E l’improvvisa violenza arresta,
924 Con un terror quasi fatal, le schiere.
La minor parte d’esse accolta resta
(Che veder non le puote) alle bandiere.
Ma Clorinda, che quindi alquanto è lunge,
928 Prende opportuno il tempo, e ‘l destrier punge.
CXVI
Heaven’s glorious lamp, wrapped in an ugly veil
Of shadows dark, was hid from mortal eye,
And hell’s grim blackness did bright skies assail;
On every side the fiery lightnings fly,
The thunders roar, the streaming rain and hail
Pour down and make that sea which erst was dry.
The tempests rend the oaks and cedars brake,
And make not trees but rocks and mountains shake.
CXVI.
As thus with force combined, storm, wind, and rain
Full in the face abruptly struck the Franks,
The sudden fury of the hurricane
Checked, as it filled with panic fear, their ranks.
Alone the smaller part collected were
Under the standards, since they could not see;
When hold Clorinda, of this fact aware,
Spurred on to seize the opportunity,
CXVII.
Ella gridava ai suoi: per noi combatte,
Compagni, il Cielo, e la giustizia aita.
Dall’ira sua le facce nostre intatte
932 Sono, e non è la destra indi impedita:
E nella fronte solo irato ei batte
Della nemica gente impaurita,
E la scuote dell’arme, e della luce
936 La priva: andianne pur, chè ‘l Fato è duce.
CXVII
The rain, the lightning, and the raging wind,
Beat in the Frenchmen’s eyes with hideous force,
The soldiers stayed amazed in heart and mind,
The terror such that stopped both man and horse.
Surprised with this evil no way they find,
Whither for succor to direct their course,
But wise Clorinda soon the advantage spied,
And spurring forth thus to her soldiers cried:
CXVII.
And to her comrades cried, ‘For us contends
Heaven, and Eternal Justice aid affords;
Not in our faces its fierce wrath descends,
Hence, unencumbered, we can use our swords.
Angered alone ‘gainst them Heaven’s fury drives,
Right in the teeth of our affrighted foes;
Their arms it strikes, and them of light deprives:
Then on, where Fate the path to victory shows.’
CXVIII.
Così spinge le genti, e ricevendo
Sol nelle spalle l’impeto d’Inferno,
Urta i Francesi con assalto orrendo,
940 E i vani colpi lor si prende a scherno.
Ed in quel tempo Argante anco, volgendo,
Fa de’ già vincitori aspro governo;
E quei, lasciando il campo a tutto corso,
944 Volgono al ferro e alle procelle il dorso.
CXVIII
“You hardy men at arms behold,” quoth she,
“How Heaven, how Justice in our aid doth fight,
Our visages are from this tempest free,
Our hands at will may wield our weapons bright,
The fury of this friendly storm you see
Upon the foreheads of our foes doth light,
And blinds their eyes, then let us take the tide,
Come, follow me, good fortune be our guide.”
CXVIII.
Thus cheered the Pagans, and upon her back
Alone receiving the outburst of Hell,
Made ‘gainst the Franks a desperate attack,
Scorning the blows that from them idly fell.
At the same time Arganté, turning too,
Sad havoc ‘mong the former victors made,
As from the field they panic-stricken flew,
And to the sword and storm their backs displayed.
CXIX.
Percuotono le spalle ai fuggitivi
L’ire mortali, e le mortali spade,
E ‘l sangue corre, e fa, commisto ai rivi
948 Della gran pioggia, rosseggiar le strade.
Quì, tra ‘l volgo de’ morti e de’ mal vivi,
E Pirro, e ‘l buon Ridolfo estinto cade;
E toglie a questo il fier Circasso l’alma,
952 E Clorinda di quello ha nobil palma.
CXIX
This said, against her foes on rode the dame,
And turned their backs against the wind and rain;
Upon the French with furious rage she came,
And scorned those idle blows they struck in vain;
Argantes at the instant did the same,
And them who chased him now chased again,
Naught but his fearful back each Christian shows
Against the tempest, and against their blows.
CXIX.
The wrath immortal and the mortal sword
To strike the affrighted fugitives combined;
And streams of blood, mixed with the rain that poured,
That scene of murderous strife encarnadined.
Here, amid heaps of dying and of dead,
Pyrrhus and brave Ridolpho breathless lie;
The latter’s life-blood the Circassian shed,
The former was Clorinda’s victory.
CXX.
Così fuggiano i Franchi, e di lor caccia
Non rimaneano i Siri anco, o i Demoni.
Sol contra l’arme, e contra ogni minaccia
956 Di gragnuole, di turbini, e di tuoni
Volgea Goffredo la sicura faccia,
Rampognando aspramente i suoi Baroni;
E fermo anzi la porta il gran cavallo,
960 Le genti sparse raccogliea nel vallo.
CXX
The cruel hail, and deadly wounding blade,
Upon their shoulders smote them as they fled,
The blood new spilt while thus they slaughter made,
The water fallen from skies had dyed red,
Among the murdered bodies Pyrrhus laid,
And valiant Raiphe his heart blood there out bled,
The first subdued by strong Argantes’ might,
The second conquered by that virgin knight.
