by bardic men who drain Parnassus’ tide:
And now he dreadeth lest a name so famed
be doomed for ever in the mire to hide
of Lethe-fountain, if on Inde debark
these vagueing Portingalls so strong and stark.
But him opposed Venus, lovely fair, 33
whose heart her Lusian sons had won the more,
since in them seen the qualities high and rare,
the gifts that deckt her Romans dear of yore:
The heart of valour, and the potent star,
whose splendour dazzled Tingitanan shore;
and e’en the musick of their speech appears
soft bastard Latin to her loving ears.
These causes moved Cytherea’s sprite; 34
and more when learnt she that the Fates intended
the Queen of Beauty should be glorious hight
where’er their warrior sway her sons extended.
Thus He, who feared future stain and blight,
and She, whose heart to honours high pretended
urge the debate in obstinate strife remaining;
with favouring friends each rival right maintaining:
As the fierce South, or Boreas in the shade 35
of sylvan upland where the tree-boles cluster,
the branches shattering crash through glooming glade
with horrid hurry and infuriate fluster:
Roars all the mountain, Echo moans in dread;
torn is the leaf’ery, hill-heads boil and bluster:
Such gusty tumults rise amid the Gods
within Olympus’ consecrate abodes.
But Mars, for ever wont t’ espouse the part 36
of his dear Goddess, whatsoe’er the case;
or for old love that flicker’d in his heart,
or for the merits of her fighting race;
forth from the Gods upsprang with sudden start:
Stern melancholy markt his gest and face;
the pond’erous pavoise from his gorget hung
behind his shoulders full of wrath he flung:
His beavoir’d helmet of the diamant stone 37
opeing a little, of his strength right sure,
his sense to speak he strode and stood alone
Jupiter facing, armed, dour and dure:
Then with hard pen’etrant blow he bore adown
his steely spear-heel on the pavement pure;
quaked the welkin; and Apollo’s ray
waxt somewhat wan as though by cold dismay.
And thus:—” Omnipo’tent Sire! whose awful reign 38
perforce obeyeth all thy pow’er hath made;
if these, who seek a new half-world to gain,
whose deeds of brav’ery hast with love survey’d,
thou wouldst not guerdon with a shame and stain,
that erst were favoured through the years that fade
listen no longer thou, sole Judge direct,
to glozing reasons all we Gods suspect:
“For, did not Reason in this matter show 39
herself the victim of unmeasured fear,
better beseems it Bacchus love bestow
on Lusus’ children, once his comrade dear:
But, let this vain and splen’etick purpose go,
since bred of evil stomach; for ‘t is clear
that alien envy ne’er shall turn to woes
what weal men merit, and the Gods dispose.
“And thou, O Sire of surest constancy! 40
from the determined purpose of thy mind
turn thee not backwards; weakness’t were in thee
now to desist thee from the thing design’d.
Send forth thine agile herald, Mercury,
fleeter than trimmed shaft, or winnowing wind,
and show, some happy hythe where Rest shall joy
all weary breasts with news of India nigh.”
As thus he said, the Sire of sovereign might 41
assented, nodding grave his awful head
to Mars’ opinion, ever fain of fight,
and o’er the Council show’ers of nectar shed.
The Galaxy, the pathway glowing bright,
the Deities all disparting rose to tread;
royal obeisance making, and the road
each took returning to his own abode.
While thus it happens in th’ aethereal reign, — 42
Omnipotent Olympick height serene, —
the warrior People cut the curved main
Austral and Oriental course between;
where fronts the face of AEthiopick plain
far-famed Saint Lawrence Isle; Sol’s brightest sheen
upon the water-deities rained fire,
who, changed to fishes, ‘scaped Typhoeus’ ire.
The wafting winds so winsome urged their way, 43
As though the smiling heav’ens dear friends defended;
serene the welkin, and the lucid day
dawn’ed sans a cloud nor aught of risk portended:
Astern the leek-green point of Prasum lay
an olden name where AEthiop coast extended;
when Ocean op’ening broad a vista show’d
of islets fondled by the circling flood.
Vasco da Gama, valiant Capitayne, 44
for derring-do the noblest volunteer,
of not’able courage and of noble strain,
whom smile of constant Fortune loved to cheer;
seeth no reason why he should remain
where shows the shore-line desert, dark and drear:
Once more determined he to tempt the sea;
but as he willed Fortune nill’ed it be.
For look! appeareth a flotilla yonder, 45
mosquito-craft that cleave the rolling tide;
and with their flowing sails the surges sunder,
from the small island next the continent side:
The crews rejoicing, in their hope and wonder
could gaze on naught save what their hearts had joy’d.
“Who may be these?” each ask’ed him in amaze;
“What law be theirs, what ruler, what their ways?”
