Jerusalem Delivered

by Torquato Tasso

  Round it weird workmen had contrived to raise

  A straggling range of galleries, amid

  The complex turns of whose fallacious maze

  It rests, almost impenetrably hid.

  II.

  Per l’entrata maggior (però che cento

  L’ampio albergo n’avea) passar costoro.

  Le porte quì d’effigiato argento

  12 Su i cardini stridean di lucid’oro.

  Fermar nelle figure il guardo intento:

  Chè vinta la materia è dal lavoro.

  Manca il parlar: di vivo altro non chiedi:

  16 Nè manca questo ancor, se gli occhj credi.

  II

  The knights passed through the castle’s largest gate,

  Though round about an hundred ports there shine,

  The door-leaves framed of carved silver-plate,

  Upon their golden hinges turn and twine.

  They stayed to view this work of wit and state.

  The workmanship excelled the substance fine,

  For all the shapes in that rich metal wrought,

  Save speech, of living bodies wanted naught.

  II

  Thro’ the main entrance (the vast pile had more

  Than hundred others) passed the warriors bold.

  Of chiselled silver, each elaborate door

  Creaked on bright hinges of refulgent gold.

  They paused to scan the workmanship, and each

  Found that the rich material it outvies;

  No sign of life here fails, save that of speech,

  Nor had that failed, could they believe their eyes.

  III.

  Mirasi quì, fra le Meonie ancelle,

  Favoleggiar con la conocchia Alcide.

  Se l’inferno espugnò, resse le stelle,

  20 Or torce il fuso; Amor se ‘l guarda, e ride.

  Mirasi Jole con la destra imbelle,

  Per ischerno, trattar l’armi omicide:

  E in dosso ha il cuojo del leon, che sembra

  24 Ruvido troppo a sì tenere membra.

  III

  Alcides there sat telling tales, and spun

  Among the feeble troops of damsels mild,

  He that the fiery gates of hell had won

  And heaven upheld; false Love stood by and smiled:

  Armed with his club fair Iole forth run,

  His club with blood of monsters foul defiled,

  And on her back his lion’s skin had she,

  Too rough a bark for such a tender tree.

  III

  Here they amid Mæonian maidens viewed

  How Hercules the passing hour beguiles;

  And if he ruled the stars, and hell subdued,

  He twirls the spindle now: Love looks and smiles.

  Here, with effeminate hand, Iolé bears,

  In mocking mood, his homicidal arms,

  And on her back his lion-mantle wears —

  Too rough a burden for such dainty charms.

  IV.

  D’incontro è un mare; e di canuto flutto

  Vedi spumanti i suoi cerulei campi.

  Vedi nel mezzo un doppio ordine instrutto

  28 Di navi, e d’arme: e uscir dall’arme i lampi.

  D’oro fiammeggia l’onda: e par che tutto

  D’incendio marzial Leucate avvampi.

  Quinci Augusto i Romani, Antonio quindi

  32 Trae l’Oriente, Egizj, Arabi, ed Indi.

  IV

  Beyond was made a sea, whose azure flood

  The hoary froth crushed from the surges blue,

  Wherein two navies great well ranged stood

  Of warlike ships, fire from their arms outflew,

  The waters burned about their vessels good,

  Such flames the gold therein enchased threw,

  Caesar his Romans hence, the Asian kings

  Thence Antony and Indian princes brings.

  IV

  A sea lies opposite, whose azure plain

  Sparkles with foam from the white billow’s splash,

  And in the midst a double row is seen

  Of ships and arms: the arms with lightning flash,

  With gold the waters glow; and ’twould appear

  That ev’n Leucaté caught the battle’s blaze:

  Augustus there his Romans leads; and here

  His eastern army Antony arrays.

  V.

