Jerusalem Delivered
Page 284
His left eye viewed her hand, her face, his right
Both watched her beauties hid and secret store,
And entrance found where her thin veil bewrayed
The milken-way between her breasts that laid.
LXIX
Then saw Prince Altamore; he stood apart,
Amid a bevy of fair girls, and rolled
His eager glances with discretionate art,
And by strong effort his desire controlled.
Now on her hand, now on her lovely face,
Now on more guarded charms his vision rests;
Now penetrates to where the truant lace
A secret path discloses ‘tween her breasts.
LXX.
Alza alfin gli occhj Armida, e pur alquanto
La bella fronte sua torna serena;
E repente fra i nuvoli del pianto
556 Un soave sorriso apre, e balena.
Signor, dicea, membrando il vostro vanto,
L’anima mia puote scemar la pena:
Chè d’esser vendicata in breve aspetta:
560 E dolce è l’ira in aspettar vendetta.
LXX
Her eyes Armida lift from earth at last,
And cleared again her front and visage sad,
Midst clouds of woe her looks which overcast
She lightened forth a smile, sweet, pleasant, glad;
“My lord,” quoth she, “your oath and promise passed,
Hath freed my heart of all the griefs it had,
That now in hope of sweet revenge it lives,
Such joy, such ease, desired vengeance gives.”
LXX
At length Armida lifts her eyes, awhile
Soft and serene her beauteous brow appears,
And of a sudden a celestial smile
Breaks out, and flashes through a cloud of tears.
Sir knights,’ she said, ‘remembrance of your vaunt
Doth much the anguish of my soul assuage;
For vengeance quick and summary I pant,
And with revenge in prospect, sweet is rage.’
LXXI.
Risponde l’Indian: la fronte mesta
Deh, per Dio, rasserena, e ‘l duolo alleggia:
Ch’assai tosto avverrà che l’empia testa
564 Di quel Rinaldo a piè tronca ti veggia:
O menarolti prigionier con questa
Ultrice mano, ove prigion tu ‘l chieggia.
Così promisi in voto; or l’altro, ch’ode,
568 Motto non fa; ma tra suo cor si rode.
LXXI
“Cheer up thy looks,” answered the Indian king,
“And for sweet beauty’s sake, appease thy woe,
Cast at your feet ere you expect the thing,
I will present the head of thy strong foe;
Else shall this hand his person captive bring
And cast in prison deep;” he boasted so.
His rival heard him well, yet answered naught,
But bit his lips, and grieved in secret thought.
LXXI
‘Ah, for God’s sake,’ the Indian chieftain said,
‘Clear thy sad brow, and grieve not, I entreat;
Soon shalt thou see the execrable head
Of that Rinaldo rolling at thy feet,
Or this avenging hand shall drag him here,
Captive to thee.’ Thus promised on his part:
Listening to which, the other cavalier
Spoke not, tho’ almost bursting in his heart.
LXXII.
Volgendo in Tisaferno il dolce sguardo:
Tu, che dici, Signor? colei soggiunge.
Risponde egli infingendo: io, che son tardo,
572 Seguiterò il valor così da lunge
Di questo tuo terribile e gagliardo:
E con tai detti amaramente il punge.
Ripiglia l’Indo allor: ben è ragione,
576 Che lunge segua, e tema il paragone.
LXXII
To Tisipherne the damsel turning right,
“And what say you, my noble lord?” quoth she.
He taunting said, “I that am slow to fight
Will follow far behind, the worth to see
Of this your terrible and puissant knight,”
In scornful words this bitter scoff gave he.
“Good reason,” quoth the king, “thou come behind,
Nor e’er compare thee with the Prince of Ind.”
LXXII
Then turning to Prince Tisapherne, she cried,
With a sweet smile: ‘What sayest thou, signor?’
He with derisive raillery replied:
‘I will discreetly follow from afar,
As I am backward, you dare-devil knight;’
And deeply stung the Indian by his sneer,
Who took him up: ‘Most meet it is and right
That thou shouldst follow, and the ordeal fear.’
LXXIII.
Crollando Tisaferno il capo altero
Disse: o foss’io signor del mio talento:
Libero avessi in questa spada impero;
580 Chè tosto e’ si parria chi sia più lento.
Non temo io te, nè i tuoi gran vanti, o fero;
Ma il Cielo, e ‘l mio nemico amor pavento.
Tacque; e sorgeva Adrasto a far disfida;
584 Ma la prevenne, e s’interpose Armida.
LXXIII
Lord Tisiphernes shook his head, and said,
“Oh, had my power free like my courage been,
Or had I liberty to use this blade,
Who slow, who weakest is, soon should be seen,
Nor thou, nor thy great vaunts make me afraid,
But cruel love I fear, and this fair queen.”
This said, to challenge him the king forth leapt,
But up their mistress start, and twixt them stepped:
LXXIII
His haught head tossing, Tisaphernes cried:
‘Ah, were I master of my will, proud peer,
And could this falchion use, ’twould soon decide
Which of us twain most backward would appear.
