Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works

Home > Other > Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works > Page 21
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 21

by Luis de Camoes

and turns the vanquisht Vanquisher again:

  Egas Moniz, the gallant vet’eran hight,

  is Knighthood’s mirror to each loyal knight.

  “See’ him here self-yielded with his sons he goes, 14

  naked of silk and cloth with neck in cord,

  because the Youth to break the promise chose

  which to Castile he gave with plighted word:

  He lured by specious promises the foes

  to raise the siege when sovereign waged the sword:

  To life’s last pains he dooms his sons and wife

  and self-condemned saves his Liege’s life.

  “Less did the Consul whom the hosts surround 15

  when to the Caudine Forks he careless came,

  and there his head to bow and pass was bound

  ‘neath the triumphant Samnites’ yoke of shame:

  This, blamed at home, an inborn firmness found

  to yield him singly, true to constant aim;

  this other yieldeth self and innocent seed

  and wife, — more glorious and more grievous deed.

  “See’st thou the Brave who, left his ambuscade, 16

  falls on the King besieging you tall town,

  the town unsieging and the King waylaid:

  Illustrious action Mars might call his own!

  See him, here wends he, limned in you Armade,

  till eke at sea the Moormen slain or flown

  lost all their galleys; while he claims the prize

  that heads our host of maritime victories:

  “Fuás Roupinho ’tis; o’er wave and land 17

  his name shall aye resplend with equal light,

  reflecting flames that lit his daring hand

  in Moorman galleys under Ab’yla’s height.

  See how at just and saintly War’s command

  happy he loses life in holy fight:

  Enters by Moorish hands the heavenly calm

  his Soul, triumphant with the well-won Palm.

  “See’st not this Gathering in strange garb that came 18

  swarming from out you Navy new and brave,

  who holp our first of Kings the foe to tame

  and ‘leaguing Lisbon saintly proof they gave?

  Behold Henrique, Knight of peerless fame,

  and eke the Palm that grew beside his grave:

  Thro’ them His marvels God to man hath shown: —

  Germans be they the martyrs CHRIST shall own.

  “Behold a Churchman brandishing his skeyne 19

  against Arronches which he takes, the chance

  of Lei’ria’venging lately tane

  by men who couch for Mafamed the lance.

  ’Tis Theotonio, Prior. See again

  besieged Sant’arem, and shalt see the glance

  assured that figures on the mure and first

  wave o’er the walls the Quinal Banner durst:

  “See here he hies, where low our Sancho layeth 20

  the Vandal Moor who in fierce fight atones;

  pierceth th’ opponent host, his Antient slayeth,

  and trails th’ Hispalic pendon o’er the stones:

  Mem Moniz he, who in his life portrayeth

  the valour buried with his Father’s bones;

  digne of these Banners, since his force ne’er failed

  to raise his own, to rout whate’er assailed.

  “Behold that other, sliding down his spear, — 21

  bearing two head of sentinels he slew, —

  better to hide his ambush; now appear

  his Braves whose might and sleight the town o’erthrew:

  And now her ‘scutcheon shows the Cavalier

  proper who holds in hand the couped two

  cold ghastly heads. A deed ne’er done indeed!

  Giraldo Sem-pavor the stout name read.

  “See’st not a Spaniard who, dissatisfied 22

  with our ninth King Afonso, by old hate

  of Lara moved, with the Moor abide

  in friendship hostile to our Port’ugal state?

  Abrantes town he takes accompanied

  by the hard Infidel, his Moorish mate:

  But see a Portingall with pow’er so spare

  rout him, and stoutly lead him prisoner:

  “Martim Lopes the Knight by name is known 23

  who from the traitors palms and laurels took.

  But here behold the Bishop Mil’itant shown,

  who changed for steely Lance his golden Crook:

  See him, ‘mid faithless faithful found alone,

  fight to refuse refusing, shake and shock

  the cruel Moorman: See in shining skies

  the sign whereby his few he multiplies.

  “See, fly the Kings of Cord’oba and Sevile 24

  routed, with other twain in shortest tale:

  Routed! nay, rather, ruined. Miracle

  God-wrought, not worked by arm of mortal frail!

  See Alcacer low bend her haughty will;

  ne tow’ers of flesh, ne walls of steel avail

  ‘gainst Lisbon’s Bishop, Dom Mathéus: See!

  crowned with the palmy crown there standeth he.

  “Behold a Master of Castilian line, 25

  a Portingall by right of birth, o’errun

  Algarves Kingdom till she shows no sign

  of men-at-arms his force hath not undone:

  By guile, and might and main, and star benign

  towns, castles, cities, all are stormed and won.

