‘To wrong me, Tancred, thou’st too much contrived,
Let that suffice;’ it then distinctly said:
‘Since from the frame which with and thro’ me lived
(Erst happy home!) thou hast my spirit sped:
Why seek this wretched cypress to destroy,
To which hard fate imites me? Why behave
With so much cruelty as thus annoy
Thy foes, when sleeping in the silent grave?
XLIII.
Clorinda fui: nè sol quì spirto umano
Albergo in questa pianta rozza e dura:
Ma ciascun altro ancor, Franco o Pagano,
340 Che lassi i membri a piè dell’alte mura,
Astretto è quì, da novo incanto e strano,
Non so, s’io dica in corpo, o in sepoltura.
Son di senso animati i rami e i tronchi,
344 E micidial sei tu, se legno tronchi.
XLIII
“I was Clorinda, now imprisoned here,
Yet not alone within this plant I dwell,
For every Pagan lord and Christian peer,
Before the city’s walls last day that fell,
In bodies new or graves I wot not clear,
But here they are confined by magic’s spell,
So that each tree hath life, and sense each bough,
A murderer if thou cut one twist art thou.”
XLIII
‘I was Clorinda; nor the only sprite
Am I that in this rugged timber dwell,
Since every other Frank or Pagan knight,
Who at the foot of Sion’s ramparts fell,
Is here by new and strange enchantment bound
In tomb or body — which I can’t aver:
Sense animates the trees, and shouldst thou wound
A single one, thou art a murderer.’
XLIV.
Qual l’infermo talor che in sogno scorge
Drago, o cinta di fiamme alta Chimera;
Sebben sospetta, o in parte anco s’accorge
348 Che ‘l simulacro sia non forma vera;
Pur desia di fuggir; tanto gli porge
Spavento la sembianza orrida e fera!
Tal il timido amante appien non crede
352 Ai falsi inganni, e pur ne teme, e cede.
XLIV
As the sick man that in his sleep doth see
Some ugly dragon, or some chimera new,
Though he suspect, or half persuaded be,
It is an idle dream, no monster true,
Yet still he fears, he quakes, and strives to flee,
So fearful is that wondrous form to view;
So feared the knight, yet he both knew and thought
All were illusions false by witchcraft wrought:
XLIV
As sickly patient that in fevered dreams
Flame-girt Chimæra or grim Dragon sees;
And, though he doubts the fact, and partly deems
Them idle phantoms, not realities,
Yet tries to flee, the horrid picture leaves
Upon his heart such terror and dismay:
Thus tho’ the timid lover scarce believes
The false deceits, he trembled and gave way.
XLV.
E dentro, il cor gli è in modo tal conquiso
Da varj affetti, che s’agghiaccia e trema:
E nel moto potente ed improvviso
356 Gli cade il ferro: e ‘l manco è in lui la tema.
Va fuor di se: presente aver gli è avviso
L’offesa donna sua che plori e gema:
Nè può soffrir di rimirar quel sangue,
360 Nè quei gemiti udir d’egro che langue.
XLV
But cold and trembling waxed his frozen heart,
Such strange effects, such passions it torment,
Out of his feeble hand his weapon start,
Himself out of his wits nigh, after went:
Wounded he saw, he thought, for pain and smart,
His lady weep, complain, mourn, and lament,
Nor could he suffer her dear blood to see,
Or hear her sighs that deep far fetched be.
XLV
O’ercome by such emotion was his heart,
That turned to stone appeared the cavalier,
Who in the sudden and convulsive start
Let fall his sword — his least sensation fear;
Nor could contain himself. Before him stood
His murdered idol, moaning and in tears;
He can’t endure the sight of her dear blood,
Nor the faint plaintive wails that reach his ears.
XLVI.
Così quel contra morte audace core
Nulla forma turbò d’alto spavento;
Ma lui, che solo è fievole in amore,
364 Falsa imago deluse, e van lamento.
Il suo caduto ferro intanto fuore
Portò del bosco impetuoso vento;
Sicchè vinto partissi: e in su la strada
368 Ritrovò poscia e ripigliò la spada.
XLVI
Thus his fierce heart which death had scorned oft,
Whom no strange shape or monster could dismay,
With feigned shows of tender love made soft,
A spirit false did with vain plaints betray;
A whirling wind his sword heaved up aloft,
And through the forest bare it quite away.
O’ercome retired the prince, and as he came,
His sword he found, and repossessed the same,
XLVI
Thus the bold heart no dread of death could move,
No form of danger, no horrific fears;
Alone enfeebled by all-powerful love,
A phantom false deludes and idle tears.
A blast of wind meanwhile his sabre bore
Beyond the wood, so that o’ercome he left;
But on the roadway found, and grasped once more,
The sword amazement from his hand had reft
XLVII.
Pur non tornò, nè ritentando ardío
Spiar di novo le cagioni ascose.
E poi che, giunto al sommo Duce, unío
372 Gli spirti alquanto e l’animo compose:
Incominciò: Signor, nunzio son io
Di non credute e non credibil cose.
Ciò che dicean dello spettacol fero
376 E del suon paventoso, è tutto vero.
XLVII
Yet nould return, he had no mind to try
His courage further in those forests green;
But when to Godfrey’s tent he proached nigh,
His spirits waked, his thoughts composed been,
“My Lord.” quoth he, “a witness true am I
Of wonders strange, believe it scant though seen,
What of the fire, the shades, the dreadful sound
You heard, all true by proof myself have found;
XLVII
Still he returned not, nor attempted more
The hidden secrets of the wood to scan,
But Godfred sought, and, trying to restore
Somewhat his scattered senses, thus began:
‘Of things not credited or credible
Herald am I, and must confirm their view,
Since all the accounts of the dread spectacle
And of the fearful sounds are strictly true.
XLVIII.
Maraviglioso foco indi m’apparse,
Senza materia in un istante appreso:
Che sorse, e, dilatando, un muro farse
380 Parve, e d’armati mostri esser difeso.
Pur vi passai: chè nè l’incendio m’arse,
Nè dal ferro mi fu l’andar conteso.
Vernò in quel punto, ed annottò: fè il giorno
384 E la serenità poscia ritorno.
XLVIII
“A burning fire, so are those deserts charmed,
Built like a battled wall to heaven was reared;
Whereon with darts and dre
adful weapons armed,
Of monsters foul mis-shaped whole bands appeared;
But through them all I passed, unhurt, unharmed,
No flame or threatened blow I felt or feared,
Then rain and night I found, but straight again
To day, the night, to sunshine turned the rain.
XLVIII
‘Before mine eyes a wondrous fire appeared,
Which, self-sustained and quickly kindling, rose,
And thence dilating, lofty ramparts reared,
Where monsters stood my passage to oppose;
Yet these I passed, nor hindrance had, nor fight
Uninjured I, tho’ flames around me burned;
When of a sudden winter came and night,
But soon broad day and summer skies returned.
XLIX.
Di più dirò; ch’agli alberi dà vita
Spirito uman che sente e che ragiona.
Per prova sollo; io n’ho la voce udita
388 Che nel cor flebilmente anco mi suona.
Stilla sangue de’ tronchi ogni ferita,
Quasi di molle carne abbian persona.
No, no, più non potrei (vinto mi chiamo)
392 Nè corteccia scorzar, nè sveller ramo.
XLIX
“What would you more? each tree through all that wood
Hath sense, hath life, hath speech, like human kind,
I heard their words as in that grove I stood,
That mournful voice still, still I bear in mind:
And, as they were of flesh, the purple blood
At every blow streams from the wounded rind;
No, no, not I, nor any else, I trow,
Hath power to cut one leaf, one branch, one bough.”
XLIX
‘Still more — within each tree there is transferred
A human soul, man’s very counterpart;
I know it from experience, having heard
A voice whose moans still echo in my heart;
The wounded trees distilled red drops of gore,
As formed of tender flesh. I must avow
My own defeat. No, no; I dare no more
Strip off the bark or pluck another bough.’
L.
Così dice egli; e ‘l Capitano ondeggia
In gran tempesta di pensieri intanto.
Pensa s’egli medesmo andar là deggia
396 (Chè tal lo stima) a ritentar l’incanto:
O se pur di materia altra proveggia
Lontana più, ma non difficil tanto.
Ma dal profondo de’ pensieri suoi
400 L’Eremita il rappella, e dice poi:
L
While thus he said, the Christian’s noble guide
Felt uncouth strife in his contentious thought,
He thought, what if himself in perzon tried
Those witchcrafts strange, and bring those charms to naught,
For such he deemed them, or elsewhere provide
For timber easier got though further sought,
But from his study he at last abraid,
Called by the hermit old that to him said:
L
As thus he spake, the captain ‘gan to wave
In a great tempest of distracting thought,
Thinking should he the enchanted forest brave
(For such he fancied it), or if he ought
Material seek in some more distant place,
But not so difficult As thus he weighed
Both plans, the hermit sought his doubts to chase,
Recalled him from his reverie, and said:
LI.
Lascia il pensier audace; altri conviene
Che delle piante sue la selva spoglie.
Già già la fatal nave all’erme arene
404 La prora accosta, e l’auree vele accoglie.
Già, rotte le indegnissime catene,
L’aspettato Guerrier dal lido scioglie.
Non è lontana omai l’ora prescritta
408 Che sia presa Sion, l’oste sconfitta.
LI
“Leave off thy hardy thought, another’s hands
Of these her plants the wood dispoilen shall,
Now, now the fatal ship of conquest lands,
Her sails are struck, her silver anchors fall,
Our champion broken hath his worthless bands,
And looseth from the soil which held him thrall,
The time draws nigh when our proud foes in field
Shall slaughtered lie, and Sion’s fort shall yield.”
LI
‘The bold design abandon; other hands
Must fell the wood. Lo! urged by favouring gales,
The fatal bark has reached the desert sands,
And now in harbour furls her golden sails;
Now, burst his bondage in Armida’s bower,
The expected warrior leaves his lone retreat;
Nor is far distant the predestined hour
Of Sion’s capture, and our foe’s defeat’
LII.
Parla ei così, fatto di fiamma in volto,
E risuona più ch’uomo in sue parole.
E ‘l pio Goffredo a pensier nuovi è volto;
412 Chè neghittoso già cessar non vuole.
Ma nel Cancro celeste omai raccolto
Apporta arsura inusitata il Sole:
Ch’a’ suoi disegni, a’ suoi guerrier nemica
416 Insopportabil rende ogni fatica.
LII
This said, his visage shone with beams divine,
And more than mortal was his voice’s sound,
Godfredo’s thought to other acts incline,
His working brain was never idle found.
But in the Crab now did bright Titan shine,
And scorched with scalding beams the parched ground,
And made unfit for toil or warlike feat
His soldiers, weak with labor, faint with sweat:
LII
While speaking thus, with zeal his features burned,
And more than mortal did his words resound.
And pious Godfred to new projects turned
His active thoughts, that little respite found;
But having entered in fierce Cancer’s sign,
The sun brought heat intense, unusual,
To his soldiers adverse, and to his own design,
As rendering labour insupportable.
LIII.
Spenta è del Cielo ogni benigna lampa,
Signoreggiano in lui crudeli stelle:
Onde piove virtù che informa e stampa
420 L’aria d’impression maligne e felle.
Cresce l’ardor nocivo, e sempre avvampa
Più mortalmente in queste parti e in quelle:
A giorno reo notte più rea succede,
424 E dì peggior di lei dopo lei vede.
LIII
The planets mild their lamps benign quenched out,
And cruel stars in heaven did signorize,
Whose influence cast fiery flames about
And hot impressions through the earth and skies,
The growing heat still gathered deeper rout,
The noisome warmth through lands and kingdoms flies,
A harmful night a hurtful day succeeds,
And worse than both next morn her light outspreads.
LIII
Spent are the heavens’ benignant, friendly lamps,
And baleful meteors lord it in the sky,
Whence rains a blighting influence, that stamps
On air the seal of its malignant die;
The noxious heat increases, and aye breeds
On every side mortality more keen;
To deadly day more deadly night succeeds,
And days still worse are in succession seen.
LIV.
Non esce il Sol giammai che, asperso e cinto
Di sanguigni vapori entro e d’intorno,
Non mostri nella fronte assai distinto
Non parte mai che, in rosse macchie tinto,
Non minacci egual noja al suo ritorno:
E non inaspri i già sofferti danni
432 Con certa tema di futuri affanni.
LIV
When Phoebus rose he left his golden weed,
And donned a gite in deepest purple dyed,
His sanguine beams about his forehead spread,
A sad presage of ill that should betide,
With vermeil drops at even his tresses bleed,
Foreshows of future heat, from the ocean wide
When next he rose, and thus increased still
Their present harms with dread of future ill,
LIV
The sun ne’er rises, that, o’ershadowed now
With blood-red mists which in and round it play,
It shows not clearly, in its angry brow,
The presage sad of an unhappy day;
Nor sets, that, with red blotches overcast,
At its return it threats not equal doom,
Embittering thus their sufferings of the past,
With certain dread of sufferings yet to come.
LV.
Mentre egli i raggj poi d’alto diffonde,
Quanto d’intorno occhio mortal si gira,
Seccarsi i fiori, e impallidir le fronde,
436 Assetate languir l’erbe rimira,
E fendersi la terra, e scemar l’onde,
Ogni cosa del Ciel soggetta all’ira:
E le sterili nubi in aria sparse
440 In sembianza di fiamme altrui mostrarse.
LV
While thus he bent gainst earth his scorching rays,
He burnt the flowers, burnt his Clytie dear,
The leaves grew wan upon the withered sprays,
The grass and growing herbs all parched were,
Earth cleft in rifts, in floods their streams decays,
The barren clouds with lightning bright appear,
And mankind feared lest Climenes’ child again
Had driven awry his sire’s ill-guided wain.
LV
And when it pours its radiance from on high,
Around, as far as mortal eye can stray,
The leaves are seen to fade, the flowers to die,
The parched-up grass to wither and decay;
Water to ‘minish, the cracked earth to gape,
Nor is there aught that ‘scapes heaven’s burning ire;
The barren clouds in air assume the shape
And awful semblance of great globes of fire.
Jerusalem Delivered Page 244