
Spread frosty pearl upon the candid ground:
And Cynthia-like for beauty’s glorious light
The love-sick nymph threw glittering beams around,
And counsellors of her old love she made
Those valleys dumb, that silence, and that shade.
CIII.
’Twas Night, who over the still sleeping world,
Robed in her starry veil, unclouded shone;
Already shed her luminous rays, impearled
With frost of living pearl, the rising moon;
Her flame exhaling, the enamoured maid
In fancy soared to those bright realms above;
And the dumb fields and friendly silence made
The confidants of her devoted love.
CIV.
Poi, rimirando il campo, ella dicea:
O belle agli occhj miei tende Latine,
Aura spira da voi che mi ricrea
828 E mi conforta, pur che m’avvicine.
Così a mia vita combattuta e rea
Qualche onesto riposo il Ciel destine;
Come in voi solo il cerco: e solo parmi
832 Che trovar pace io possa in mezzo all’armi.
CIV
Beholding then the camp, quoth she, “O fair
And castle-like pavilions, richly wrought!
From you how sweet methinketh blows the air,
How comforts it my heart, my soul, my thought?
Through heaven’s fair face from gulf of sad despair
My tossed bark to port well-nigh is brought:
In you I seek redress for all my harms,
Rest, midst your weapons; peace, amongst your arms.
CIV.
And said, while gazing on the camp below,
‘How lovely in mine eyes ye tents appear!
The sweet refreshing gales that from you blow
Fresh comfort waft as I approach you near.
So to my stormy and eventful life
May Heaven afford some respite, some release,
As but from you I seek it: mid the strife
Of arms alone, it seems, I meet with peace.
CV.
Raccogliete me dunque, e in voi si trove
Quella pietà che mi promise Amore;
E ch’io già vidi prigioniera altrove
836 Nel mansueto mio dolce signore:
Nè già desio di racquistar mi move,
Col favor vostro, il mio regale onore.
Quando ciò non avvenga, assai felice
840 Io mi terrò, se in voi servir mi lice.
CV
“Receive me, then, and let me mercy find,
As gentle love assureth me I shall,
Among you had I entertainment kind
When first I was the Prince Tancredi’s thrall:
I covet not, led by ambition blind
You should me in my father’s throne install,
Might I but serve in you my lord so dear,
That my content, my joy, my comfort were.”
CV.
‘Receive me then, and in you let me find
That pity which Love promised to afford,
And which when to captivity consigned,
Was ever shown me by my gentle lord.
Favoured by you, I seek not to make war,
My throne and royal honours to regain;
Reft of my sceptre, I am happier far
To serve as slave with you, than elsewhere reign.’
CVI.
Così parla costei, che non prevede
Qual dolente fortuna a lei s’appreste.
Ella era in parte, ove per dritto fiede
844 L’armi sue terse il bel raggio celeste:
Sicchè da lunge il lampo lor si vede
Col bel candor che le circonda e veste:
E la gran Tigre nell’argento impressa
848 Fiammeggia sì, ch’ognun direbbe: è dessa.
CVI
Thus parleyed she, poor soul, and never feared
The sudden blow of Fortune’s cruel spite,
She stood where Phoebe’s splendent beam appeared
Upon her silver armor double bright,
The place about her round she shining cleared
With that pure white wherein the nymph was dight:
The tigress great, that on her helmet laid,
Bore witness where she went, and where she stayed.
CVI.
Thus spake Erminia, who but little thought
What sad misfortune was in store for her.
She was so placed that the clear moonbeams caught
Her burnished armour, which at every stir
Reflected back the radiant sheen around,
So that afar was seen its brilliancy,
And the great tigress on the silver ground
So brightly sparkled that all said, “Tis she.’
CVII.
