outburst the fountains, which commingling glide
in pow’erful streams, that die when travel-spent
in Indie Ocean, and the arms of these
convert the country to a Chersonese:
Twixt either river from this breadth of base 19
puts forth the spacious land a long thin horn,
quasi-pyramidal, which in th’ embrace
of Ocean lies with Isle Ceylon toforn:
And, near the source that shows the natal place
of Gange, if olden Fame of Truth be born,
the happy Peoples of th’ adjacent bowers,
feed on the fragrance of the finest flowers;
But now of many usance, mode and name 20
are all the tribes who have and hold the ground;
Pathans and Delhis urge the proudest claim
to land and numbers, for they most abound:
Deccanis, Orias, who both misclaim
salvation in the sounding flood is found
by Ganges rolled; and here the land Bengal
is rich in sort her wealth exceedeth all.
The sovranty of bellicose Cambay, 21
(men say ’twas puissant Porus’ olden reign);
Narsinga’s Kingdom, with her rich display
of gold and gems but poor in martial vein:
Here seen yonside where wavy waters play
a range of mountains skirts the murmuring Main,
serving the Malabar for mighty mure,
who thus from him of Canara dwells secure.
The country-people call this range the Ghaut, 22
and from its foot-hills scanty breadth there be
whose seaward-sloping coast-plain long hath fought
‘gainst Ocean’s natural ferocity:
Here o’er her neighbour Cities, sans a doubt,
Calecut claimeth highest dignity,
crown of the kingdom fair and flourishing:
Here he entitled “Samorim” is King.
Arrived the Squadron off that wealthy land, 23
she sent a Portingall to make report,
so mote the Gentoo monarch understand
who hath arrived in his distant port:
A stream the Herald struck which, leaving land
entereth Ocean; and his novel sort,
his hue, his strange attire, his stranger-ways
made all the lieges gather round to gaze.
Amid the swarming rout that thronged to view, 24
cometh a Moslem, who was born and bred
in distant Barb’ary ‘mid her barbarous crew,
there, where in antient day Antaeus sway’d:
Right well the Lusitanian realm he knew,
or by the scanty distance thither led,
or ‘signed by the Sword and Fortune’s brand,
to long-drawn exile in a foreign land.
With jocund mien our Messenger to sound, 25
for-that he speaketh well the speech of Spain,
he thus:—” Who brought thee to this new world’s bound,
far from thy Fatherland, the Lusitan?”
“Op’ening,” respondeth he, “the seas profound
which never opened the race of man;
for Indus’ mighty flood we hither bore,
to win for Holy Faith one triumph more.”
By the long voyage sore astonied stood 26
the Moor Monsayde, thus his name was known;
when told the Lusian how the terr’ible flood
had all the temper of a tyrant shown:
But, as that errand’s drift, he understood,
concern’d the Ruler of the Land alone,
he tells the stranger how the Monarch lay
outside the city at a little way:
And that while travelled to the royal ear 27
news of that advent strange, if judged he meet,
repairing to his humble dwelling near,
‘twere well refreshment of the land to eat;
whence by short rest restored and good cheer,
the twain together might regain the Fleet;
for life has nothing like the joy and glee
wherewith near neighbours meet in far countrie.
The Portingall, accepting not ingrate 28
what glad Monsayde for his guest deviseth;
as though their friendship were of olden date,
eats, drinks, and does whate’er the host adviseth:
Now from the City wend they, making straight
towards the Squadron which the Moor agniseth;
and scale the Flagship’s flank, where all the crew
with kindly glances Moor Monsaydé view.
Embraceth him our Chief, whom hugely please 29
the well-remembered accents of Castile;
seateth him near, and asketh him at ease
anent the land and folk therein that dwell.
Even as flockt on Rhodopé the trees,
to hear the Lover of the Damosel
Eurydice, his lyre of gold resound,
the Folk to hearken flockt the Moor around.
Then he: “O Nation! who by Nature’s hand 30
was ‘stablished neighbour to my natal nide,
what mighty Chance, what Destiny’s command
upon such voyage drave you far and wide?
Not causeless, no; though darkly, deeply plan’d
from unknown Minho, distant Tagus-tide,
your course o’er Oceans aye by keel unplow’d
to Reigns such distance and such dangers shroud.
“God bringeth you, pardie! for He intendeth 31
some special service which your works await:
For this alone He guideth and defendeth
from en’emies, Ocean and the winds’ wild hate.
Know, that ye look on Inde wherein extendeth
a world of nations, rich and fortunate
in lucent gold, and gems of princely price,
and odorif’erous fumes and biting spice.