CXX.
Thus fled the Franks, and still in eager chase
The Syrian troops and hellish fiends pursued;
Alone Prince Godfred turned a fearless face
‘Gainst their fierce arms, and ‘gainst the menace rude
That thunder, hail, and wind accumulate;
Rebuking bitterly his knightly peers,
Then checked his noble steed before the gate,
Within which fled the routed cavaliers.
CXXI.
E ben due volte il corridor sospinse
Contra il feroce Argante, e lui ripresse;
Ed altrettante il nudo ferro spinse
964 Dove le turbe ostíli eran più spesse;
Alfin con gli altri insieme ei si ristrinse
Dentro ai ripari, e la vittoria cesse.
Tornano allora i Saracini: e stanchi
968 Restan nel vallo, e sbigottiti i Franchi.
CXXI
Thus fled the French, and then pursued in chase
The wicked sprites and all the Syrian train:
But gainst their force and gainst their fell menace
Of hail and wind, of tempest and of rain,
Godfrey alone turned his audacious face,
Blaming his barons for their fear so vain,
Himself the camp gate boldly stood to keep,
And saved his men within his trenches deep.
CXXI.
And twice his steed that gallant hero dashed
‘Gainst fierce Arganté, and his charge repelled;
And twice with na
ked falchion thrust and slashed,
Where still their ground the thickest squadrons held.
At length, with all the others he retired
Behind the entrenchments; then, the victory gained,
The Turks withdrew; and, terrified and tired,
Within the encampment the Frank troops remained;
CXXII.
Nè quivi ancor dell’orride procelle
Ponno appieno schivar la forza, e l’ira;
Ma sono estinte or queste faci, or quelle,
972 E per tutto entra l’acqua: il vento spira,
Squarcia le tele, e spezza i pali, e svelle
Le tende intere, e lunge indi le gira;
La pioggia ai gridi, ai venti, ai tuon s’accorda
976 D’orribile armonia che ‘l mondo assorda.
CXXII
And twice upon Argantes proud he flew,
And beat him backward, maugre all his might,
And twice his thirsty sword he did imbrue,
In Pagan’s blood where thickest was the fight;
At last himself with all his folk withdrew,
And that day’s conquest gave the virgin bright,
Which got, she home retired and all her men,
And thus she chased this lion to his den.
CXXII.
Nor altogether could escape ev’n there
The force and fury of that hurricane:
Blown out are all the lights, and everywhere
Rushes the wind and penetrates the rain;
Smashed are the stakes, split canvass, shivered cords,
Uprooted tents, which to the skies are hurled;
With thunder, wind, and shrieks the rain accords,
In horrid harmony that stuns the world.
Canto ottavo
EIGHTH BOOK
ARGOMENTO.
Narra a Goffredo del signor de’ Dani
Il valor prima un messo, e poi la morte.
Credendo quei d’Italia a’ segni vani,
Stimano estinto il lor Rinaldo forte.
Dunque al furor ch’Aletto spira, insani
Di soverchia ira e d’odio, apron le porte:
E minaccian Goffredo: ei con la voce
Sola in lor frena l’impeto feroce.
THE ARGUMENT.
The Prince of Denmark’s valour, death and end:
The Italians, trusting signs untrue too well,
Think their Rinaldo slain: the wicked fiend
Breeds fury in their breasts, their bosoms swell
With ire and hate, and war and strife forth send:
They threaten Godfrey; he prays to the Lord,
And calms their fury with his look and word.
I.
Già cheti erano i tuoni e le tempeste,
E cessato il soffiar d’Austro e di Coro:
E l’alba uscia della magion celeste
4 Colla fronte di rose, e co’ piè d’oro.
Ma quei che le procelle avean già deste,
Non rimaneansi ancor dall’arti loro;
Anzi l’un d’essi, ch’Astagorre è detto,
8 Così parlava alla compagna Aletto:
I
Now were the skies of storms and tempests cleared,
Lord Aeolus shut up his winds in hold,
The silver-mantled morning fresh appeared,
With roses crowned, and buskined high with gold;
The spirits yet which had these tempests reared,
Their malice would still more and more unfold;
And one of them that Astragor was named,
His speeches thus to foul Alecto framed.
I.
THE wind to vent its violence had ceased,
Hushed was the storm, no more the thunder rolled,
When fair Aurora issued from the east,
With brow of roses and with foot of gold;
Yet ceased not from their hellish arts and aim
Those fiends infernal who the tempest woke;
Nay, one of them, Astagoras by name,
Thus to his comrade, foul Alecto, spoke:
II.
