Vi resta, e fa restarvi i pochi arditi.
E ‘l fero Argante a contrapporsi corre,
392 Presa una trave, alla nemica torre.
XLIX
For on their part the greatest slaughter light,
They had no shelter gainst so sharp a shower,
Some left on live betook themselves to flight,
So feared they this deadly thundering tower:
But Solyman stayed like a valiant knight,
And some with him, that trusted in his power,
Argantes with a long beech tree in hand,
Ran thither, this huge engine to withstand:
XLIX
But since on them the greatest losses light,
As shielded less by helmet or cuirass,
Part of those still surviving take to flight,
Cowed by the thunder of that mighty mass;
But stayed Nicæa’s former lord, with him
There likewise stayed some few, the army’s flower;
And fierce Arganté, snatching up a beam,
Rushed to resist and counterpoise the tower.
L.
E da sè la respinge e tien lontana
Quanto l’abete è lungo, e ‘l braccio forte.
Vi scende ancor la Vergine sovrana,
396 E de’ periglj altrui si fa consorte.
I Franchi intanto alla pendente lana
Le funi recideano e le ritorte
Con lunghe falci; onde, cadendo a terra,
400 Lasciava il muro disarmato in guerra.
L
With this he pushed the tower, and back it drives
The length of all his tree, a wondrous way,
The hardy virgin by his side arrives,
To help Argantes in this hard assay:
The band that used the ram, this season strives
To cut the cords, wherein the woolpacks lay,
Which done, the sacks down in the trenches fall,
And to the battery naked left the wall.
L
Thrusting it back, he kept it at the length
Of the long fir with powerful arm; and there
Down came Clorinda to display her strength,
And the grave perils of her comrade share.
The Christians meanwhile cut the ropes that bound
The pendent wool with long sharp sickles, whence
This their protection falling to the ground,
The ramparts left disarmed of all defence.
LI.
Così la torre sovra, e più di sotto
L’impetuoso il batte aspro ariete:
Onde comincia ormai forato e rotto
404 A discoprir le interne vie secrete.
Éssi non lunge il Capitan condotto
Al conquassato e tremulo parete,
Nel suo scudo maggior tutto rinchiuso,
408 Che rade volte ha di portar in uso.
LI
The tower above, the ram beneath doth thunder,
What lime and stone such puissance could abide?
The wall began, new bruised and crushed asunder,
Her wounded lap to open broad and wide,
Godfrey himself and his brought safely under
The shattered wall, where greatest breach he spied,
Himself he saves behind his mighty targe,
A shield not used but in some desperate charge.
LI
Thus tower above, and fiercer far below,
The battering ram continued its dead thunder;
Whence, from within, the streets began to show
Thro’ the breached walls, thus rudely rent asunder.
Godfred now left his station in the field,
More close the crumbling ramparts to explore,
Completely covered by the larger shield
Which he so seldom in the battle bore.
LII.
E quinci cauto rimirando spia,
E scender vede Solimano a basso;
E porsi alla difesa ove s’apria,
412 Tra le ruine, il periglioso passo:
E rimaner della sublime via
Clorinda in guardia, e ‘l cavalier Circasso.
Così guardava, e già sentiasi il core
416 Tutto avvampar di generoso ardore.
LII
From hence he sees where Solyman descends,
Down to the threshold of the gaping breach,
And there it seems the mighty prince intends
Godfredo’s hoped entrance to impeach:
Argantes, and with him the maid, defends
The walls above, to which the tower doth reach,
His noble heart, when Godfrey this beheld,
With courage new with wrath and valor swelled.
LII
And looking round attentively, descried
Down to the breach Prince Solyman descend,
And where the gaping ruins yawned most wide
To plant himself, the passage to defend;
Clorinda guarded all the upper part,
And with her stayed the fierce Circassian knight:
Thus looking, Godfred felt his throbbing heart
Bum with magnanimous ardour for the fight
LIII.
Onde rivolto dice al buon Sigiero
Che gli portava un altro scudo e l’arco:
Ora mi porgi, o fedel mio scudiero,
420 Cotesto meno assai gravoso incarco;
Chè tenterò di trapassar primiero
Su’ dirupati sassi il dubbio varco.
E tempo è ben che qualche nobil’ opra
424 Della nostra virtute omai si scopra.
LIII
He turned about and to good Sigiere spake,
Who bare his greatest shield and mighty bow,
“That sure and trusty target let me take,
Impenetrable is that shield I know,
Over these ruins will I passage make,
And enter first, the way is eath and low,
And time requires that by some noble feat
I should make known my strength and puissance great.”
LIII
Whence turning round to good Sigier, he said
(He for him bore another shield and bow):
‘Give me the other, faithful squire, instead
Of this, that less encumbered I may go;
For I will over you dismantled stone
Try to be first the doubtful pass to free;
High time it is that to the world were shown
Some noble token of our gallantry.’