“This Province, in whose Port your ships have tane 32
refuge, the Malabar by name is known;
its antique rite adoreth idols vain,
Idol-religion being broadest sown:
Of divers Kings it is; but ’twas the Reign,
as olden legend saith, of only one,
hight the last King was Sarma Perimal,
who ‘neath one sceptre held the Kingdom all.
“But as this region there and then was sought 33
by other races from the Arab Bight,
who Mahometic worship with them brought, —
the same my parents planted in my sprite, —
it hapt their wisdom and their pray’ers so wrought
upon the Perimal; and lit such light
that to the Faith convert with fervour high,
he only hoped a Saint in it to die.
“He mans his ships and loads with merchandise 34
and many an offering curious, rare and rich,
and there religious life to lead he hies
where lies our Prophet who our Law did preach:
But ere abandon’d home, his satrapies,
that lacked lawful heir, he parts to each
and all he loved: Hence his intimates he
from want made wealthy, and from serfdom free.
“To this Cochim, to that falls Cananor, 35
one hath Chale, another th’ Isle Piment,
a third Coulam, a fourth takes Cranganor,
the rest is theirs with whom he rests content.
Only one Youth, for whom warm love he bore,
when all was parted, did himself present:
Nothing save Calecut for him remained,
which, by her traffick, wealth and rank had gained.
“On him the title paramount he bestows 36
of Emperor, with sway o’er ev’ery state;
and, made this partage, there he dil’igent goes,
where, after S
anton-life, he met his fate:
Thus ’twas the name of Samorim arose, —
of all this region proudest potentate, —
borne by the Youth, and by his heirs from whom
this who now wields imperial pow’er is come.
“The Law that holds the people, high and low, 37
is fraught with false phantastick tales long past:
they go unclothed, but a wrap they throw
for decent purpose round the loins and waist:
Two modes of men are known; the nobles know
the name of Nayrs, who call the lower caste
Poleas, whom their haughty laws contain
from intermingling with the higher strain:
“For men who aye had office in one guise 38
with mates of other office ne’er may wive;
nor may the son the calling exercise
save sire’s and foresires’ long as he shall live.
These Nayrs as sin and shame, forsooth, despise
the touch of outcasts, and they fain believe
that, peradventure, if the touch occur,
a thousand rites must wash their bodies pure.
“In sim’ilar form the Judaean folk of old 39
touch’d not the peoples of Samaria-reign:
But strangenesses far stranger than I’ve told
of varied usages shall meet your eyne.
None save the Nayrs affront the manifold
chances of war, who like stone-wall sustain
their King from enemies, arms aye in hand,
in left the target, and in right the brand.
“Entitled Brahmins are their ghostly race, 40
time-honour’d title of high eminence:
His far-famed precepts, eke, they still embrace
who first to Science lent a modest sense:
A living thing to kill they hold as base,
such be from ev’ery flesh their abstinence:
Only in joys venereal their delight
hath more of licence and a laxer rite.
“Common the women are, although confine’d 41
to those belonging to their husbands’ blood:
Happy condition! happy humankind,
who over jealous wrongs may never brood!
These and more customs various shall ye find
among the Mal’abar men still holding good:
.Great is the country, rich in ev’ery style
of goods from China sent by sea to Nyle.”
Thus spake the Moorman: Now on vagueing wing 42
about the city Rumour wildly flew
with bruit of foreign comers; when the King
sent out his servants seeking tidings true:
Then through the streets begirt by mighty ring
of ev’ery age and sex that flockt to view,
came the Grandees who by the King were bade
to bring the Captain of the strange Armade.
But he by royal leave allow’d for land 43
to change his floating home, accompanied
by his stout Portingalls, a chosen band
in richest robes to meet the Monarch hied:
The beauteous contrasts of the hues command
the crowd’s approval, who with wonder eyed:
Smiteth the cadence’d oar with cooly gleam
now the salt ocean, then the frore fresh stream.
There stood a Regent of the Realm ashore, 44
a chief, in native parlance “Cat’ual” hight,
by noble Nayrs surrounded, waiting for
illustrious Gama, with a strange delight:
Now to the land our Chief in arms he bore,
and a rich-cushion’d couch in litter light
he proff’ereth as a coach (an usage old),
which bearer-people on their shoulders hold.
Thus he of Lusus, he of Malabar, 45
wend whither sitteth ‘waiting them the King:
Follow the Portingalls in form of War
for foot-troops, marching fierce and threatening:
The people, buzzing with confused jar
to see the strangers, fain of questioning
gather’d, but in the cent’uries long gone by
the Babel-tower did such hope deny.
Now with the Cat’ual Gama speech exchanged 46
on things th’ occasion and the moment chose:
Interpreteth the tongues so far estranged
Monsayde, for the twain right well he knows.
