of Europe’s body corporal the head;
o’er whose home-rule, and glorious foreign reign,
the fatal Wheel so many a whirl hath made:
Yet ne’er her Past or force or fraud shall stain,
nor restless Fortune shall her name degrade;
no bonds her bellic offspring bind so tight
but it shall burst them with its force of sprite.
“There, facing Tingitania’s shore, she seemeth 18
to block and bar the Mediterranean wave,
where the known Strait its name ennobled deemeth
by the last labour of the Theban Brave.
Big with the burthen of her tribes she teemeth,
circled by whelming waves that rage and rave;
all noble races of such valiant breast,
that each may justly boast itself the best.
“Hers the Tarragonese who, famed in war, 19
made aye-perturbed Parthenopé obey;
the twain Asturias, and the haught Navarre
twin Christian bulwarks on the Moslem way:
Hers the Gallego canny, and the rare
Castilian, whom his star raised high to sway
Spain as her saviour, and his seigniory feel
Bsetis, Leon, Granada, and Castile.
“See the head-crowning coronet is she, 20
of general Europe, Lusitania’s reign,
where endeth land and where beginneth sea,
and Phoebus sinks to rest upon the main.
Willed her the Heavens with all-just decree
by wars to mar th’ ignoble Mauritan,
to cast him from herself: nor there consent
he rule in peace the Fiery Continent.
“This is my happy land, my home, my pride; 21
where, if the Heav’ens but grant the pray’er I pray
for glad return and every risk defied,
there may my life-light fail and fade away.
This was the Lusitania, name applied
by Lusus or by Lysa, sons, they say,
of ancient Bacchus, or his boon compeers,
eke the first dwellers of her eldest years.
“Here sprang the Shepherd, in whose name we see 22
forecast of virile might, of virtuous meed;
whose fame no force shall ever hold in fee,
since fame of mighty Rome ne’er did the deed.
This, by light Heaven’s volatile decree,
that antient Scyther, who devours his seed,
made puissant pow’er in many a part to claim,
assuming regal rank; and thus it came: —
“A King there was in Spain, Afonso hight, 23
who waged such warfare with the Saracen,
that by his ‘sanguined arms, and arts, and might,
he spoiled the lands and lives of many men.
When from Herculean Calpe winged her flight
his fame to Caucasus Mount and Caspian glen,
many a Knight, who noblesse coveteth,
comes off’ering service to such King and Death.
“And with intrinsic love inflamed more 24
for the True Faith, than honours popular,
they trooped gathering from each distant shore,
leaving their dear-loved homes and lands afar.
When with high feats of force against the Moor
they proved of singular worth in Holy War,
willed Afonso that their mighty deeds
commens’urate gifts command and equal meeds.
“‘Mid them Henrique second son, men say, 25
of a Hungarian King, well-known and tried,
by sort won Portugal which, in his day,
ne prized was ne had fit cause for pride:
His strong affection stronger to display
the Spanish King decreed a princely bride,
his only child, Theresa, to the count;
and with her made him Seigneur Paramount.
“This doughty Vassal from that servile horde, 26
Hagar the handmaid’s seed, great vict’ories won;
reft the broad lands adjacent with his sword
and did whatever Brav’ery bade be done:
Him, for his exploits excellent to reward,
God gave in shortest space a gallant son,
whose arm to ‘noble and enfame was fain
the warlike name of Lusitania’s reign.
“Once more at home this conqu’ering Henry stood 27
who sacred Hierosol’yma had relieved,
his eyes had fed on Jordan’s holy flood,
which the Dear Body of Lord God had laved;
when Godfrey left no foe to be subdued,
and all Judaea conquered was and saved,
many that in his wars had done devoir
to their own lordships took the way once more.
“But when this stout and gallant Hun attained 28
Life’s fatal period, age and travail-spent,
he gave, by Death’s necessity constrained,
his sprite to Him who had that spirit lent:
A son of tender years alone remained,
to whom the Sire bequeath’d his ‘bodiment;
with bravest braves the youth was formed to cope,
for from such sire such son the world may hope.
“Yet old Report, I know not what its weight, 29
(for on such antique tale no man relies),
saith that the Mother, tane in tow the state,
a second nuptial bed did not despise:
Her orphan son to disinherited fate
she doomed, declaring hers the dignities,
not his, with seigniory o’er all the land,
her spousal dowry by her sire’s command.
“Now Prince Afonso (who such style had tane 30
in pious mem’ory of his Grandsire’s name)
seeing no part and portion in his reign
all pilled and plunder’d by the Spouse and Dame,
by dour and doughty Mars inflamed amain,
privily plots his heritage to claim:
He weighs the causes in his own conceit
till firm Resolve its fit effect shall greet.
“Of Guimara’ens the field already flow’d 31
with floods of civil warfare’s bloody tide,
where she, who little of the Mother show’d,
to her own bowels love and land denied.
Fronting the child in fight the parent stood;
nor saw her depth of sin that soul of pride
against her God, against maternal love:
Her sensual passion rose all pow’er above.
“O magical Medea! O Progne dire! 32
if your own babes in vengeance dared ye kill
for alien crimes, and injuries of the sire,
look ye, Teresa’s deed was darker still.
Foul greed of gain, incontinent desire,
were the main causes of such bitter ill:
Scylla her aged sire for one did slay,
for both Teresa did her son betray.
“Right soon that noble Prince clear vict’ory won 33
from his harsh Mother and her Fere indign;
in briefest time the land obeyed the son,
though first to fight him did the folk incline.
But reft of reason and by rage undone
he bound the Mother in the biting chain:
Eftsoons avenged her griefs the hand of God:
Such veneration is to parents owe’d.
“Lo! the superb Castilian ‘gins prepare 34
his pow’er to’venge Teresa’s injuries,
against the Lusian land in men so rare,
whereon ne toil ne trouble heavy lies.
Their breasts the cruel battle grandly dare,
aid the good cause angelic Potencies;
unrecking might unequal still they strive,
nay, more, their dreadful foe to flight they drive.
“Passeth no tedious time, before the great 35
Prince a dure Siege in Guimaraens dree’d
by passing pow’er, for to ‘mend his state,
came the fell en’emy, full of grief and greed:
But when committed life to direful Fate,
Egas, the faithful guardian, he was free’d,
who had in any other way been lost,
all unprepared ‘gainst such ‘whelming host.
“But when the loyal Vassal well hath known 36
how weak his Monarch’s arm to front such fight,
sans order wending to the Spanish fone,
his Sovran’s homage he doth pledge and plight.
Straight from the horrid siege th’ invader flown
trusteth the word and honour of the Knight,
Egas Moniz: But now the noble breast
of the brave Youth disdaineth strange behest.
“Already came the plighted time and tide, 37
when the Castilian Don stood dight to see,
before his pow’er the Prince bend low his pride,
yielding the promised obediency.
Egas who views his knightly word belied,
while still Castile believes him true to be,
sweet life resolveth to the winds to throw,
nor live with foulest taint of faithless vow.
“He with his children and his wife departeth 38
to keep his promise with a faith immense;
unshod and stripped, while their plight imparteth
far more of pity than of vengeance:
‘If, mighty Monarch! still thy spirit smarteth
to wreak revenge on my rash confidence,’
quoth he, ‘behold! I come with life to save
my pledge, my knightly Honour’s word I gave.’
“‘I bring, thou seest here, lives innocent, 39
of wife, of sinless children dight to die;
if breasts of gen’erous mould and excellent
accept such weaklings’ woeful destiny.
Thou se’est these hands, this tongue inconsequent,
hereon alone the fierce experiment try
of torments, death, and doom that pass in full
Sinis or e’en Perillus’ brazen bull.’
“As shrifted wight the hangman stands before, 40
in life still draining bitter draught of death,
lays throat on block, and of all hope forlore,
expects the blighting blow with bated breath:
So, in the Prince’s presence angry sore,
Egas stood firm to keep his plighted faith:
When the King, marv’elling at such wondrous truth,
feels anger melt and merge in Royal ruth.
Oh the great Portingall-fidelity 41
of Vassal self-devote to doom so dread!
What did the Persian more for loyalty
whose gallant hand his face and nostrils shred?
When great Darius mourned so grievously
that he a thousand times deep-sighing said,
far he prefer’d his Zop’yrus sound again,
than lord of twenty Babylons to reign.
“But Prince Afonso now prepared his band 42
of happy Lusians proud to front the foes,
those haughty Moors that held the glorious land
you side where clear delicious Tagus flows:
Now on Ourique field was pitched and plan’d
the Royal’Campment fierce and bellicose,
facing the hostile host of Sarrasin
though there so many, here so few there bin.
“Confident, yet would he in nought confide, 43
save in his God that holds of Heav’en the throne;
so few baptized stood their King beside,
there were an hundred Moors for every one:
Judge any sober judgment, and decide
’twas deed of rashness or by brav’ery done
to fall on forces whose exceeding might
a cent’ury showed to a single Knight.
“Order five Moorish Kings the hostile host 44
of whom Ismar, so called, command doth claim;
all of long Warfare large experience boast,
wherein may mortals win immortal fame:
And gallant dames the Knights they love the most
‘company, like that brave and beauteous Dame,
who to beleaguer’d Troy such aidance gave
with woman-troops that drained Thermodon’s wave.
“The coolth serene, and early morning’s pride, 45
now paled the sparkling stars about the Pole,
when Mary’s Son appearing crucified
in vision, strengthened King Afonso’s soul.
But he, adoring such appearance, cried
fired with a phrenzied faith beyond control:
‘To th’ Infidel, O Lord! to th’ Infidel:
Not, Lord, to me who know Thy pow’er so well.’
“Such gracious marvel in such manner sent 46
‘flamed the Lusians’ spirits fierce and high,
towards their nat’ural King, that excellent
Prince, unto whom love-boon none could deny:
Aligned to front the foeman prepotent,
they shouted res’onant slogan to the sky,
and fierce the ‘larum rose, ‘Real, real,
for high Afonso, King of Portugal!’
“As to the fight by calls defied and cries, 47
some fierce Molossan on the wooded height,
attacks the rampant Bull, who most relies
on strength of tem’erous horn to force the fight:
Now nips the ear, then at the side he flies
barking, with more of nimbleness than might,
till ripped at last the gullet of his foe
he lays the mighty bulk of monster low:
“So the new King, inflamed with zeal devout 48
for God nor less for faithful Lieges’ sake,
assails by cunning skill the barb’arous rout
with Braves the fronting phalanx eath to break:
Whereat the ban-dogs * Allah! Allah!’ shout,
and fly to arms; our raging warriors shake
the lance and bow; resound the trumpet tones;
the musick thunders; Echo moans and groans.
“E’en as the prairie fire enkindled on 49
sun-parched steppe (as winn’oweth upper air
sibilant Boreas), by the blasts swift blown
o’er bush and arid brake rains flame and flare:
The shepherd lads and lasses, idly strown
in rest and gentle slumber, waked by blare
of crackling conflagration blazing higher,
hamlet-wards force their flocks to fly the fire:
“Th’ astonied Moorman in such startled guise, 50
snatcheth his weapon hast’ily and sans heed;
yet he awaits the fight, nor ever flies,
nay, spurs his battle-ginnet to its speed.
Meet him as rash and swift his enemies
whose piercing lances gar his bosom bleed:
These fall half-slain, while others flee that can
convoking aidance of their Alcoran.
“There may be viewed ‘counters madly rash, 51
onsets no Serra’s sturdy strength could stand,
while charging here and there the chargers dash, —
the gifts of Neptune smiting gravid Land: —
Buffets they deal, and blows that bash and smash,
burneth and blazeth Warfare’s blasting brand,
but he of Lusus coat, mail, plate of steel,
hacks, hews, breaks, batters, rives and rends piecemeal.
“Men’s heads like bullets dance the bloody plain, 52
ownerless arms and legs insens’ible lie,
and quiv’ering entrails tell of mortal pain,
and faces fade and life’s fair colours fly.
Lost
is that impious host, whose heaped slain
roll o’er the green’ery rills of crimson dye;
whereby the grasses lose their white and green
and nought but glow of crimson gore is seen.
“But now the Lusian victor held the field 53
his trophies gathering, and his gorgeous prey:
The crusht Hispanian Moor was forced to yield
while on the plain three days the great King lay.
And now he chargeth on his virgin shield,
what still assures this well-won Vict’ory.
five noble inescutcheons azure-hued,
signing the Moorish Five his sword subdued.
“He paints with bezants five each ‘scutcheon, 54
the thirty silvers wherewith God was sold,
and various tinctures make His mem’ory known,
whose grace and favour did his cause uphold.
Painted on every cinque a cinque is shown;
and, that the thirty may be fully told,
counteth for two the one that central lies
of the five azures painted crossy-wise.
“Some time has passed, since this gain had past 55
of goodly battail, when the high King hies
to take Leiria, lately tane and last
conquest that boast our conquer’d enemies.
Herewith Arronches castled strong and fast
is jointly gained with the noble prize
Scalabicastro, whose fair fields amene
thou, chrystal Tagus! bathest all serene
“Unto this conquered roll of towns his might 56
eke addeth Mafra won in shortest space,
and in the Mountains which the Moon hath hight
he clasps frore Cintra to his hard embrace;
Cintra, whose Naiads love to hide their light
by hidden founts and fly the honey’d lace,
which Love hath woven ‘mid the hills where flow
the waters flaming with a living lowe.
“And thou, O noble Lisbon! thou encrown’d 57
Princess elect of Cities capital,
rear’d by the facund Rover-King renown’d,
whose wiles laid low Dardania’s burning wall:
Thou, whose commands oblige the Sea’s Profound,
wast taught to bear the Lusitanian’s thrall,
aided by potent navies at what time
they came crusading from the Boreal clime.
“Beyond Germanic Albis and the Rhene, 58
and from Britannia’s misty margin sent,
to waste and slay the people Sarracene,
many had sailed on holy thoughts intent.
Now gained the Tagus-mouth, our stream amene
to great Afonso’s royal camp they went,
whose lofty fame did thence the Heav’ens invade
and siege to Ulyssea’s walls they laid.
“Five sequent times her front had Luna veiled, 59
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 8