Jerusalem Delivered

by Torquato Tasso

484 Sovra le genti in mal oprar sì salde.

  Fu già terra feconda, almo paese,

  Or acque son bituminose e calde,

  E steril lago: e quanto ei torce e gira,

  488 Compressa è l’aria, e grave il puzzo spira.

  LXI

  “At last we gan approach that woful clime,

  Where fire and brimstone down from Heaven was sent

  To take revenge for sin and shameful crime

  Gainst kind commit, by those who nould repent;

  A loathsome lake of brimstone, pitch and lime,

  O’ergoes that land, erst sweet and redolent,

  And when it moves, thence stench and smoke up flies

  Which dim the welkin and infect the skies.

  LXI

  ‘At length we reached that spot on which God chose,

  In flaky torrents, to pour down his fire,

  Revenging outraged Nature upon those

  So strongly wedded to depraved desire;

  Where once was fruitful soil and country fair,

  Bituminous waters form a barren lake,

  And where they reach with vapours load the air,

  And all around a foul effluvium make,

  LXII.

  Questo è lo stagno in cui nulla di greve

  Si getta mai che giunga insino al basso;

  Ma in guisa pur d’abete, o d’orno leve,

  492 L’uom vi sornuota, e ‘l duro ferro, e ‘l sasso.

  Siede in esso un castello: e stretto e breve

  Ponte concede a’ peregrini il passo.

  Ivi n’accolse: e non so con qual’arte,

  496 Vaga è là dentro, e ride ogni sua parte.

  LXII

  “This is the lake in which yet never might

  Aught that hath weight sink to the bottom down,

  But like to cork or leaves or feathers light,

  Stones, iron, men, there fleet and never drown;

  Therein a castle stands, to which by sight

  But o’er a narrow bridge no way is known,

  Hither us brought, here welcomed us the witch,

  The house within was stately, pleasant, rich.

  LXII

  ‘This is that stagnant sea where may be thrown

  The heaviest weight, yet ne’er the bottom reach;

  Man floats thereon — nay, steel and solid stone,

  As tho’ light fir they were, or buoyant beech.

  In it a castle sits in lonely pride,

  A narrow, bridge gives access to the pile:

  Here she received us, and — when once inside,

  I know not how — all nature seemed to smile.

  LXIII.

  V’è l’aura molle, e ‘l Ciel sereno, e lieti

  Gli alberi e i prati, e pure e dolci l’onde:

  Ove fra gli amenissimi mirteti

  500 Sorge una fonte, e un fiumicel diffonde.

  Piovono in grembo all ‘erbe i sonni queti

  Con un soave mormorio di fronde:

  Cantan gli augelli; i marmi io taccio e l’oro

  504 Meravigliosi d’arte, e di lavoro.

  LXIII

  “The heavens were clear, and wholsome was the air,

  High trees, sweet meadows, waters pure and good;

  For there in thickest shade of myrtles fair

  A crystal spring poured out a silver flood;

  Amid the herbs, the grass and flowers rare,

  The falling leaves down pattered from the wood,

  The birds sung hymns of love; yet speak I naught

  Of gold and marble rich, and richly wrought.

  LXIII

  ‘The air was soft, the atmosphere serene,

  And all creation wore a joyous look;

  There, thro’ sweet groves of myrtle, ever green,

  A fountain rose, and fell a brawling brook;

  The leaves rained dreamy music on the grass,

  And tranquil slumbers in their fall impart;

  Birds sang: the marble and the gold I pass,

  Though marvels they of labour and of art

  LXIV.

  Apprestar su l’erbetta, ov’è più densa

  L’ombra, e vicino al suon delle acque chiare,

  Fece di sculti vasi altera mensa,

  508 E ricca di vivande elette e care.

  Era quì ciò ch’ogni stagion dispensa:

  Ciò che dona la terra, o manda il mare:

  Ciò che l’arte condisce; e cento belle

  512 Servivano al convito accorte ancelle.

  LXIV

  “Under the curtain of the greenwood shade,

  Beside the brook upon the velvet grass,

  In massy vessel of pure silver made,

  A banquet rich and costly furnished was,

  All beasts, all birds beguiled by fowler’s trade,

  All fish were there in floods or seas that pass,

  All dainties made by art, and at the table

  An hundred virgins served, for husbands able.