  Svelte nuotar le Cicladi diresti

  Per l’onde, e i monti coi gran monti urtarsi:

  L’impeto è tanto, onde quei vanno e questi

  36 Co’ legni torreggianti ad incontrarsi.

  Già volar faci, e dardi: e già funesti

  Vedi di nova strage i mari sparsi.

  Ecco (nè punto ancor la pugna inchina)

  40 Ecco fuggir la barbara Reina.

  V

  The Cyclades seemed to swim amid the main,

  And hill gainst hill, and mount gainst mountain smote,

  With such great fury met those armies twain;

  Here burnt a ship, there sunk a bark or boat,

  Here darts and wild-fire flew, there drowned or slain

  Of princes dead the bodies fleet and float;

  Here Caesar wins, and yonder conquered been

  The Eastern ships, there fled the Egyptian queen:

  V

  You’d say, unmoored, the nimble Cyclades

  Plunged through the waves; that rock encountered rock,

  The force was such with which both those and these,

  In towering vessels, met in mortal shock;

  Now darts and fire-balls fly, and now you see

  The fatal waters with fresh carnage red;

  And, ere decided is the victory,

  Lo! panic struck, the barbarous queen has fled.

  VI.

  E fugge Antonio! e lasciar può la speme

  Dell’imperio del mondo ov’egli aspira?

  Non fugge no, non teme il fier non teme;

  44 Ma segue lei che fugge, e seco il tira.

  Vedresti lui simile ad uom che freme

  D’amore, a un tempo, e di vergogna e d’ira,

  Mirar alternamente or la crudele

  48 Pugna ch’è in dubbio, or le fuggenti vele.

  VI

  Antonius eke himself to flight betook,

  The empire lost to which he would aspire,

  Yet fled not he nor fight for fear forsook,

  But followed her, drawn on by fond desire:

  Well might you see within his troubled look,

  Strive and contend, love, courage, shame and ire;

  Oft looked he back, oft gazed he on the fight,

  But oftener on his mistress and her flight.

  VI

  Antonio flies, and may that hope foreclose

  Of the world’s empire to which he aspired:

  He flies not, no, nor fears — no fear he knows;

  But follows her by fatal frenzy fired,

  Fuming like one o’er whom, as thus he flies,

  Remorse, combined with love and rage prevails,

  And who, distraught, alternately descries

  The doubtful combat and the flying sails.

  VII.

  Nelle latébre poi del Nilo accolto

  Attender pare in grembo a lei la morte:

  E nel piacer d’un bel leggiadro volto

  52 Sembra che il duro fato egli conforte.

  Di cotai segni variato e scolto

  Era il metallo delle regie porte.

  I due guerrier, poichè dal vago obbietto

  56 Rivolser gli occhj, entrar nel dubbio tetto.

  VII

  Then in the secret creeks of fruitful Nile,

  Cast in her lap, he would sad death await,

  And in the pleasure of her lovely smile

  Sweeten the bitter stroke of cursed fate:

  All this did art with curious hand compile

  In the rich metal of that princely gate.

  The knights these s
tories viewed first and last,

  Which seen, they forward pressed, and in they passed:

  VII

  Then, sheltered in the coverts of the Nile,

  He on her bosom seems for death to wait,

  And in the bliss of her angelic smile

  To find some solace for his bitter fate:

  Varied and sculptured in such wondrous guise

  Was the rich metal of the princely gate;

  From these fair objects turning, then, their eyes,

  The knights the intricate building penetrate.

  VIII.

  Qual Meandro fra rive oblique e incerte

  Scherza, e con dubbio corso or cala or monta:

  Queste acque ai fonti, e quelle al mar converte:

  60 E mentre ei vien, sè che ritorna, affronta:

  Tali, e più inestricabili conserte

  Son queste vie: ma il libro in se le impronta:

  Il libro, don del Mago; e d’esse in modo

  64 Parla, che le risolve, e spiega il nodo.

  VIII

  As through his channel crooked Meander glides

  With turns and twines, and rolls now to, now fro,

  Whose streams run forth there to the salt sea sides

  Here back return and to their springward go:

  Such crooked paths, such ways this palace hides;

  Yet all the maze their map described so,

  That through the labyrinth they got in fine,

  As Theseus did by Ariadne’s line.

