that lackt a cultured learned phantasy,
of Grecian, Latian, or barbarian strain;
only the Lusian lacking it we see.
Not without shame I say so, but ‘twere vain
to hope for high triumphant Poesy
till men our Rhymes, our Songs shall lay to heart;
for minds Art-ign’orant aye look down on Art.
For this, and not for Nature’s fault, be sure 98
Virgil nor Homer rise to strike the lyre;
nor shall rise ever, an this mode endure,
pious AEneas or Achilles dire.
But, — worst of all, — it maketh man so dour
austere, rough, frigid to poetic fire;
so rude, so heedless to be known or know,
few heed the want and many will it so.
Let grateful Gama to my Muse give grace, 99
for the great patriot-love that gars her sound
the Lyre for all her Sons, and aye retrace
the name and fame of ways and wars renown’d:
Nor he, nor they who call themselves his race
e’er in Calliope a friend so found,
or from the Tagus-maidens boon could claim,
to leave their golden webs and hymn his name.
Because fraternal love and friendly will 100
that deals to every Lusian Brave his meed
of laud, this thought, these resolutions fill
my gentle Tagides; and this their creed.
Yet ne’er let human bosom cease to thrill
with Hope to dare and do some mighty deed, since or by these or, haply, other ways,
he ne’er shall forfeit prizes, value, praise.
CANTO VI.
ARGUMENT OF THE SIXTH CANTO.
VASCO DA GAMA departeth from Melinde; and, while he voyageth prosperously, Bacchus descendeth to the sea: Description of Neptune’s Palace: The same (Bacchus) convoketh the Sea-gods and persuadeth them to destroy the Navigators: Meanwhile Velloso entertaineth his mates with the tale of the “Twelve of England”: An horrible storm ariseth: It is calmed by Venus and her Nymphs: At length they arrive in calm weather at Calecut, the last and longed-for bourne of this navigation.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT.
Parte-se de Melinde o illusive Gama,
Com Pilotos da terra, e mantimento:
Desce Lyco ao mar Neptuno chama
Todos os deoses do humido elemento:
Conta Velloso, aos seus dando honra, e fama,
Dos doze de Inglaterra o vencimenio;
Soccorre Venus a affligida armada,
E á India chega tanto descjada.
CANTO VI.
SCANT could devise how best to entertain 1
the pagan King our Voyagers renown’d,
firm friendship of the Christian King to gain
and folk so puissant proved, so faithful found:
Grieveth him greatly, that his rule and reign
be placed so distant from Europa’s bound
by lot, nor let him neighbour that abode
where opened Hercules the broad sea-road.
With games and dances, gentle, honest play 2
e’en as accorded with Melindan style,
and fishing frolicks, like the Lageian gay
delighted Anthony with gladde’ning guile,
rejoiced that famous Sovran every day,
the Lusitanian host to feast and fill
with banquets rich, rare meats and unknown dishes
of fruit and flesh, of birds, and beasts, and fishes.
But when the Captain saw him still detained 3
far more than seemed meet, while the fresh breeze
to sail inviteth; and he had obtained
the Negro Pilots and the new supplies;
no longer list he tarry; for remained
long paths to plow through salt and silvern seas;
To the good Pagan bids he warm adieu,
who prays their friendship may be long and true.
He prayeth, eke, that Hythe shall ever be 4
the place where all the Fleets may rest and bait;
for nothing better now desireth he,
than for such Barons to quit reign and state:
Eke, that ere light of Life his body flee
he will on opportunity await
his days to peril and his crown to waive,
for King so kingly and for Braves so brave.
Response in similar speech to such discourse 5
the Captain gave, and loosing canvas sailed,
straight for Auroran regions shaping course,
where his long seeking still so scant availed.
No more his Guide and Pilot had recourse
to fraud and falsehood, nay, he never failed
in his sure seamanship; so sped they o’er
securer seas than those they sail’d before.
They fought the restless floods that front the Morn 6
now entering India Ocean, and descried
Sol’s chambers, where the burning God is born;
and ev’ery wish was wellnigh satisfied.
But now that ill Thyoneus’ soul of scorn,
mourning the mighty meeds of power and pride
that Lusian valour wendeth dight to win,
burns and blasphemes with madding rage insane.
He saw the potent hosts of Heav’en prepare 7
in Lisbon town a novel Rome t’ instal:
Nor aught can alter; such high fortunes are
ruled by the dreadful Pow’er that ruieth all.
In fine he flies Olympus in despair,
to find on earth new mode remedial:
He thrids the humid Reign and seeks his court
who gained the Gov’ernance of the Seas by sort.
Deep in the lowest depths of the profound 8
and lofty Caves, where surges slumb’ering lie;
there, whence the billows sally furibund
when to fierce winds the fiercer waves reply
bides Neptune, and abide their Lord around
Ner’eids, and many a sea-born Deity,
where fit for cities leave the waves a plain
dry for the Godheads governing the Main.