LIV.
Così, mutato scudo, appena disse,
Quando a lui venne una saetta a volo,
E nella gamba il colse, e la trafisse
428 Nel più nervoso ove è più acuto il duolo.
Che di tua man, Clorinda, il colpo uscisse,
La fama il canta: e tuo l’onor n’è solo.
Se questo dì servaggio o morte schiva
432 La tua gente Pagana, a te s’ascriva.
LIV
He scant had spoken, scant received the charge,
When on his leg a sudden shaft him hit,
And through that part a hole made wide and large,
Where his strong sinews fastened were and knit.
Clorinda, thou this arrow didst discharge,
And let the Pagans bless thy hand for it,
For by that shot thou savedst them that day
From bondage vile, from death and sure decay.
LIV
His shield exchanged, he had scarcely spoke, when flew
A whizzing shaft and struck the cavalier,
Piercing his leg, and passing onwards thro’
The nervous part where pain is most severe.
The honour Fame, Clorinda, gives to thee,
That ’twas thy hand the deadly cord that drew;
And if that day or death or slavery
Thy Pagan comrades ‘scaped, to thee ’tis due.
LV.
Ma il fortissimo
Eroe, quasi non senta
Il mortifero duol della ferita,
Dal cominciato corso il piè non lenta,
436 E monta su i dirupi, e gli altri invita.
Pur s’avvede egli poi che nol sostenta
La gamba, offesa troppo ed impedita;
E che inaspra agitando ivi l’ambascia;
440 Onde, sforzato, alfin l’assalto lascia.
LV
The wounded duke, as though he felt no pain,
Still forward went, and mounted up the breach
His high attempt at first he nould refrain,
And after called his lords with cheerful speech;
But when his leg could not his weight sustain,
He saw his will did far his power outreach,
And more he strove his grief increased the more,
The bold assault he left at length therefore:
LV
But that brave chief, as tho’ he did not feel
The anguish of his wound, would not arrest
His onward movement, but with matchless zeal
The ruins mounted, and cheered on the rest.
Still finding that his leg can ill sustain
His body’s weight, that he can only halt,
And that all motion but increased the pain,
At length is forced to abandon the assault.
LVI.
E chiamando il buon Guelfo a se con mano,
A lui parlava: io me ne vo costretto.
Sostien persona tu di Capitano,
444 E di mia lontananza empi il difetto;
Ma picciol’ora io vi starò lontano:
Vado, e ritorno; e si partia ciò detto:
Ed ascendendo in un leggier cavallo,
448 Giunger non può, che non sia visto, al vallo.
LVI
And with his hand he beckoned Guelpho near,
And said, “I must withdraw me to my tent,
My place and person in mine absence bear,
Supply my want, let not the fight relent,
I go, and will ere long again be here;
I go and straight return:” this said, he went,
On a light steed he leaped, and o’er the green
He rode, but rode not, as he thought, unseen.
LVI
And gallant Guelpho beckoning with his hand,
Addressed him thus: ‘Constrained I am to go;
To thee I delegate the chief command;
Do thou my duty, in my absence, do;
But a short time I shall be absent; I
Go, and return.’ This said, he left the field,
Mounted a nimble courser that stood nigh,
Yet could not reach the intrenchments unconcealed.
LVII.
Al dipartir del Capitan, si parte
E cede il campo la fortuna Franca.
Cresce il vigor nella contraria parte:
452 Sorge la speme, e gli animi rinfranca.
E l’ardimento col favor di Marte,
Ne’ cor fedeli, e l’impeto già manca.
Già corre lento ogni lor ferro al sangue,
456 E delle trombe istesse il suono langue.
LVII
When Godfrey parted, parted eke the heart,
The strength and fortune of the Christian bands,
Courage increased in their adverse part,
Wrath in their hearts, and vigor in their hands:
Valor, success, strength, hardiness and art,
Failed in the princes of the western lands,
Their swords were blunt, faint was their trumpet’s blast,
Their sun was set, or else with clouds o’ercast.
LVII
Godfreys departure seemed to turn the tide;
The Franks give way and their success departs,
While strength increases on the adverse side,
And new-born hopes refresh the Pagans’ hearts;
His grace no more the God of War affords,
To nerve the faithful; their first ardour fails;
No longer blood attracts their sluggish swords;
The very clarion’s notes seem dying wails.
LVIII.
E già tra’ merli a comparir non tarda
Lo stuol fugace che ‘l timor caccionne.