Thee or thy vaunts I fear not to oppose;
’Tis Heaven alone and hostile love are feared.’
He ceased: to challenge him Adrastus rose,
But ‘twixt them fair Armida interfered.
LXXIV.
Diss’ella: o Cavalier, perchè quel dono,
Donatomi più volte, anco togliete?
Miei campion sete voi; pur esser buono
588 Dovria tal nome a por tra voi quiete.
Meco s’adira, chi s’adira: io sono
Nell’offese l’offesa; e voi ‘l sapete.
Così lor parla; e così avvien che accordi
592 Sotto giogo di ferro alme discordi.
LXXIV
“Will you thus rob me of that gift,” quoth she,
“Which each hath vowed to give by word and oath?
You are my champions, let that title be
The bond of love and peace between you both;
He that displeased is, is displeased with me,
For which of you is grieved, and I not wroth?”
Thus warned she them, their hearts, for ire nigh broke,
In forced peace and rest thus bore love’s yoke.
LXXIV
‘Ah, why that gift so often given me, would
Ye, gallant knights,’ she whispered, ‘take away?
Ye are my champions, and that title should
Alone suffice your quarrels to allay.
I am the offended one in your offence;
This ye well know.’ Thus to the rivals spoke,
According by her gentle influence
Discordant spirits ‘neath an iron yoke.
LXXV.
È presente Vafrino, e ‘l tutto ascolta:
E, sottrattone il vero, indi si toglie.
Spia dell’alta congiura, e lei ravvolta
596 Trova in silenzio, e nu
lla ne raccoglie.
Chiedene improntamente anco talvolta:
E la difficoltà cresce le voglie.
O quì lasciar la vita egli è disposto,
600 O riportarne il gran secreto ascosto.
LXXV
All this heard Vafrine as he stood beside,
And having learned the truth, he left the tent,
That treason was against the Christian’s guide
Contrived, he wist, yet wist not how it went,
By words and questions far off, he tried
To find the truth; more difficult, more bent
Was he to know it, and resolved to die,
Or of that secret close the intent to spy.
LXXV
Vafrino, present, heard the whole, and thence
The truth surmising, took himself away;
Of the dark plot he had some evidence,
But found that all in deep involvement lay.
Still, still he enquired; the obstacles alone
Increased his wish the mystery to track;
His life he was determined to lay down,
Or bring the important hidden secret back.
LXXVI.
Mille e più vie d’accorgimento ignote,
Mille e più pensa inusitate frodi.
E pur con tutto ciò non gli son note
604 Dell’occulta congiura o l’arme, o i modi.
Fortuna alfin (quel ch’ei per se non puote)
Isviluppò d’ogni suo dubbio i nodi.
Sì ch’ei distinto e manifesto intese,
608 Come l’insidie al pio Buglion sian tese.
LXXVI
Of sly intelligence he proved all ways,
All crafts, all wiles, that in his thoughts abide,
Yet all in vain the man by wit assays,
To know that false compact and practice hid:
But chance, what wisdom could not tell, bewrays,
Fortune of all his doubt the knots undid,
So that prepared for Godfrey’s last mishap
At ease he found the net, and spied the trap.
LXXVI
Countless, unheard of schemes his subtile brain
Formed, nor a single trick or fraud forgot;
Still with all that, he could no knowledge gain
Of the arms and plan of the mysterious plot.
Fortune at length (which he had failed to do)
The knot of his perplexities unwound;
Whence to those snares, ‘gainst Godfred set, the clue,
In one entire unbroken chain, he found.
LXXVII.
Era tornato ov’è pur anco assisa,
Fra’ suoi campioni, la nemica amante:
Ch’ivi opportun l’investigarne avvisa,
612 Ove traean genti sì varie e tante.
Or quì s’accosta a una donzella, in guisa
Che par che v’abbia conoscenza innante;
Par v’abbia d’amistade antica usanza,
616 E ragiona in affabile sembianza.
LXXVII
Thither he turned again where seated was,
The angry lover, ‘twixt her friends and lords,
For in that troop much talk he thought would pass,
Each great assembly store of news affords,
He sided there a lusty lovely lass,
And with some courtly terms the wench he boards,
He feigns acquaintance, and as bold appears
As he had known that virgin twenty years.
LXXVII
Returned Vafrino had to where still sat,
Amid her champion knights, the lover-foe;
For there he deemed it best to investigate,
Where such great crowds were passing to and fro.
Here, then, a Pagan damsel he addressed
As an old friend he previously had known,
And former friendship’s privilege possessed;
Familiar and fair spoken was his tone.
LXXVIII.
Egli dicea, quasi per gioco, anch’io
Vorrei d’alcuna bella esser campione:
E troncar penserei col ferro mio
620 Il capo o di Rinaldo o del Buglione.
Chiedila pure a me, se n’hai desio,
La testa d’alcun barbaro barone.
Così comincia, e pensa appoco appoco
624 A più grave parlar ridurre il gioco.
LXXVIII
He said, “Would some sweet lady grace me so,
To chose me for her champion, friend and knight,
Proud Godfrey’s or Rinaldo’s head, I trow,
Should feel the sharpness of my curtlax bright;
Ask me the head, fair mistress, of some foe,
For to your beauty wooed is my might;”
So he began, and meant in speeches wise
Further to wade, but thus he broke the ice.
LXXVIII
‘Fain would I, too,’ by way of jest, he said,
‘Become the champion of some fair. I feel
Sure I could Bouillon’s or Rinaldo’s head
Rive with one sweep of my avenging steel.
But ask, and I will bring you, if you please,
One of you barbarous barons’ heads.’ Thus spoke,
By way of prelude, meaning, by degrees,
To more important ends to bring the joke.
LXXIX.
Ma in questo dir sorrise, e fè, ridendo,
Un cotal atto suo nativo usato.
Una dell’altre allor quì sorgiungendo,
628 L’udì, guardollo, e poi gli venne a lato;
Disse: involarti a ciascun’altra intendo:
Nè ti dorrai d’amor male impiegato.
In mio campion t’eleggo; ed in disparte,
632 Come a mio cavalier, vuò ragionarte.
LXXIX
Therewith he smiled, and smiling gan to frame
His looks so to their old and native grace,
That towards him another virgin came,
Heard him, beheld him, and with bashful face
Said, “For thy mistress choose no other dame
But me, on me thy love and service place,
I take thee for my champion, and apart
Would reason with thee, if my knight thou art.”
LXXIX
But as he spoke he smiled, and smiling made
A certain gesture, to him natural;
When at that moment, lo! another maid
Heard, saw, came up, and said to him: ‘From all
The rest I intend to carry off thy heart;
Nor needest thou unworthy service fear;
Thee I elect my champion, and apart
Converse would with thee as my cavalier.’
LXXX.
Ritirollo, e parlò: riconosciuto
Ho te, Vafrin, tu me conoscer dei:
Nel cor turbossi lo scudiero astuto;
636 Pur si rivolse, sorridendo, a lei:
Non t’ho (che mi sovvenga) unqua veduto;
E degna pur d’esser mirata sei.
Questo so ben, ch’assai vario da quello,
640 Che tu dicesti, è il nome, ond’io m’appello.
LXXX
Withdrawn, she thus began, “Vafrine, pardie,
I know thee well, and me thou knowest of old,”
To his last trump this drove the subtle spy,
But smiling towards her he turned him bold,
“Ne’er that I wot I saw thee erst with eye,
Yet for thy worth all eyes should thee behold,
Thus much I know right well, for from the same
Which erst you gave me different is my name.
LXXX
Aside she drew, and said to him: ‘Thou art
Found out, Vafrino; thou shouldst know me, too.’
The crafty squire was troubled sore at heart,
But turned to her again, and smiled anew.
‘Thee, who, once seen, could ne’er from memory fade,
I ne’er bef
ore have seen, that I am aware;
I only know far different, lovely maid,
From what thou call’st me, is the name I bear.
LXXXI.
Me, su la piaggia di Biserta apríca,
Lesbin produsse, e mi nomò Almanzorre:
Tosto, disse ella, ho conoscenza antica,
644 D’ogni esser tuo: nè già mi voglio apporre.
Non ti celar da me, ch’io sono amica,
Ed in tuo pro vorrei la vita esporre.
Erminia son, già di Re figlia, e serva
648 Poi di Tancredi un tempo, e tua conserva.
LXXXI
“My mother bore me near Bisertus wall,
Her name was Lesbine, mine is Almansore!”
“I knew long since,” quoth she, “what men thee call,
And thine estate, dissemble it no more,
From me thy friend hide not thyself at all,
If I betray thee let me die therefore,
I am Erminia, daughter to a prince,
But Tancred’s slave, thy fellow-servant since;
LXXXI
‘Me on Biserta’s slope Lesbin begot;
My name’s Almanzor.’ i Tuscan,’ she replied,
‘Well, well I know thy person, and need not
Guess at what thou wouldst strive in vain to hide.
For I am thy friend, Vafrino, and would fling
My life away thine or thy lord’s to save:
Erminia I, erst daughter of a king,
Tancredi’s captive, and thy fellow slave.
LXXXII.
Nella dolce prigion due lieti mesi
Pietoso prigionier m’avesti in guarda:
E mi servisti in bei modi cortesi.
652 Ben dessa i’ son, ben dessa i’ son: riguarda.
Lo scudier, come pria v’ha gli occhj intesi,
La bella faccia a ravvisar non tarda.
Vivi (ella soggiungea) da me sicuro:
656 Per questo Ciel, per questo Sol te ‘l giuro.
LXXXII
“Two happy months within that prison kind,
Under thy guard rejoiced I to dwell,
And thee a keeper meek and good did find,
The same, the same I am; behold me well.”
The squire her lovely beauty called to mind,
And marked her visage fair: “From thee expel
All fear,” she says, “for me live safe and sure,
I will thy safety, not thy harm procure.
LXXXII
‘Two happy months, in welcome prison, thou