Come volle sua sorte, assai vicini
Molti guerrier disposti avean gli aguati:
E n’eran duci duo fratei Latini
852 Alcandro, e Poliferno: e fur mandati
Per impedir che dentro, ai Saracini,
Gregge non siano e non sian buoi menati:
E se ‘l servo passò, fu perchè torse
856 Più lunge il passo, e rapido trascorse.
CVII
So as her fortune would, a Christian band
Their secret ambush there had closely framed,
Led by two brothers of Italia land,
Young Poliphern and Alicandro named,
These with their forces watched to withstand
Those that brought victuals to their foes untamed,
And kept that passage; them Erminia spied,
And fled as fast as her swift steed could ride.
CVII.
And as Fate willed it, near the expectant fair
Was stationed a large force in ambuscade,
Whose leaders two Italian brothers were,
Alcander this, that Polypherne, who laid
In wait to cut off all the Turks’ supplies
Of sheep and oxen to the city sent;
And if her esquire passed their watchful eyes,
’Twas that he took a round and swifter went.
CVIII.
Al giovin Poliferno, a cui fu il padre
Sugli occhj suoi già da Clorinda ucciso,
Viste le spoglie candide e leggiadre,
860 Fu di veder l’alta Guerriera avviso,
E contra le irritò le occulte squadre:
Nè frenando del cor moto improviso
(Com’era in suo furor subito e folle)
864 Gridò: sei morta, e l’asta invan lanciolle.
CVIII
But Poliphern, before whose watery eyes,
His aged father strong Clorinda slew,
When that bright shield and silver helm he spies,
The championess he thought he saw and knew;
Upon his hidden mates for aid he cries
Gainst his supposed foe, and forth he flew,
As he was rash, and heedless in his wrath,
Bending his lance, “Thou art but dead,” he saith.
CVIII.
The youthful Polypherne, whose sire had been
Beneath his eyes by bold Clorinda slain,
Having the white emblazoned armour seen,
Felt sure he saw that warrior fair again,
And against her urged on his ambushed band,
Unable his heart’s impulse to restrain
(Since, when enraged, he lost all self-command),
Shouting, ‘Thou art dead!’ and l
aunched his spear in vain.
CIX.
Siccome cerva, ch’assetata, il passo
Mova a cercar d’acque lucenti e vive,
Ove un bel fonte distillar da un sasso,
868 O vide un fiume tra frondose rive;
Se incontra i cani allor che ‘l corpo lasso
Ristorar crede all’onde, all’ombre estive;
Volge indietro fuggendo, e la paura
872 La stanchezza obliar face, e l’arsura.
CIX
As when a chased hind her course doth bend
To seek by soil to find some ease or goad;
Whether from craggy rock the spring descend,
Or softly glide within the shady wood;
If there the dogs she meet, where late she wend
To comfort her weak limbs in cooling flood,
Again she flies swift as she fled at first,
Forgetting weakness, weariness and thirst.
CIX.
As when a hind inflamed with burning thirst,
In search of limpid living water goes
To where from rocks pellucid torrents burst,
Or ‘twixt umbrageous banks a river flows;
Then meets with hounds as her tired frame she tries
To cool in summer shade and crystal clear,
Quick doubles back, and like an arrow flies,
Fatigue and thirst forgotten in her fear;
CX.
Così costei che dell’amor la sete,
Onde l’infermo core è sempre ardente,
Spegner nelle accoglienze oneste e liete
876 Credeva, e riposar la stanca mente;
Or che contra le vien chi gliel diviete,
E ‘l suon del ferro e le minacce sente;
Sè stessa e ‘l suo desir primo abbandona,
880 E ‘l veloce destrier timida sprona.
CX
So she, that thought to rest her weary sprite,
And quench the endless thirst of ardent love
With dear embracements of her lord and knight,
But such as marriage rites should first approve,
When she beheld her foe, with weapon bright
Threatening her death, his trusty courser move,
Her love, her lord, herself abandoned,
She spurred her speedy steed, and swift she fled.
CX.
So she, who thought Love’s burning thirst, that glows
For ever fiercest in the gentlest breast,
To quench in kind reception, and repose
Her mind with such anxiety opprest,
Now made of such impediments aware,
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