  VIII

  As the Maeander mounts and now descends

  Its sinuous banks in mazy doubtful course,

  Now up to its springs, now down to the ocean bends,

  And meets itself returning to its source:

  Such, and more puzzling, were those tortuous ways;

  But the book held the secret of the spot;

  The wizard’s gift such perfect clue conveys,

  That they unravelled and resolved the knot.

  IX.

  Poichè lasciar gli avviluppati calli,

  In lieto aspetto il bel giardin s’aperse.

  Acque stagnanti, mobili cristalli,

  68 Fior varj e varie piante, erbe diverse,

  Apriche collinette, ombrose valli,

  Selve e spelonche in una vista offerse:

  E quel che il bello, e il caro accresce all’opre,

  72 L’arte che tutto fa, nulla si scopre.

  IX

  When they had passed all those troubled ways,

  The garden sweet spread forth her green to show,

  The moving crystal from the fountains plays,

  Fair trees, high plants, strange herbs and flowerets new,

  Sunshiny hills, dales hid from Phoebus’ rays,

  Groves, arbors, mossy caves, at once they view,

  And that which beauty moat, most wonder brought,

  Nowhere appeared the art which all this wrought.

  IX

  But when they had passed those labyrinthine bowers,

  In gay aspèct the lovely garden opes:

  Still water, springing crystal, myriad flowers,

  All kinds of herbs and plants, rich sunny slopes,

  Grottoes and groves, dark vales’ inviting shade,

  Were grouped together in one fairy scene;

  And what more beautiful the picture made,

  Art, that did all, remained herself unseen.

  X.

  Stimi (sì misto il culto è col negletto)

  Sol naturali e gli ornamenti, e i siti.

  Di natura arte par, che per diletto

  76 L’imitatrice sua scherzando imiti.

  L’aura, non ch’altro, è della Maga effetto,

  L’aura che rende gli alberi fioriti:

  Co’ fiori eterni eterno il frutto dura,

  80 E mentre spunta l’un, l’altro matura.

  X

  So with the rude the polished mingled was

  That natural seemed all and every part,

  Nature would craft in counterfeiting pass,

  And imitate her imitator art:

  Mild was the air, the skies were clear as glass,

  The trees no whirlwind felt, nor tempest smart,

  But ere the fruit drop off, the blossom comes,

  This springs, that falls, that ripeneth and this blooms.

  X

  So blent was waste with ornament, you’d deem

  All strictly natural: the art of Nature

  Was such, that she, in frolic mood, would seem

  For sport to imitate her imitator.

  The very air was formed by magic powers

  That caused perennial spring: undying fruit

  For ever bloomed amid undying flowers,

  And one was ripe when the other ‘gan to shoot.

  XI.

  Nel tronco istesso, e tra l’istessa foglia

  Sovra il nascente fico invecchia il fico.

  Pendono a un ramo, un con dorata spoglia,

  84 L’altro con verde, il novo e il pomo antico.

  Lussureggiante serpe alto, e germoglia

  La torta vite, ov’è più l’orto apríco:

  Quì l’uva ha in fiori acerba, e quì d’or l’have

  88 E di pirópo, e già di nettar grave.

  XI

  The leaves upon the self-same bough did hide

  Beside the young the old and ripened fig,

  Here fruit was green, there ripe with vermeil side,

  The apples new and old grew on one twig,

  The fruitful vine her arms spread high and wide

  That bended underneath their clusters big,

  The grapes were tender here, hard, young and sour,

  There purple ripe, and nectar sweet forth pour.