The boats appeared in a manner new 46
long-built and narrow-beamed, for swiftness plan’d;
mats were the wings wherewith they lightly flew
from certain palm-fronds wove by cunning hand:
The people wore that veritable hue,
Phaeton’s boon to many a burning land,
when work’ed his rashness on the world such ills:
So Padus knows and Lampethusa feels.
They come costumed all in cotton gear, 47
of hues contrasting, striped, chequed, and white;
one zone-girt cloth around the waist they wear,
other they throw on back in airy plight:
Above the waist-band each brown form is bare;
dag-targe and matchet are their arms of fight:
Scull-cap on head; and, as they wend their way,
shriek shrilly shawms, and harsh-voiced trumpets bray.
Waving their raiment and their hands they signed 48
the Lusitanian folk to wait awhile:
but our light Prores their course had now inclined
to strike where shelter’d by the nearest isle:
Soldiers and sailors in one toil conjoined
as though were here the period of their toil:
They take in sail, and strike the lofty spar,
and Ocean, anchor-smit, froths high in air.
Nor had they anchor’d, when the stranger race 49
the shrouds upswarming ready footing gained;
joyous they cluster glad of gest and face;
our Captain gracious greeting gives unfeigned.
He bids incontinent the board to grace
with vinous liquor first Lyaeus drained;
they crown the chrystal cups, the proffer’d wine
Phaeton’s scorched folk
nowise decline.
Afeasting cheery all the guests enquired 50
in Arab language, Whence had come their hosts?
Who were they? Where their land? What they desired?
What seas their keels had cut and conn’d what coasts?
The valiant Lusians answered with required
discretion, and eschewing foolish boasts, —
“We are the Occidental Portughuese;
And, seeking Orient lands, we sail the seas.
We now have coasted, running Ocean o’er, 51
Callisto’s Arctick and th’ Antarctick lands;
our course hath circled Africk’s winding shore;
strange skies exploring and yet stranger strands:
Ours is a potent King, loved evermore,
and we so prize his praise and his commands,
with mien right joyful, not the sea and sky,
but even Ach’eron Lake we dare defy.
“And wend we seeking by his royal will 52
where farthest Indus wat’ereth Eastern plain:
For him through wild wide waves we hoist the sail,
where ugly seals and ores deform the Main.
But Reason tells us that ye may not fail
to answer, an of Truth your souls be fain,
Who are ye? What this land wherein ye wone?
And sign of India is to you beknown?”
“We live,” an island-man thus answ’ering said, 53
“aliens in land and law and eke in blood;
where native races are by nature bred,
a lawless, loutish, and unreasoning brood.
We hold his certain Law, that Holy Seed,
springing from Abram’s loins, who hath subdued
the nations subject to his sign’ory true;
by sire a Gentile and by mother Jew.
“This little island, where we now abide, 54
of all this seaboard is the one sure place
for ev’ery merchantman that stems the tide,
from Quiloa or Sofalah or Mombas:
Here, as ’tis necessary, long we’ve tried
to house and home us, like its proper race:
In fine to find you with the facts you seek,
man calls our little island ‘Mozambique.’
“And, as far-faring now ye come to view 55
Indie Hydaspes and his burning board,
hence ye shall bear a Pilot, sure and true,
whose skill the safest guidance shall afford:
‘Twere also well, ere you your toils renew,
vittaile to ship, and let our island-lord,
who governeth this land, his guests behold,
and stock with needed store each empty hold.”
His speech thus spake the Moor, and took his leave, 56
he and his meiny where the batels lay:
formal farewells to chief and crews he gave,
exchanging congees with due courtesy.
Now weary Phoebus in the western wave
had stalled the chrystal chariot of the Day,
and gave his bright-brow’d sister charge t’ illume
the vast of Earth while lasted nightly gloom.
Aboard the way-worn Fleet blithe sped the night 57
in careless joyaunce recking nought of fear;
for the far land which long had ‘scaped their sight
at length gave tidings, and at last lay near.
Now to take notice ‘gins each curious wight
of the strange people’s manners, ways, and gear,
and much they marvell’ed how the sect misguided
o’er Earth’s broad surface far and wide abided.
Rained Luna’s radiance shedding rutilant showers 58
o’er Neptune’s wavelets tipt with silver sheen:
And like the May-mead fleckt with daisy flowers
sprent with its sparkling stars the sky was seen:
The blust’ring storm-winds slept in distant bowers,
Antres obscure in regions peregrine;
yet on th’ Armada’s decks a weapon’d guard
kept, as so long they wont, good watch and ward.
Rut when Aurora with her marquetry 59
‘gan strew the glorious honours of her head
o’er the clear Heav’ens, and oped the ruddy way
to bright Hyperion rising from his bed;
lief is the Fleet to dress in brave array
of flags, and goodly awnings gay to spread,
that all may greet with holiday and hail
that island-lord who came with flowing sail.