Discover th’ undiscovered depths of sea 9
Courts strewn with gravels of fine silver hoar;
and lofty turrets crown that Ocean-lea,
chrystalline masses of diaph’anous ore:
However near the curious eye may be,
so much its judgment shall be less secure
an it be chrystal, or the diamant-stone
that doth such clearness and such radiance own.
The gates of purest gold, where lies inlaid 10
rich seed of pearl that in the sea-shell breedeth,
with rarest shapes of sculpture are portray’d
whereon hot Bacchus pleased glances feedeth:
There ‘mid the foremost, limned in light and shade,
old Chaos’ face confus’d the stranger readeth:
the fourfold Elements eke he sees translate,
each in his several office and estate.
There Fire sublimely held supremest height, 11
who by no grosser substance was sustained;
lending to living things his life and light,
since by Prometheus stolen and detained.
Behind him, standing high ‘yond mortal sight,
invisible Air a lower place maintained, —
Hither, which conquered ne by Heat ne Cold,
ne’er suff’ereth Earth a vacuous space t’ enfold.
There deckt with mount and boscage Terra stood 12
Yclad in grass, shrub, tree of blossom’d head;
affording life, affording divers food
to ev’ery breathing thing her surface bred:
The glassy figure, eke, ensculptur’ed stood
of Water, veining Earth and interspread,
creating fishes in their varied norm,
>
and by her humour holding all in form.
Carved on another panel showed the fight, 13
waged by the Gods against the Giantry;
Typhceus lies ‘neath AEtna’s serried height,
far flashing crepitant artillery:
There sculptured cometh gravid Earth to smite
Neptune, when taught the salvage Man t’ apply
his gift, the Courser, and to worlds first shown
the peaceful Olive-tree, Minerva’s boon.
With scanty tardance vext Lyaeus eyed 14
these varied marvels: Soon he past the gate
of Neptune’s Palace, who had thither hied
the God’s expected visit to await:
Him at the threshold greets he, ‘companied
by Nymphs, who marvel at the freak of Fate
to see, attempting such unused road,
the Wine-god seek the Water-god’s abode.
“O Neptune!” cried he, “Regard not strange 15
that Bacchus comes a guest within thy Reign;
even we highest pow’ers who reck no change
are prone to suffer Fortune’s fell disdain:
Summon, I pray, the Gods who Ocean range
ere say I more, if more to hear thou deign;
they shall behold what ills the Gods befall, —
all hear what evils overhang us all.”
Already Neptune, deeming worth his heed 16
a case so novel, sends in hottest haste,
Triton to call the cold Sea-gods with speed,
that govern Ocean’s breadth from east to west:
Triton, — that boasts him of the Sea-king’s seed,
who had the reverend nymph, Salatia, prest, —
was a tall, huge-limb’d Carle, young, swart of hue,
his Father’s trumpet and his courier too.
The feltred beard, and matted locks that fell 17
adown his head and o’er his shoulders strown,
were water-pregnant weeds, and seemed it well
no soft’ening comb had e’er their tangles known:
Nor lacketh jet-black fringe of mussel-shell,
pendent from points where mingled growths are grown:
For cap and cowl upon his head he wore
the crusty spoils erst a huge lobster bore.
Naked his body, and of cloth are clear 18
his loins, to swim without impediment;
yet pigmy sea-things clothe with sea-born gear
his limbs, in hundred hundreds spread and sprent;
with shrimps, and crabs, and many such small deer
which from cool Phoebe take their increment;
oysters, and moss-fouled mussels, while each rib
glistens with periwinkles glazed and glib.
His Conch, that mighty writhed shell, in hand 19
he bore, and forceful blew with draughty throat;
whose harsh canorous voice, at his command,
heard ev’ery Ocean, ech’oing far the note:
Now by his summons warned, the god-like band
straight for the Palace left their seats, and sought
the Deity who reared Dardania’s wall,
by Grecian fury doomed anon to fall.
Came Father Ocean, whom accompanied 20
the sons and daughters gotten in the Main:
Comes Nereus, who led Doris for a bride,
she who replenisht with her Nymphs his Reign:
And, eke, prophetick Proteus thither hied,
leaving his herd to browse the bitter plain:
He came, that wizard; yet right well knew he
what Father Bacchus wanted of the Sea.
Came from another quarter Neptune’s fere, 21
begot by Coelus, borne by Vesta’s womb,
of gesture grave yet gay, fair sans compeer,
the wond’ering waves were blandisht by her bloom:
A light Cymar of costly weft her wear,
subtle as though ‘twere wove in airy loom,
that bared the chrystal charms to longing eyne, —
charms ne’er create in jealous shade to pine:
And Amphitrite, bright as flow’ers in spring, 22
in such conjuncture could not stay away;
bringing the Dolphin, who her heart did bring
her kingly lover’s wish and will t’ obey;
with glorious orbs that conquer everything,
and steal his splendours from the Lord of Day:
Hand clasping hand the coupled Consorts trod
the sister spouses of the two-wived God.
