Con tutto ciò non rallentò la cura
Di ristorarle ove sian rotte o smosse.
Le turbe tutte, e cittadine e serve,
128 S’impiegan quì: l’opra continua ferve.
XVI
The king assured by these speeches fair,
Held Godfrey’s power, his might and strength in scorn,
And now the walls he gan in part repair,
Which late the ram had bruised with iron horn,
With wise foresight and well advised care
He fortified each breach and bulwark torn,
And all his folk, men, women, children small,
With endless toil again repaired the wall.
XVI
On hearing this, the king felt quite assured
That he no longer need the foeman fear;
And tho’ in parts the ramparts were secured,
Where the rams struck with impulse most severe,
Still with all that, incessant was his care
To make them good where battered by their blows;
Employing all, both slaves and freedmen there;
The busy work with toil unceasing glows.
XVII.
Ma in questo mezzo il pio Buglion non vuole
Che la forte Cittade invan si batta,
Se non è prima la maggior sua mole,
132 Ed alcuna altra machina rifatta.
E i fabbri al bosco invia che porger suole
Ad uso tal pronta materia ed atta.
Vanno costor su l’alba alla foresta,
136 Ma timor nuovo al suo apparir gli arresta.
XVII
But Godfrey nould this while bring forth his power
To give assault against that fort in vain,
Till he had builded new his dreadful tower,
And reared high his down-fallen rams again:
His workmen therefore he despatched that hour
To hew the trees out of the forest main,
They went, and scant the wood appeared in sight
When wonders new their fearful hearts affright:
XVII
Meanwhile the chief, who knew ’twas useless, willed
From fresh attack on Salem-to abstain,
Until he could the greater tower rebuild,
And the other engines were complete again;
So to the wood artificers he sent,
Material for such purpose to select.
At dawn of day they to the forest went,
But terrors new their onward progress checked.
XVIII.
Qual semplice bambin mirar non osa
Dove insolite larve abbia presenti;
O come pave nella notte ombrosa,
140 Immaginando pur mostri e portenti;
Così temean, senza saper qual cosa
Siasi quella però che gli sgomenti:
Se non che ‘l timor forse ai sensi finge
144 Maggior prodigj di Chimera, o Sfinge.
XVIII
As silly children dare not bend their eye
Where they are told strange bugbears haunt the place,
Or as new monsters, while in bed they lie,
Their fearful thoughts present before their face;
So feared they, and fled, yet wist not why,
Nor what pursued them in that fearful chase.
Except their fear perchance while thus they fled,
New chimeras, sphinxes, or like monsters bred:
XVIII
As simple children dare not raise their sight
To where they deem strange shapes may present be,
Or, as they tremble in the shadowy night,
Fancying they prodigies and monsters see;
So feared the Franks, not knowing, as they gazed,
The cause that such unusual fright imparts,
If ’twas not fear, which greater monsters raised
Than Sphinxes or Chimaeras in their hearts.
XIX.
Torna la turba, e, timida e smarrita
Varia e confonde sì le cose e i detti,
Ch’ella nel riferir n’è poi schernita,
148 Nè son creduti i mostruosi effetti.
Allor vi manda il Capitano ardita
E forte squadra di guerrieri eletti
Perchè sia scorta all’altra, e in eseguire
152 I magisterj suoi le porga ardire.
XIX
Swift to the camp they turned back dismayed,
With words confused uncertain tales they told,
That all which heard them scorned what they said
And those reports for lies and fables hold.
A chosen crew in shining arms arrayed
Duke Godfrey thither sent of soldiers bold,
To guard the men and their faint arms provoke
To cut the dreadful trees with hardy stroke:
XIX
Back they return, and, timid and dismayed,
Both words and things confuse so, that received
With laughter was the terror they betrayed,
Nor were the marvellous effects believed.
Thither, at this, the zealous captain sent
A strong detachment of selected hands
No escort the rest, and give encouragement
To them to execute his high commands.
XX.
Questi appressando ove lor seggio han posto
Gli empj Demonj in quel selvaggio orrore:
Non rimirar le nere ombre sì tosto,
156 Che lor si scosse e tornò ghiaccio il core.
Pur oltre ancor sen gían, tenendo ascosto
Sotto audaci sembianti il vil timore;
E tanto s’avanzar, che lunge poco
160 Erano omai dall’incantato loco.
XX
These drawing near the wood where close ypent
The wicked sprites in sylvan pinfolds were,
Their eyes upon those shades no sooner bent
But frozen dread pierced through their entrails dear;
Yet on they stalked still, and on they went,
Under bold semblance hiding coward fear,
And so far wandered forth with trembling pace,
Till they approached nigh that enchanted place:
XX
These drawing nigh to where, in ambuscade,
‘Mid those wild horrors the foul demons lay,
No sooner saw the black, funereal shade,
Than turned to ice their very hearts. Still they
Pushed boldly forward, veiling abject fear
Beneath the mask of an audacious face,
And had advanced, so that they now were near
The dreaded entrance of the enchanted place,
XXI.