  XI

  On the same stem, and ‘twixt the self-same leaves,

  One fig is ripe, while ‘neath, another blows;

  To the same bough the golden apple cleaves,

  As that on which its green successor grows;

  In rank luxuriance the meandering vine

  Creep to the sunniest aspect you behold;

  Here flowering buds their tortuous tendrils twine;

  Here, big with nectar, rubies form and gold.

  XII.

  Vezzosi augelli infra le verdi fronde

  Temprano a prova lascivette note.

  Mormora l’aura, e fa le foglie e l’onde

  92 Garrir, che variamente ella percote:

  Quando taccion gli augelli, alto risponde;

  Quando cantan gli augei, più lieve scote:

  Sia caso od arte, or accompagna ed ora

  96 Alterna i versi lor la musica ora.

  XII

  The joyous birds, hid under greenwood shade,

  Sung merry notes on every branch and bough,

  The wind that in the leaves and waters played

  With murmur sweet, now sung, and whistled now;

  Ceased the birds, the wind loud answer made,

  And while they sung, it rumbled soft and low;

  Thus were it hap or cunning, chance or art,

  The wind in this strange music bore his part.

  XII

  Beautiful birds, among the frondous boughs,

  Vie with each other in seductive spells;

  O’er wood and water gentle Zephyr blows,

  And them to murmur as she strikes compels.

  When cease the birds, loudly the air replies;

  When sing the birds, more soft its tones appear;

  Or chance or art the voices harmonise,

  Or in alternate numbers charm the ear.

  XIII.

  Vola fra gli altri un che le piume ha sparte

  Di color varj, ed ha purpureo il rostro;

  E lingua snoda in guisa larga, e parte

  100 La voce sì, ch’assembra il sermon nostro:

  Quest’ivi allor continuò con arte

  Tanta il parlar, che fu mirabil mostro.

  Tacquero gli altri ad a
scoltarlo intenti,

  104 E fermaro i susurri in aria i venti.

  XIII

  With party-colored plumes’ and purple bill,

  A wondrous bird among the rest there flew,

  That in plain speech sung love-lays loud and shrill,

  Her leden was like human language true;

  So much she talked, and with such wit and skill,

  That strange it seemed how much good she knew,

  Her feathered fellows all stood hush to hear,

  Dumb was the wind, the waters silent were.

  XIII

  One bird there was, that ‘mong the others flew,

  Of variegated plume and purple beak,

  Whose untied tongue such sounds articulate drew,

  That like a man he almost seemed to speak;

  And with such art continued to prolong

  His sweet discourse, he seemed a marvel rare.

  The others paused to listen to his song,

  And the wind hushed the whispers in the air.

  XIV.

  Deh mira (egli cantò) spuntar la rosa

  Dal verde suo modesta e verginella;

  Che mezzo aperta ancora, e mezzo ascosa,

  108 Quanto si mostra men, tanto è più bella.

  Ecco poi nudo il sen già baldanzosa

  Dispiega: ecco poi langue, e non par quella,

  Quella non par che desiata innanti

  112 Fu da mille donzelle e mille amanti.

  XIV

  “The gently budding rose,” quoth she, “behold,

  That first scant peeping forth with virgin beams,

  Half ope, half shut, her beauties doth upfold

  In their dear leaves, and less seen, fairer seems,

  And after spreads them forth more broad and bold,

  Then languisheth and dies in last extremes,

  Nor seems the same, that decked bed and bower

  Of many a lady late, and paramour;

  XIV

  ‘Ah, see,’ he sang, ‘the blushing maiden rose

  Peep from her green, in modesty arrayed,

  And still half open, still half shut, disclose

  The greater loveliness, the less displayed.

  Lo! she, grown bolder, bares her bosom — Lo!

  But scarce uncovered, her frail beauty fades,

  Nor seems the same — the same no longer, so

  Desired before by lovers and by maids.

  XV.

  Così trapassa al trapassar d’un giorno

  Della vita mortale il fiore, e ‘l verde: