At last he spoke, in more than human sound,
And told what things his wisdom great foresaw,
And at his thundering voice the folk around
Attentive stood, with trembling and with awe:
“Rinaldo lives,” he said, “the tokens found
From women’s craft their false beginnings draw,
He lives, and heaven will long preserve his days,
To greater glory, and to greater praise.
LXXIV
Then, bursting out in louder, loftier strain,
Foretold events that would in time arise,
While all, attracted by his look, remain
Attentive to his thundered prophecies.
‘Rinaldo lives,’ he cried; ‘what else one hears
Is lies and tricks of woman’s baleful will.
He lives; his young and inexperienced years
The Heavens reserve for greater glories still.
LXXV.
Presagj sono, e fanciulleschi affanni
Questi, ond’or l’Asia lui conosce, e noma.
Ecco chiaro vegg’io, correndo gli anni,
596 Ch’egli s’oppone all’empio Augusto, e ‘l doma:
E sotto l’ombra degli argentei vanni
L’Aquila sua copre la Chiesa, e Roma,
Che della fera avrà tolte agli artiglj:
600 E ben di lui nasceran degni i figlj.
LXXV
“These are but trifles yet, though Asia’s kings
Shrink at his name, and tremble at his view,
I well foresee he shall do greater things,
And wicked emperors conquer and subdue;
Under the shadow of his eagle’s wings
Shall holy Church preserve her sacred crew,
From Caesar’s bird he shall the sable train
Pluck off, and break her talons sharp in twain.
LXXV
‘These boyish feats but indices supply
Of what all Asia knows — his future fame;
Lo! I see clearly that, as years roll by,
He will the pride of impious monarchs tame,
And ‘neath the shadow of her silver wing
His eagle will protect the Church and Rome,
Them from the oppressor’s claws delivering;
And worthy children shall adorn his home,
LXXVI.
De’ figlj i figlj, e chi verrà da quelli
Quinci avran chiari e memorandi esempj:
E da’ Cesari ingiusti, e da’ rubelli
604 Difenderan le mitre, e i sacri tempj.
Premer gli alteri, e sollevar gl’imbelli,
Difender gli innocenti, e punir gli empj
Fian l’arti lor: così verrà, che vole
608 L’Aquila Estense oltra le vie del Sole.
LXXVI
“His children’s children at his hardiness
And great attempts shall take example fair,
From emperors unjust in all distress
They shall defend the state of Peter’s chair,
To raise the humble up, pride to suppress,
To help the innocents shall be their care.
This bird of east shall fly with conquest great,
As far as moon gives light or sun gives heat;
LXXVI
‘And children’s children, and their sons, who thence
Will bright and notable example have;
Who will, from Caesars’ unjust violence,
The papal mitre and our temples save;
To oppress the proud, the lowly to restore,
The guilty punish, and defend the right,
Will be their aim; thus past the sun will soar
Haught Este’s eagle in her glorious flight
LXXVII.
E dritto è ben che, se ‘l ver mira e ‘l lume,
Ministri a Pietro i folgori mortali.
U’ per Cristo si pugni, ivi le piume
612 Spiegar dee sempre invitte e trionfali:
Chè ciò per suo nativo alto costume
Dielle il Cielo, e per leggi a lei fatali.
Onde piace là su, ch’a questa degna
616 Impresa, onde partì, chiamata vegna.
LXXVII
“Her eyes behold the truth and purest light,
And thunders down in Peter’s aid she brings,
And where for Christ and Christian faith men fight,
There forth she spreadeth her victorious wings,
This virtue nature gives her and this might;
Then lure her home, for on her presence hings
The happy end of this great enterprise,
So Heaven decrees, and so command the skies.”
LXXVII
‘And right it is, beholding truth and light,
That she to Peter mortal thunder bring,
And that, where’er in Jesu’s cause men fight,
She spread in triumph her unconquered wing,
Since, by predestined statute, Providence
To her this innate virtue has decreed;
And wills that she, now summoned back from whence
She flew, to this great enterprise proceed.’
LXXVIII.
Con questi detti ogni timor discaccia
Di Rinaldo concetto il saggio Piero.
Sol nel plauso comune avvien che taccia
620 Il pio Buglione immerso in gran pensiero.
Sorge intanto la notte, e su la faccia
Della terra distende il velo nero.
Vansene gli altri, e dan le membra al sonno;
624 Ma i suoi pensieri in lui dormir non ponno.
LXXVIII
These words of his of Prince Rinaldo’s death
Out of their troubled hearts, the fear had rased;
In all this joy yet Godfrey smiled uneath.
In his wise thought such care and heed was placed.
But now from deeps of regions underneath
Night’s veil arose, and sun’s bright lustre chased,
When all full sweetly in their cabins slept,
Save he, whose thoughts his eyes still open kept.
LXXVIII
With words like these the prudent Peter cheered
Their hearts, with terror for Rinaldo fraught:
Sole, ‘mid the general joy, the chief appeared
Silent, immersed in deep and anxious thought
Meanwhile the night in clouds of darkness rose,
And o’er earth’s face her murky mantle spread;
The rest retired to give their limbs repose,
But from Prince Godfred’s eyes all sleep had fled.
Canto undicesimo
ELEVENTH BOOK
ARGOMENTO.
Con puro sacrifizio e sacre note,
Il soccorso del Cielo invoca il campo.
Poi dell’alta città le mura scote,
Ch’al suo furore omai non avean scampo;
Quando Clorinda il Capitan percote,
E ‘l colpo è a lui d’alta vittoria inciampo.
Ben dall’Angel sanato ei torna in guerra:
Ma già ‘l diurno raggio ito è sotterra.
THE ARGUMENT.
Heaven’s sacred aid the Christian lords invoke;
That done, they scale the wall which kept them out:
The fort is almost won, the gates nigh broke:
Godfrey is wounded by Clorinda stout,
And lost is that day’s conquest by the stroke;
The angel cures him, he returns to fight,
But lost his labor, for day lost his light.
I.
Ma ‘l Capitan delle Cristiane genti,
Volto avendo all’assalto ogni pensiero,
Giva apprestando i bellici instrumenti,
4 Quando a lui venne il solitario Piero:
E trattolo in disparte, in tali accenti
Gli parlò venerabile e severo:
Tu muovi, o Capitan, l’armi terrene;
8 Ma di là non cominci onde co
nviene.
I
The Christian army’s great and puissant guide,
To assault the town that all his thoughts had bent,
Did ladders, rams, and engines huge provide,
When reverend Peter to him gravely went,
And drawing him with sober grace aside,
With words severe thus told his high intent;
“Right well, my lord, these earthly strengths you move,
But let us first begin from Heaven above:
I
WHILE thus the captain of the Christian powers
Urged them the warlike instruments to frame,
He being resolved to storm the royal towers,
The hermit Peter to his presence came,
And drawing him aside, the sage began,
In accents stem and with a solemn air:
‘Hosts of this world, O chief, thou leadest on,
But that is not what first should claim thy care.
II.
Sia dal Cielo il principio; invoca avanti,
Nelle preghiere pubbliche e devote,
La milizia degli Angioli e de’ Santi,
12 Chè ne impetri vittoria ella che puote.
Preceda il Clero in sacre vesti, e canti
Con pietosa armonia supplici note:
E da voi duci gloriosi e magni
16 Pietate il volgo apprenda, e v’accompagni.
II
“With public prayer, zeal and faith devout,
The aid, assistance, and the help obtain
Of all the blessed of the heavenly rout,
With whose support you conquest sure may gain;
First let the priests before thine armies stout
With sacred hymns their holy voices strain.
And thou and all thy lords and peers with thee,
Of godliness and faith examples be.”
II
‘Begin from Heaven, and first with penitence,
In public worship and on bended knee,
Invoke the saints’ and angels’ army, whence
Alone thou mayest hope for victory.
In sacred vestments let the priests precede,
And anthems chaunt with suppliant voice, while ye,
Great glorious leaders of the army, lead
Their ranks to join those strains of piety.’
III.
Così gli parla il rigido Romito:
E ‘l buon Goffredo il saggio avviso approva.
Servo, risponde, di Gesù gradito,
20 Il tuo consiglio di seguir mi giova.
Or mentre i duci a venir meco invito,
Tu i Pastori de’ popoli ritrova
Guglielmo ed Ademaro: e vostra sia
24 La cura della pompa sacra e pia.
III
Thus spake the hermit grave in words severe:
Godfrey allowed his counsel, sage, and wise,
“Of Christ the Lord,” quoth he, “thou servant dear,
I yield to follow thy divine advice,
And while the princes I assemble here,
The great procession, songs and sacrifice,
With Bishop William, thou and Ademare,
With sacred and with solemn pomp prepare.”
III
Thus the stem hermit did the captain chide,
And Godfred deemed his admonition wise.
‘Servant beloved of Jesus,’ he replied,
‘Well pleased I am to follow thy advice.
Now, while I invite the chiefs to come with me,
Thou to the bishops of the host repair,
William and holy Ademar, and be
The sacred rites and pious pomp your care.’
IV.
Nel seguente mattino il Vecchio accoglie
Co’ duo’ gran sacerdoti altri minori,
Ov’entro al vallo tra sacrate soglie
28 Soleansi celebrar divini onori.
Quivi gli altri vestir candide spoglie:
Vestir dorato ammanto i duo Pastori,
Che bipartito sovra i bianchi lini
32 S’affibbia al petto, e incoronaro i crini.
IV
Next morn the bishops twain, the heremite,
And all the clerks and priests of less estate,
Did in the middest of the camp unite
Within a place for prayer consecrate,
Each priest adorned was in a surplice white,
The bishops donned their albes and copes of state,
Above their rochets buttoned fair before,
And mitres on their heads like crowns they wore.
IV
The reverend sage next mom assembled round
With the high priests those of less station, where
Within the camp, on consecrated ground,
They used to glorify the Lord in prayer:
The others in white surplices were dressed,
The bishops gold-embroidered mantles wore,
Which in twain parted, buttoned at the breast
O’er snowy lawn; their heads proud mitres bore.
V.
Va Pietro solo innanzi, e spiega al vento
Il segno riverito in Paradiso:
E segue il coro a passo grave e lento,
36 In due lunghissimi ordini diviso.
Alternando facean doppio concento
In supplichevol canto, e in umil viso,
E, chiudendo le schiere, ivano a paro
40 I Principi Guglielmo ed Ademaro.
V
Peter alone, before, spread to the wind
The glorious sign of our salvation great,
With easy pace the choir come all behind,
And hymns and psalms in order true repeat,
With sweet respondence in harmonious kind
Their humble song the yielding air doth beat,
“Lastly, together went the reverend pair
Of prelates sage, William and Ademare,
V
Peter walked first alone, and to the wind
Displayed the sign in Paradise revered;
With slow and solemn step the choir behind
In two distinct extended lines appeared,
And in alternate melody replied,
With suppliant voice, with meek and lowly air;
And closing up their ranks, went side by side,
William and his companion Ademar.
VI.
Venia poscia il Buglion, pur come è l’uso
Di Capitan, senza compagno a lato.
Seguiano a coppia i Duci, e non confuso
44 Seguiva il campo a lor difesa armato.
Sì procedendo se n’uscia del chiuso
Delle trinciere il popolo adunato.
Nè s’udian trombe, o suoni altri feroci,
48 Ma di pietate e d’umiltà sol voci.
VI
The mighty duke came next, as princes do,
Without companion, marching all alone,
The lords and captains then came two and two,
With easy pace thus ordered, passing through
The trench and rampire, to the fields they gone,
No thundering drum, no trumpet shrill they hear,
Their godly music psalms and prayers were.
VI
Then, as commanders do, the Bouillon passed
Alone, without companion at his side;
Next came the leaders two by two, and last
The camp, with weapons of defence supplied:
Proceeding thus the assembled host passed thro’
And out the intrenchments; in the stilly air
No warlike clangour rose, no bugles blew —
The only sound was piety and prayer.
VII.
Te Genitor, te figlio eguale al Padre,
E te che d’ambo uniti amando spiri:
E te, d’uomo e di Dio, Vergine Madre
52 Invocano propizia ai lor desiri.
O Duci, e voi, che le fulgenti squadre
Del Ciel movete
in triplicati giri.
O Divo, e te, che della diva fronte
56 La monda umanità lavasti al fonte.
VII
To thee, O Father, Son, and sacred Sprite,
One true, eternal, everlasting King;
To Christ’s dear mother, Mary, vlrgin bright,
Psalms of thanksgiving and of praise they sing;
To them that angels down from heaven to fight
Gainst the blasphemous beast and dragon bring;
To him also that of our Saviour good,
Washed the sacred font in Jordan’s flood.
VII
Thee, Father, and Thy dear coequal Son;
Thee who from both proceeding breath’st love’s fire;
Thee, Virgin Mother of the God in man,
They now invoke to favour their desire;
And you that move Heaven’s fulgent Seraphim
In trinal orbits; thee whose hands did lave
The pure unstained humanity of Him
Who knew no sin, in the life-giving wave;
VIII.
Chiamano e te, che sei pietra e sostegno
Della magion di Dio fondata e forte:
Ove ora il novo successor tuo degno
60 Di grazia e di perdono apre le porte.
E gli altri messi del celeste regno,
Che divulgar la vincitrice morte.
E quei che ‘l vero a confermar seguiro,
64 Testimonj di sangue, e di martiro.
VIII
Him likewise they invoke, called the Rock
Whereon the Lord, they say, his Church did rear,
Whose true successors close or else unlock
The blessed gates of grace and mercy dear;
And all the elected twelve the chosen flock,
Of his triumphant death who witness bear;
And them by torment, slaughter, fire and sword
Who martyrs died to confirm his word;
VIII
They now invoke: Thee too, the solid Rock,
Whereon Christ’s Church is built, whose lofty place
A new successor fills, whose hands unlock
The blessèd gates of pardon and of grace;
And the other saint apostles that revealed
The glorious tidings of triumphant Death;
And those brave martyrs who the Truth had sealed
With their own life-blood and their dying breath:
IX.
Quegli ancor, la cui penna, o la favella
Insegnata ha del Ciel la via smarrita:
Jerusalem Delivered Page 226