He came right merrily o’er the Main, and sought 60
to view our nimble Lusitanian fleet;
bringing his country-cates, for’t was his thought
in the fierce foreigner perchance to meet
the race inhuman, which hath ever fought
to change its Caspian caves for happier seat
in Asian continent; and, by Will Divine,
of rule imperial robbed Constantine.
With glad reception our Commander meets 61
the Moorish chieftain and his whole convoy;
whom with a gift of richest gear he greets
whereof a store was shipped for such employ:
He gives him rich conserves, he gives, rare treats,
the liquors hot which fill man’s heart with joy.
Good be the gifts the Moor contented thinks,
but more the sweetmeats prizes, most the drinks.
The sailor-people sprung from Lusus’ blood 62
in wond’ering clusters to the ratlines clung;
noting the stranger’s novel mode and mood
with his so barb’arous and perplexed tongue.
Sometime the wily Moor confused stood
eyeing the garb, the hue, the fleet, the throng;
and asked, with questions manifold assailing,
if they from Turkey-land, perchance, were hailing.
He further tells them how he longs to see 63
what books their credence, law and faith contain;
if these conforming with his own agree
or were, as well he ween’d, of Christian grain:
Nay more, that hidden naught from him may be,
he prayed the Captain would be pleased t’ ordain
that be displayed every puissant arm
wherewith the foreigners work their foemen harm.
To this the doughty Chieftain deals reply, 64
through one that obscure jargon knowing well:
“Illustrious Signior! I fain will try
all of ourselves, our arms, our creed to tell.
Nor of the country, kith or kin am I
of irksome races that in Turkey dwell;
my home is warlike Europe and I wend
Seeking the far-famed lands of farthest Inde.
“I hold the law of One by worlds obey’d, 65
by visible things and things invisible;
He who the hemispheres from naught hath made,
with sentient things and things insensible:
Who with vitup’erate foul reproach bewray’d
was doomed to suffer death insufferable;
And who, in fine, by Heav’n to Earth was given,
that man through Him might rise from Earth to Heaven.
“Of this GOD-MAN most highest, infinite, 66
The books thou wouldst behold I have not brought;
we stand excused of bringing what men write
on paper, when in sprite ’tis writ and wrought.
But an with weapons wouldst refresh thy sight,
As thou hast asked, I deny thee nought;
A friend to friends I show them; and I vow
ne’er wouldst be shown their temper as my foe.”
This said, he bids his armourers diligent 67
bring arms and armour for the Moorman viewer:
Come sheeny harness, corselets lucident,
the fine-w
ove mail-coat and plate-armour sure;
shields decorate with ‘scutcheons different,
bullets and spingards, th’ ice-brook’s temper pure;
bows, quivers furnisht with the grinded pile,
the sharp-edged partizan, the good brown bill:
Brought are the fiery bombs, while they prepare 68
sulph’urous stink-pots and grenades of fire:
But them of Vulcan biddeth he to spare
their dread artill’ery belching flames in ire;
naught did that gentle gen’erous spirit care
with fear the few and fearful folk t’ inspire,
and right his reas’oning:’Twere a boast too cheap
to play the Lyon on the seely Sheep.
But from whate’er th’ observant Moorman heard, 69
and from whate’er his prying glance could see,
a settled deadly hate his spirit stir’d,
and evil crave of treach’erous cowardrie:
No sign of change he showed in gest or word;
but with a gay and gallant feigning he
vowed in looks and words to treat them fair,
till deeds his daring purpose could declare.
The Captain prayed him Pilots to purvey, 70
his Squadron far as Indian shore to guide;
so should with wealthy hire and worthy pay
the labourer’s toil and moil be gratified.
Promised the Moorman sorely led astray
by ven’omous heart and with such poyson’d pride,
that Death in place of Pilot, at that hour,
his hand had given an it had the power.
So hot that hatred, sharp that enmity, 71
wherewith his spirit gainst his guests was fraught,
that knew them followers of that verity
by the Seed of David to our fathers taught.
Oh darkling secret of Eternity,
whereof man’s judgment may encompass naught!
Why should they never lack perfidious foe,
who such fair symbols of Thy friendship show?
At length, surrounded by his crafty crew, 72
the treachour Moorman from our ships took leave,
on all bestowing bel-accoyle untrue,
with fair, glad phrase designed to deceive.
Soon o’er the narrow way his barquelets flew;
and, landing safely from Neptunian wave,
the Moorman, whom his suite obsequious greet,
regains his homestead and his wonted seat.
From AEther’s radiant seat Thebes’ mighty son, 73
The God two-mother’d, sprung from father-thigh,
seeing the Lusian host had straight begun
the Moorman’s hate and horror to defy,
fixt ev’ery project some foul feat upon,
by which the stranger host might surely die:
And while the plot his spirit importuned,
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 3