She, who from furious Athamas of yore 23
a fugitive, uprose to god-degree,
her son, a lovely youngling, with her bore,
fated to sit in Heaven’s consistory:
They linger sporting on the pebbly shore
with pearly conchlets, which the briny sea
aye breeds, and now he stays his sport, and rests
pillow’d on Panope’s delicious breasts.
And eke the God, once made in mould of man, 24
who by the magick simples’ potent spell
changed to fish, and from such chance began
a thing of time ‘mid timeless Gods to dwell,
came still bewailing tricksy Fortune’s ban,
which the fair maid by Circe’s spite befel,
Scylla he loved as by her beloved;
for love pervert pure hate hath often proved.
And now the Godheads all in Council meet 25
amid the vasty Hall, superb, divine;
Goddesses seated on rich da’is seat
Gods throned on tall estrados chrystalline;
when rose their awful Host his guests to greet
who by the Theban sat on level line:
Fumeth the Palace with the rich sea-mass
Araby’s odours never shall surpass.
At length, when tumult sinks to stilly rest, 26
and when the De’ities all their greetings close,
to them Thyóneus opes his hidden breast,
and the sad secret of his torment shows:
A shade of sadness marks his look and gest,
as though deprest by sense of ‘during woes,
resolved with alien steel alone to slay
right soon the Lusus men, he ‘gan to say: —
“Prince! who by birthright holdest high command 27
o’er the proud seas that sweep from Pole to Pole;
thou who dost curb the den’izens of the land
that none o’erpass his term and certain goal:
And, Father Ocean! thou whose ‘circling band
around the globed universe doth roll,
permitting only by thy just decree
each in due bounds to flourish, Earth and Sea:
“And, eke, ye Water-gods, who ne’er endure 28
aught of injurious in your vast domain,
sans meetest chastisement condign and sure,
dealt to the worms who overrun your reign:
Why dwell ye reckless thus, how rest secure?
Who to such softness had the power to train
your hearts, with reason hardened to behold
this race of mortals weak withal so bold?
“Ye saw the wondrous insolent extremes 29
that dared the heavenly heights in arms to scale:
Ye saw that wildest phantasy that dreams
of conquering Ocean-tide with oar and sail:
Ye saw, and every day we see, meseems,
such braves, such insults that, if these prevail,
full soon, I fear, of sea and sky to find
Mankind the godheads, Gods the humankind.
“You see that now this weak ephemeral brood, 30
who from a Vassal mine hath taken name,
with sprite high-flown, and heart of proudest mood,
you, me and all the world would tempt and tame:
You see how freely they d
efy your Flood,
a doughtier deed than Rome’s high race could claim:
You see they seek to ‘spy your whole domain,
to break the very statutes of your Reign.
“I saw how ‘gainst the Minyae, first to find 31
the path that passeth through your realm, the wave,
much-injured Boreas, with his brother-wind
Aquilo and their peers, did rage and rave.
If to th’ adventurous mortals who design’d
such wrongs the Winds appaid the boast and brave,
ye, who have higher right these wrongs to pay,
what wait ye? Doom of justice why delay?
“Nor will I, Gods! consent, so should you trow 32
pure love of you from Heaven hath brought me down;
not thus your suffering feel I and your woe,
what wrongs I now resent are all mine own;
since the high honours, as your Godships know,
I won on earth, when fell by me o’erthrown
Inde’s wealthy Reign, of Morning-lond the grace,
I see abated by this little race:
“For our all-Sovran Sire and eke the Fates 33
who rule this nether world as best they wot,
resolve with Fame which ne’er on man awaits,
to make th’ abysmal sea these Barons’ lot:
Hence shall you view, O Gods! their human hates
teach god to work god wrong: Ah! see ye not
of note and worth we have the smallest boast
whose value Reason valueth the most.
“Wherefore Olympus’ height I now have fled, 34
to seek heart-salving balm for sore despair;
eke would I find, if rank thus forfeited
in Heav’en, your Waters still to honour care.”
More would he say, but nothing more he said,
for tears, already trickling pair by pair,
leapt from his brimming lids, and as they came
the Gods of Water felt their sprites aflame.
The rage which sudden fired their hearts divine, 35
and roused to such display each vengeful soul,
suffered not counsel to contain design,
nor discount brooked, nor endured control:
Now to great Aeolus they send a sign,
as ‘twere from Neptune, bidding him enroll
contrary Winds of wildest phrenesy,
and of all venturous sails sweep clean the sea.
Proteus the first and foremost there desired 36
to speak his feelings as he felt him bound;
the general Conclave deeming him inspired,
by some myst’erious prophesy profound:
yet was that Company divine so fired
by sudden tumult; brake such storm of sound
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 16