Mira, Aletto, venirne (ed impedito
Esser non può da noi) quel cavaliero,
Che dalle fere mani è vivo uscito
12 Del sovran difensor del nostro impero.
Questi, narrando del suo Duce ardito
E de’ compagni ai Franchi il caso fero,
Paleserà gran cose: onde è periglio
16 Che si richiami di Bertoldo il figlio.
II
“Alecto, see, we could not stop nor stay
The knight that to our foes new tidings brings,
Who from the hands escaped, with life away,
Of that great prince, chief of all Pagan kings:
He comes, the fall of his slain lord to say,
Of death and loss he tells, and such sad things,
Great news he brings, and greatest dangers is,
Bertoldo’s son shall be called home for this.
II.
‘Alecto, see you cavalier arrive
(Nor can his progress all our arts delay),
Who from the ruthless hands has ‘scaped alive
Of the supreme defender of our sway;
Now he, relating to the Franks the fate
Of his bold leader and his comrades’ fall,
Important tidings will disseminate,
Whence they, I fear, Rinaldo may recall.
III.
Sai quanto ciò rilevi, e se conviene
Ai gran principj oppor forza ed inganno.
Scendi tra i Franchi dunque, e ciò ch’a bene
20 Colui dirà, tutto rivolgi in danno:
Spargi le fiamme e ‘l tosco entro le vene
Del Latin, dell’Elvezio, e del Britanno:
Movi l’ire e i tumulti, e fà tal’opra,
24 Che tutto vada il campo alfin sossopra.
III
“Thou knowest what would befall, bestir thee than;
Prevent with craft, what force could not withstand,
Turn to their evil the speeches of the man,
With his own weapon wound Godfredo’s hand;
Kindle debate, infect with poison wan
The English, Switzer, and Italian band,
Great tumult move, make brawls and quarrels rife,
Set all the camp on uproar and at strife.
III.
‘Thou knowest how fatal that. We must oppose
To great beginnings all our craft and force.
Descend at once, then, ‘mid our hated foes,
And to black import turn his fair discourse;
Scatter thy brands, and with thy banc infect
Swiss, Latins, British, all of most renown;
Sow strife and discord, and such deeds effect
That the whole camp may be turned upside down,
IV.
L’opra è degna di te: tu nobil vanto
Ten desti già dinanzi al signor nostro.
Così le parla: e basta ben sol tanto,
28 Perchè prenda l’impresa il fero mostro.
Giunto è sul vallo de’ Cristiani intanto
Quel cavaliero, il cui venir fu mostro:
E disse lor: deh sia chi m’introduca
32 Per mercede, o guerrieri, al sommo Duca.
IV
“This act beseems thee well, and of the deed
Much may’st thou boast before our lord and king.”
Thus said the sprite. Persuasion small did need,
The monster grants to undertake the thing.
Meanwhile the knight, whose coming thus they dread,
Before the camp his weary limbs doth bring,
And well-nigh breathless, “Warriors bold,” he cried,
“Who shall conduct me to your famous guide?”
IV.
The task is worthy thee, who to thy lord
Such vaunting promises hast made,’ Thus spake;
Nor needed she (foul fiend) anothe
r word
To induce her the emprise to undertake.
Meanwhile the knight, whose coming they descried,
Reached the encampment of the Franks, and said:
‘I crave your favour to let some one guide
Me, noble warriors, to your sovran head.’
V.
Molti scorta gli furo al Capitano,
Vaghi d’udir del peregrin novelle.
Egli inchinollo, e l’onorata mano
36 Volea baciar che fa tremar Babelle.
Signor, poi dice, che con l’Oceano
Termini la tua fama, e con le stelle,
Venirne a te vorrei più lieto messo....
40 Qui sospirava, e soggiungeva appresso:
V
An hundred strove the stranger’s guide to be,
To hearken news the knights by heaps assemble,
The man fell lowly down upon his knee,
And kissed the hand that made proud Babel tremble;
“Right puissant lord, whose valiant acts,” quoth he,
“The sands and stars in number best resemble,
Would God some gladder news I might unfold,”
And there he paused, and sighed; then thus he told:
V.
Him crowds escorted to the captain’s tent,
Eager the pilgrim’s embassy to hear.
To kiss his honoured hand he lowly bent.
The hand that makes proud Babel quake with fear,
‘Sire,’ he exclaimed, ‘the measure of whose fame
Doth from the ocean to the planets reach,
Would upon happier errand that I came;’
Here deeply sighed, and thus resumed his speech:
VI.
Sveno, del Re de’ Dani unico figlio,
Gloria e sostegno alla cadente etade,
Esser tra quei bramò, che ‘l tuo consiglio
44 Seguendo, han cinto per Gesù le spade:
Nè timor di fatica, o di periglio,
Nè vaghezza del regno, nè pietade
Del vecchio genitor, sì degno affetto
48 Intepidir nel generoso petto.
VI
“Sweno, the King of Denmark’s only heir,
The stay and staff of his declining eild,
Longed to be among these squadrons fair
Who for Christ’s faith here serve with spear and shield;
No weariness, no storms of sea or air,
No such contents as crowns and sceptres yield,
No dear entreaties of so kind a sire,
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