Esce allor della selva un suon repente
Che par rimbombo di terren che treme.
E ‘l mormorar degli Austri in lui si sente,
164 E ‘l pianto d’onda che fra scoglj geme:
Come rugge il leon, fischia il serpente,
Come urla il lupo, e come l’orso freme,
V’odi; e v’odi le trombe, e v’odi il tuono
168 Tanti e sì fatti suoni esprime un suono!
XXI
When from the grove a fearful sound outbreaks,
As if some earthquake hill and mountain tore,
Wherein the southern wind a rumbling makes,
Or like sea waves against the scraggy shore;
There lions grumble, there hiss scaly snakes,
There howl the wolves, the rugged bears there roar,
There trumpets shrill are heard and thunders fell,
And all these sounds one sound expressed well.
XXI
When, from the wood, there issued forth a sound,
That seemed like rumbling of an earthquake’s shocks:
From it the south wind’s whistling blasts redound,
And wail of billows moaning amid rocks;
The hiss of dragon, and the growl of bear,
Wolf’s howl and lion’s roar, the senses stun;
The rattling thunder and the trump you hear,
Yet all these noises were expressed by one.
XXII.
In tutti allor s’impallidir le gote,
E la temenza a mille segni apparse.
Nè disciplina tanto, o ragion puote,
172 Ch’osin di gire innanzi, o di fermarse:
Chè all’occulta virtù che gli percuote,
Son le difese loro anguste e scarse.
Fuggono alfine; e un d’essi, in cotal guisa
176 Scusando il fatto, il pio Buglion n’avvisa.
XXII
Upon their faces pale well might you note
A thousand signs of heart-amating fear,
Their reason gone, by no device they wot
How to press nigh, or stay still where they were,
Against that sudden dread their breasts which smote,
Their courage weak no shield of proof could bear,
At last they fled, and one than all more bold,
Excused their flight, and thus the wonders told:
XXII
Then grew the cheek of every Christian pale,
And all betrayed a thousand marks of fright;
Nor reason could, nor discipline prevail,
To urge them forward, or restrain their flight,
Since all endeavours scant and powerless were,
‘Gainst the dread influence that appalled each breast.
At last they fled; and one, with awe-struck air,
The fact excusing, thus the chief addressed:
XXIII.
Signor, non è di noi chi più si vante
Troncar la selva; ch’ella è sì guardata,
Ch’io credo (e ‘l giurerei) che in quelle piante
180 Abbia la reggia sua Pluton traslata.
Ben ha tre volte e più d’aspro diamante
Ricinto il cor chi intrepido la guata:
Nè senso v’ha colui ch’udir s’arrischia
184 Come, tonando, insieme rugge e fischia.
XXIII
“My lord, not one of us there is, I grant,
That dares cut down one branch in yonder spring,
I think there dwells a sprite in every plant,
There keeps his court great Dis infernal king,
He hath a heart of hardened adamant
That without trembling dares attempt the thing,
And sense he wanteth who so hardy is
To hear the forest thunder, roar and hiss.”
XXIII
‘Not one there is, O prince! that longer vaunts
To fell you wood; it guarded is so well,
That I believe, nay swear, within those plants
Pluto transplanted has the realms of hell.
Thrice must his heart with adamant be bound,
Who dares regard it with unblenching eyes;
And dead his sense, who listens to the sound
Of those dread noises and unearthly cries.’
XXIV.
Così costui parlava. Alcasto v’era,
Fra molti che l’udian, presente a sorte:
Uom di temerità stupida e fera:
188 Sprezzator de’ mortali e della morte:
Che non avria temuto orribil fera,
Nè mostro formidabile ad uom forte,
Nè tremoto, nè folgore, nè vento,
192 Nè s’altro ha il mondo più di violento.
XXIV
This said, Alcasto to his words gave heed,
Alcasto leader of the Switzers grim,
A man both void of wit and void of dreed,
Who feared not loss of life nor loss of limb.
No savage beasts in deserts wild that feed
Nor ugly monster could dishearten him,
Nor whirlwind, thunder, earthquake, storm, or aught
That in this world is strange or fearful thought.
XXIV
Such was his tale. ‘Mong those that chance brought there,
Alcasto was, a man, as rumour saith,
Who, of a fierce and stupid rashness, ne’er
Quailed before mortal, and made light of death:
Nor monster feared, how dread soe’er its form,
Nor savage beast, the wildest of the plains;
Not earthquake, lightning, nor terrific storm,
Nor aught more furious that the world contains.
XXV.