E mirando la Vergine gagliarda,
460 Vero amor della patria arma le donne.
Correr le vedi, e collocarsi in guarda
Con chiome sparse e con succinte gonne:
E lanciar dardi, e non mostrar paura
464 D’esporre il petto per le amate mura.
LVIII
Upon the bulwarks now appeared bold
That fearful band that late for dread was fled!
The women that Clorinda’s strength behold,
Their country’s love to war encouraged,
They weapons got, and fight like men they would,
Their gowns tucked up, their locks were loose and spread,
Sharp darts they cast, and without dread or fear,
Exposed their breasts to save their fortress dear.
LVIII
And on the battlements swift reappear
The fugitives, thence chased by wild alarms;
And seeing a woman show no sign of fear,
True love of country all the women arms;
You see them run and place themselves on guard,
With hair dishevelled and with tucked-up gown;
Hurl javelins, and all dangers disregard,
Ev’n death itself, for their belovèd town.
LIX.
E quel ch’ai Franchi più spavento porge,
E ‘l toglie ai difensor della Cittade,
È, che ‘l possente Guelfo (e se n’accorge
468 Questo popolo e quel) percosso cade.
Tra mille il trova sua fortuna, e scorge
D’un sasso il corso per lontane strade.
E da sembiante colpo, al tempo stesso,
472 Colto è Raimondo, onde giù cade anch’esso.
LIX
But that which most dismayed the Christian knights,
And added courage to the Pagans most,
Was Guelpho’s sudden fall in all men’s sights,
Who tumbled headlong down, his footing lost,
A mighty stone upon the worthy lights,
But whence it came none wist, nor from what coast;
And with like blow, which more their hearts dismayed,
Beside him low in dust old Raymond laid:
LIX
But what increased the Franks’ alarm, and nerved
With courage the defenders of the walls
(And quickly by both hosts it was observed),
Is that Prince Guelpho, stricken, downward falls;
Amid a thousand him his Fate o’ertook,
Guiding a rock its path aerial thro’;
At the same time, and by a similar stroke,
Raymond was caught and hurled down headlong too.
LX.
Ed aspramente allora anco fu punto
Nella proda del fosso Eustazio ardito.
Nè in questo ai Franchi fortunoso punto
476 Contra lor da’ nemici è colpo uscito
(Chè n’uscir molti) onde non sia disgiunto
Corpo dall’alma, o non sia almen ferito.
E in tal prosperità via più feroce
480 Divenendo il Circasso, alza la voce:
LX
And Eustace eke within the ditches large,
To narrow shifts and last extremes they drive,
Upon their foes so fierce the Pagans charge,
And with good-fortune so their blows they give,
That whom they hit, in spite of helm or targe,
They deeply wound, or else of life deprive.
At this their good success Argantes proud,
Waxing more fell, thus roared and cried aloud:
LX
Bold Eustace, too, upon the trench’s bank
Was also struck; nor at
that moment, so
Disastrous to the fortune of the Frank,
‘Gainst them directed was a single blow —
And there were many — that did not divide
Body from soul, or cause at least some wound.
Flushed with success, Arganté in his pride
More fierce became, and thus the foe lampooned:
LXI.
Non è questa Antiochia, e non è questa
La notte amica alle Cristiane frodi.
Vedete il chiaro Sol, la gente desta,
484 Altra forma di guerra ed altri modi.
Dunque favilla in voi nulla più resta
Dell’amor della preda, e delle lodi?
Chè sì tosto cessate, e sete stanche
488 Per breve assalto, o Franchi no, ma Franche?
LXI
“This is not Antioch, nor the evening dark
Can help your privy sleights with friendly shade,
The sun yet shines, your falsehood can we mark,
In other wise this bold assault is made;
Of praise and glory quenched is the spark
That made you first these eastern lands invade,
Why cease you now? why take you not this fort?
What! are you weary for a charge so short?”
LXI
‘This is not Antioch; this is not the night
Of Christian frauds confederate; you see
Warriors awake, the sun’s unclouded light,
And other modes and forms of strategy.
What, then! so little are your spirits fired
By love of praise and booty, that your ranks
Cease from the encounter, and so soon are tired?
Women ye are, nor name deserve of Franks!’
LXII.
Così ragiona, e in guisa tal s’accende
Nelle sue furie il Cavaliero audace:
Che quell’ampia Città ch’egli difende,
492 Non gli par campo del suo ardir capace:
E si lancia a gran salti ove si fende
Il muro, e la fessura adito face,
Ed ingombra l’uscita: e grida intanto
496 A Soliman che si vedeva da canto:
LXII
Thus raged he, and in such hellish sort
Increased the fury in the brain-sick knight,
That he esteemed that large and ample fort
Too strait a field, wherein to prove his might,
There where the breach had framed a new-made port,
Himself he placed, with nimble skips and light,
He cleared the passage out, and thus he cried
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