  LXIV

  ‘On the smooth sward, where fell the deepest shade,

  Near the soft murmur of the crystal flood,

  With sculptured vases decked, a feast was laid

  Of the most costly wines and daintiest food.

  There was the produce of each season, there

  All earth and sea could yield, or art provide;

  While round a hundred damsels, no less fair,

  That smart attended, and our wants supplied.

  LXV.

  Ella d’un parlar dolce, e d’un bel riso

  Temprava altrui cibo mortale e rio.

  Or, mentre ancor ciascuno a mensa assiso

  516 Beve con lungo incendio un lungo oblio,

  Sorse, e disse: or quì riedo; e con un viso

  Ritornò poi non sì tranquillo e pio.

  Con una man picciola verga scuote:

  520 Tien l’altra un libro, e legge in basse note.

  LXV

  “She with sweet words and false enticing smiles,

  Infused love among the dainties set,

  And with empoisoned cups our souls beguiles,

  And made each knight himself and God forget:

  She rose and turned again within short whiles,

  With changed looks where wrath and anger met,

  A charming rod, a book with her she brings,

  On which she mumbled strange and secret things.

  LXV

  ‘She with her charming smile and winning speech

  Tempered the fatal food and deadly draught,

  And while still seated at the table, each

  A long oblivion in the goblet quaffed.

  She rose and said, “I soon come back.” Her look,

  Returned, was not so tranquil as before;

  In her right hand a little wand she shook,

  Her left a volume held of mystic lore.

  LXVI.

  Legge la Maga: ed io pensiero e voglia

  Sento mutar, mutar vita ed albergo.

  (Strana virtù!) novo piacer m’invoglia:

  524 Salto nell’acqua, e mi vi tuffo e immergo.

  Non so come ogni gamba entro s’accoglia,

  Come l’un braccio e l’altro entri nel tergo.

  M’accorcio, e stringo: e su la pelle cresce

  528 Squammoso il cuojo, e d’uom son fatto un pesce.

  LXVI

  “She read, and change I felt my will and thought,

  I longed to change my life, and place of biding,

  That virtue strange in me no pleasure wrought,

  I leapt into the flood myself there hiding,

  My legs and feet both into one were brought,

  Mine arms and hands into my shoulders sliding,

  My skin was full of scales, like shields of brass,

  Now made a fish, where late a knight I was.

  LXVI

  ‘But as the enchantress read, I felt a change

  Of place, of life, volition, and of thought;

  A
new desire crept o’er me (influence strange!);

  I plunged into the brook — I swam — nor ought

  Knew I how wondrously each limb draws in,

  Nor how both arms into my body slide;

  I shrivel up; scales take the place of skin;

  No longer man — transformed to fish, I glide.

  LXVII.

  Così ciascun degli altri anco fu volto,

  E guizzò meco in quel vivace argento.

  Quale allor mi foss’io, come di stolto

  532 Vano e torbido sogno, or men rammento.

  Piacquele alfin tornarci il proprio volto:

  Ma tra la meraviglia e lo spavento

  Muti eravam; quando, turbata in vista,

  536 In tal guisa minaccia e ne contrista:

  LXVII

  “The rest with me like shape, like garments wore,

  And dived with me in that quicksilver stream,

  Such mind, to my remembrance, then I bore,

  As when on vain and foolish things men dream;

  At last our shade it pleased her to restore,

  Then full of wonder and of fear we seem,

  And with an ireful look the angry maid

  Thus threatened us, and made us thus afraid.

  LXVII

  ‘Thus changed in nature and in shape were all,

  And with me swam in that bright silvery stream:

  What I was then, I can but now recall

  As a distempered and illusive dream.

  Our forms, at length, it pleased her to restore;

  But we were dumb, ‘twixt wonder and affright,

  When she, with brow still cloudy as before,

  Menaced us with fresh witness of her might.

  LXVIII.

  Ecco a voi noto è il mio poter, ne dice,

  E quanto sopra voi l’impero ho pieno:

  Pende dal mio voler ch’altri infelice

  540 Perda, in prigione eterna, il Ciel sereno:

  Altri divenga augello: altri radice

  Faccia, e germogli nel terrestre seno:

  O che s’induri in selce, o in molle fonte

  544 Si liquefaccia, o vesta irsuta fronte.

  LXVIII

  “‘You see,’ quoth she, ‘my sacred might and skill,

  How you are subject to my rule and power,

  In endless thraldom damned if I will

  I can torment and keep you in this tower,

  Or make you birds, or trees on craggy hill,

  To bide the bitter blasts of storm and shower;

  Or harden you to rocks on mountains old,

  Or melt your flesh and bones to rivers cold:

  LXVIII

  ‘“Known, then,” she said, “is my supremacy,

  And what full empire o’er your lives I hold;

  For it depends upon my will that ye,

  Eternal prisoners, ne’er Heaven’s light behold;

  Or birds become, or shoot forth spreading roots,

  Within the earth’s prolific bosom sown;

  Or, clothed with shaggy foreheads, roam as brutes;

  To water melt, or petrify to stone.

  LXIX.

  Ben potete schivar l’aspro mio sdegno,

  Quando servire al mio piacer v’aggrade:

  Farvi Pagani, e per lo nostro regno

  548 Contra l’empio Buglion mover le spade.

  Ricusar tutti, ed abborrir l’indegno

  Patto: solo a Rambaldo il persuade.

  Noi (chè non val difesa) entro una buca,

  552 Di laccj avvolse, ove non è che luca.

  LXIX

  “‘Yet may you well avoid mine ire and wrath,

  If to my will your yielding hearts you bend,

  You must forsake your Christendom and faith,

  And gainst Godfredo false my crown defend.’

  We all refused, for speedy death each prayeth,

  Save false Rambaldo, he became her friend,

  We in a dungeon deep were helpless cast,

  In misery and iron chained fast.

  LXIX

  ‘ “Still ye may all avoid my bitter rage

  By paying strict obedience to my words;

  Pagans become, and for our kingdom wage,

  ‘Gainst impious Godfred, your avenging swords.”

  We all refused, with horror, the foul pact;

  Alone Rambaldo the enchantress gains.

  Then — since her power ‘twere vain to counteract,

  She cast us in a dungeon, bound in chains.

  LXX.

  Poi nel castello istesso a sorte venne

  Tancredi, ed egli ancor fu prigioniero.

  Ma poco tempo in carcere ci tenne

  556 La falsa Maga: e (s’io n’intesi il vero)

  Di seco trarne da quell’empia ottenne

  Del Signor di Damasco un messaggiero:

  Ch’al Re d’Egitto in don, fra cento armati,

  560 Ne conduceva inermi e incatenati.

  LXX

  “Then, for alone they say falls no mishap,

  Within short while Prince Tancred thither came,

  And was unwares surprised in the trap:

  But there short while we stayed, the wily dame

  In other folds our mischiefs would upwrap.

  From Hidraort an hundred horsemen came,

  Whose guide, a baron bold to Egypt’s king,

  Should us disarmed and bound in fetters bring.

  LXX

  ‘To that same castle Prince Tancredi came

  By chance, and he was made a prisoner too;

  But a short time in durance the false dame

  Detained us; and if what I heard be true,

  An envoy from Damascus’ lord obtained

  Permission from the sorceress to bring

  Us captives back, helpless, unarmed, enchained,

  With an armed escort, to the Egyptian king.

  LXXI.

  Così ce n’andavamo: e come l’alta

  Provvidenza del Cielo ordina e move,

  Il buon Rinaldo, il qual più sempre esalta

  564 La gloria sua con opre eccelse e nuove,

  In noi s’avviene, e i cavalieri assalta

  Nostri custodi, e fa le usate prove:

  Gli uccide e vince, e di quell’arme loro

  568 Fa noi vestir, che nostre in prima foro.

  LXXI

  “Now on our way, the way to death we ride,

  But Providence Divine thus for us wrought,

  Rinaldo, whose high virtue is his guide

  To great exploits, exceeding human thought,

  Met us, and all at once our guard defied,

  And ere he left the fight to earth them brought.

  And in their harness armed us in the place,

  Which late were ours, before our late disgrace.

  LXXI

  ‘Thus we the weary road were journeying o’er,

  When, by Heaven’s lofty Providence decreed,

  Gallant Rinaldo, who doth evermore

  Exalt his glory by some fresh bright deed,

  Fell in with us, nor failed at once to attack

  The knights, our guards, whom, with his wonted powers,

  He slew and conquered, and to us gave back

  The arms they wore, which formerly were ours.

  LXXII.

  Io ‘l vidi, e ‘l vider questi: e da lui porta

  Ci fu la destra, e fu sua voce udita.

  Falso è il romor che quì risuona e porta

  572 Sì rea novella, e salva è la sua vita:

  Ed oggi è il terzo dì che, con la scorta

  D’un peregrin, fece da noi partita

  Per girne in Antiochia: e pria depose

  576 L’arme che rotte aveva e sanguinose.

  LXXII

  “I and all these the hardy champion knew,

  We saw his valor, and his voice we heard;

  Then is the rumor of his death untrue,

  His life is safe, good fortune long it guard,<
br />
  Three times the golden sun hath risen new,

  Since us he left and rode to Antioch-ward;

  But first his armors, broken, hacked and cleft,

  Unfit for service, there he doft and left.”

  LXXII

  ‘I saw — these saw him — in that hour of strife;

  We heard his voice, and grasped his noble hand;

  False are the rumours that report his life

  As lost, and spread confusion thro’ the land:

  But three days since he with a pilgrim guide

  Took leave of us, and unto Antioch went;

  But, before starting, cast his arms aside,

  Bloodstained, and from repeated battle rent.’

  LXXIII.

  Così parlava; e l’Eremita intanto

  Volgeva al Cielo l’una e l’altra luce.

  Non un color, non serba un volto: o quanto

  580 Più sacro e venerabile or riluce!

  Pieno di Dio, ratto dal zelo, accanto

  Alle angeliche menti ei si conduce:

  Gli si svela il futuro, e nell’eterna

  584 Serie degli anni e delle età s’interna.

  LXXIII

  Thus spake the Briton prince, with humble cheer

  The hermit sage to heaven cast up his eyne,

  His color and his countenance changed were,

  With heavenly grace his looks and visage shine,

  Ravished with zeal his soul approached near

  The seat of angels pure, and saints divine,

  And there he learned of things and haps to come,

  To give foreknowledge true, and certain doom.

  LXXIII

  Thus spoke the prince; meanwhile his beaming eyes

  Heavenwards the hermit turned, with fervent air;

  His changing cheek and colour seemed to rise,

  And catch its sacred hues while gazing there;

  Full of his God, and rapt with zeal sublime,

  To angel minds his spirit soared, whence he

  Unveiled the never-ending course of time,

  And pierced the secrets of futurity.

  LXXIV.

  E la bocca sciogliendo, in maggior suono,

  Scopre le cose altrui ch’indi verranno.

  Tutti conversi alle sembianze, al tuono

  588 Dell’insolita voce attenti stanno.

  Vive, dice, Rinaldo: e le altre sono

  Arti e bugie di femminile inganno:

  Vive, e la vita giovinetta acerba

  592 A più mature glorie il Ciel riserba.

  LXXIV