Crollava il capo, e sorridea dicendo:
Dove costui non osa, io gir confido:
Io sol quel bosco di troncar intendo
196 Che di torbidi sogni è fatto nido.
Già nol mi vieterà fantasma orrendo,
Nè di selva o d’augei fremito o grido.
O pur tra quei sì spaventosi chiostri
200 D’ir nell’inferno il varco a me si mostri.
XXV
He shook his head, and smiling thus gan say,
“The hardiness have I that wood to fell,
And those proud trees low in the dust to lay
Wherein such grisly fiends and monsters dwell;
No roaring ghost my courage can dismay,
No shriek of birds, beast’s roar, or dragon’s yell;
But through and through that forest will I wend,
Although to deepest hell the paths descend.”
XXV
In scorn he tossed his head, and smiling stood,
Then said: ‘Where he dares not, to go I vaunt.
Alone, I intend to fell this frightful wood,
Which has of troubled dreams become the haunt.
Not direst phantom shall prevent me — no!
Nor bird’s ill-omened screech, nor forest’s yell;
Thro’ those terrific alleys I will go,
Aye, tho’ they led me to the jaws of hell’
XXVI.
Cotal si vanta al Capitano; e, tolta
Da lui licenza, il cavalier s’invia:
E rimira la selva, e poscia ascolta
204 Quel che da lei nuovo rimbombo uscia:
Nè però il piede audace indietro volta,
Ma sicuro e sprezzante è come pria.
E già calcato avrebbe il suol difeso;208Ma gli s’oppone (o pargli) un foco acceso.
XXVI
Thus boasted he, and leave to go desired,
And forward went with joyful cheer and will,
He viewed the wood and those thick shades admired,
He heard the wondrous noise and rumbling shrill;
Yet not one foot the audacious man retired,
He scorned the peril, pressing forward still,
Till on the forest’s outmost marge he stepped,
A flaming fire from entrance there him kept.
XXVI
Thus boasted to the prince, and, undeterred,
Took leave of him, and to the forest went;
Nor had he scarcely seen it, when he heard
That strange new sound from its recesses sent.
But his bold footsteps it arrested not;
He still advanced, contemptuous and composed,
And would have passed the interdicted spot,
But that by flames he was, or seemed, opposed.
XXVII.
Cresce il gran foco, e in forma d’alte mura
Stende le fiamme torbide e fumanti:
E ne cinge quel bosco, e l’assicura
212 Ch’altri gli alberi suoi non tronchi o schianti.
Le maggiori sue fiamme hanno figura
Di castelli superbi e torreggianti:
E di tormenti bellici ha munite
216 Le rocche sue questa novella Dìte.
XXVII
The fire increased, and built a stately wall
Of burning coals, quick sparks, and embers hot,
And with bright flames the wood environed all,
That there no tree nor twist Alcasto got;
The higher stretched the flames seemed bulwarks tall,
Castles a
nd turrets full of fiery shot,
With slings and engines strong of every sort; —
What mortal wight durst scale so strange a fort?
XXVII
The mighty fire increases; in the form
Of lofty walls the lurid flames extend,
Girdling the forest with its fiery arm,
The trees from all intruders to defend.
The greater flames, aspiring upwards, wear
The shape of lordly castellated halls;
And warlike engines were not wanting there,
To guard this new-made Pandemonium’s walls.
XXVIII.
Oh quanti appajon mostri armati in guarda
Degli alti merli, e in che terribil faccia!
De’ quai con occhj biechi altri il riguarda,
220 E dibattendo l’arme altri il minaccia.
Fugge egli alfine: e ben la fuga è tarda,
Qual di leon che si ritiri in caccia.
Ma pure è fuga: e pur gli scuote il petto
224 Timor, sin a quel punto ignoto affetto.
XXVIII
Oh what strange monsters on the battlement
In loathsome forms stood to defend the place?
Their frowning looks upon the knight they bent,
And threatened death with shot, with sword and mace:
At last he fled, and though but slow he went,
As lions do whom jolly hunters chase;
Yet fled the man and with sad fear withdrew,
Though fear till then he never felt nor knew.
XXVIII
Oh, what dread monsters there appeared to guard
The lofty towers! how terrible their look!
Some grimly eyed him, some his passage barred
With flaming arms, which they in menace shook.
At last he fled, but still his flight was slow,
Like that of lion wounded in the chase;
But still, ’twas flight! Fear froze his bosom now,
Until that moment an unknown disgrace.
XXIX.
Non s’avvide esso allor d’aver temuto;
Ma fatto poi lontan ben se n’accorse:
E stupor n’ebbe, e sdegno: e dente acuto
228 D’amaro pentimento il cor gli morse.
E di trista vergogna acceso e muto,
Attonito in disparte i passi torse:
Chè quella faccia alzar, già sì orgogliosa,
232 Nella luce degli uomini non osa.
XXIX
That he had fled long time he never wist,
But when far run he had discoverd it,
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