Thus the procession through the City ranged,
whither a noble, splendid pile arose;
and, reached the precincts of a sumptuous Fane,
through the tall portals paced on equal plane.
Here frightful forms of men’s idolatries 47
stand carved in lifeless stock and death-cold stone,
varied in gestures, various of dyes,
e’en as by feigning Fiend to man made known:
Abominable forms the sight surprise
with mingled members like Chimsera shown:
The Christians, wont to see their God-in-Man,
these hybrid monsters with blank wonder scan.
One bore two horns insculpture’d on his brow 48
like Jove called Ammon in the Libyan wold;
this, double faces on one form did show,
like two-faced Janus limned in church of old;
that had of arms a long divided row
mocking Briareus’ members manifold;
that thing a canine front external bore,
such as th’ Anubis Memphians did adore.
The barb’arous Géntoo in his Gods’ abode 49
a superstitious adoration paid;
then both went straight, ne’er straying from the road,
where the vain people’s King his sojourn made:
The stream of starers fuller still o’erflow’d,
for all to sight the stranger Chief essay’d;
while to the roofs and casements gazing came
greybeard and stripling, damosel and dame.
Now near they, marching with no shorten’d stride, 50
fair fragrant gardens and perfumed bowers,
wherein the royal palace-buildings hide,
a structure sumptu’ous though not tall in towers:
The chiefs and nobles choose to build and ‘bide
where cooly bosquets teem with fruits and flowers:
Thus dwell the rulers of the race, delighting
in seats the City and the Camp uniting.
The precinct-portals by their work betray 51
subtleties telling of the daedal hand,
in forms whose noble presences display
the hoar antiquities of India-land:
The marvel-stories of her antient day,
with such a living art enfigured stand,
that whoso reads them with a lore exact,
knows from the Fiction what hath been the Fact.
There puissant armies show and proudly tread 52
that Orient region which Hydaspes laves;
a smooth brow’d Capitayne is at the head,
and with his leafy Thyrsus leads his Braves.
By him was Nysa-city ‘stablished
hard by the margin of the murm’urous waves;
so proper was the God e’en Semele
her son beholding would have said, “’Tis he!”
And there you arrowy river draining dry 53
th’ Assyrian peoples multitudinous bear
a queenly sceptre, feminine seigniory,
of fair the fairest and as foul as fair.
Fast by her side with fury flaming high
her sculptured genet proudly paweth air,
in whom her son a rival lover fand
Oh vile incontinence! Oh amour nefand!
At farther distance trembled in their pride 54
the flags and banners of the glorious Greek,
of Monarchies the Third, and
conquering hied
far as the bill’owy Gange his sea doth seek:
That youthful Captain’s semblance is their guide,
whom Victory’s wreathed palms of valour deck,
who claims a seat among the Gods above
no longer Philip’s son, but son of Jove.
While on these mem’ories dwelt the Portughuese, 55
thus did the Cat’ual to the Captain say: —
“Soon dawns the day when other victories
shall these thou seest, dim and disarray:
Here shall indited be new histories,
made by the Wand’erers who shall wend this way:
Thus Fate was found by wise and wizard men,
inspired Magians who the future ken.
“And eke inspireth them the magick sense, 56
that nought availeth to defend such Ill,
of all that mortals bring to their defence;
for earthly Wits must bend to heav’enly Will:
It also saith the Stranger’s excellence
in Arts of Peace, as in his bellic skill,
shall be so puissant, all the world shall know
the Conq’ueror’s measure by his conquered Foe.”
Discoursing thus they reached the levee-hall, 57
wherein that great and glorious Emperor
sat on a cushion’d couch which, though ’twas small,
for work and worth was never seen before:
Showed his reclining gest imperial
a potent, grave, and prosperous Signior:
Golden his loin-cloth, and the diadem
that crowns his brow doth blaze with many a gem.
Hard by his side an old man reverent, 58
knelt on the floor, and now and then a few
green leaves of pungent pepper did present,
in wonted usage for the Sire to chew.
A Brahmin, personage pre-eminent,
with gliding gait beside the Gama drew,
and led him up the potent King to greet,
who with a nod designed a facing seat.
When near that splendid couch took place the guest, 59
and others farther off, prompt glance and keen
the Samo’rim cast on folk whose garb and gest
were like to nothing he had ever seen:
Then, speaking gravely from his stately breast,
adding authority to noble mien,
and gaining credence of the King and crowd,
his royal message spake our Chief aloud: —
“A mighty King there throned, whither roll 60
voluble Heavens in eternal round,
where Earth by Earth conceals the rays of Sol,
tingeing the world he left with gloom profound;
hearing the rumours which from distant goal
respond to Echo, how on Indie ground
thine is the sole imperial Majesty,
the knot of Friendship lief would knit with thee.
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 19