  Soon ‘spite her townsmen Tavila-town he breaks,

  and for the Se’ven slain Hunters vengeance takes.

  “See him with bellic arts from Moormen gain 26

  Sylves, they gained with enormous host:

  Paio Correa ’tis, whose might and main

  and cunning purpose men aye envy most.

  Nor pass the fighting three in France and Spain

  who won a name that never shall be lost

  for tournay, challenges and joustings gay;

  winning of publick trophies proud display:

  “See’st them? how clept ‘Adventurers,’ they came 27

  Castileward, whence alone the prize and pride

  they bore, the winnings of Bellona’s game

  as to their loss all found a fall who tried:

  See them strike down the Knights of proudest fame

  who of the three the principal defied,

  ’tis Gongalo Ribeiro, name so brave

  hath nought to fear from Lethe’s whelmy wave.

  “To one attend, whose Fame so far extendeth, 28

  that with no fame of old she rests content,

  who, when his country on a thread dependeth

  lends stalwart shoulders to the burthen bent;

  See’st not how anger-flusht he reprehendeth

  the cowed throng’s suspicions cold and lent;

  and makes the wretches hail the gentle rein

  of home-born King, not foreign Suzerain?

  “See him, with daring and advice replete 29

  God-guarded only and by Holy Star,

  make possible th’ impossible, and defeat

  one-handed, proud Castilia’s pow’er of war.

  See how by valour aided, might and wit,

  in second slaughter vict’ory similar

  he gains o’er those who, fierce as infinite, dwell

  betwixt Tartessus and Guadiana’s vale?

  “See’st not already all but overthrown 30

  our Lusitanian pow’er, when left his line

  the Capitayne devout, who wends alone

  t’ invoke that Essence, the Most Highest Trine?

  Now see him summoned hast’ily by his own,

  who plead that Fortune must parforce incline

  to whelming force, and pray his presence cheer

  the soldiers, and enforce their feeble fear.

  “Yet see the careless holy confidence, 31

  wherewith ‘’Tis not yet time,’ he ans
wered;

  as one in God reposing trust immense

  of human vict’ory won by heav’enly aid:

  E’en so Pompilius, hearing the offence

  of en’emies urging o’er his land the raid,

  to him who brought the heavy news replies,

  ‘ But I, you see, am offering sacrifice!’

  “If one whose Brave’ry rests his God upon, 32

  perchance thou wouldest know how named and known,

  ‘ Portugal’s Scipio ‘ is the name he won,

  but ‘ Nuno Alvares’ claims more renown.

  Happy the Land that bare her such a son!

  or, rather sire: For long as Suns look down

  on Earth where Ceres and joint Neptune reign

  for such a Scion she shall sigh in vain.

  “In the same Warfare see what prizes gaineth 33

  this other Captain of a slender band;

  driving commanders he the drove regaineth

  which they had lifted with audacious hand:

  See how the lance again in gore he staineth

  only to free, at Friendship’s firm command,

  his thralled friend whom Honour made a thrall: —

  Pero Rodrigues ’tis of Landroal.

  “Look on this Treachetour and how he payeth 34

  his caitiff trick’ery and his perj’ury fell;

  Gil Fernandes of Elvas ’tis that slayeth

  the wretch, and sends him to his proper Hell:

  Harrying Xeres-plain the crops he layeth

  with floods of blood that raineth proud Castile:

  But see how Ruy Pereira’s face and front

  enshield the galleys, bearing battle-brunt.

  “See you sev’enteen to Lusus who belong 35

  upon this hillock standing, life defend

  against the Spaniards who four hundred strong,

  to take them captive in their rear extend:

  But to their sorrow these shall find ere long

  the stout defenders also can offend:

  Feat digne to last till Earth succumb to Time; —

  in the far Past, in Present day sublime!

  “How the three hundred Braves, ’twas known of old, 36

  did with a thousand Romans battle wage,

  in the good times when virile deeds and bold

  which Viriatus did, illumed his age:

  He snatcht memorious triumphs from their hold,

  bequeathing this our noblest heritage,

  the Brave tho’ few shall ne’er the Many fear,

  as sithence thousand times we proved full clear.

  “Pedro and Henry view, those Infants twain 37

  of kingly John the gen’erous progeny:

  That gars his fame illustrious to remain

  in German-land and doometh Death to die:

  This Prince inspired by Heaven claimed the Main

  as her Explorer; and lay bare the lie

  of tumid Moor’s vain boast in Ceita’s wall,

  and, forced the gateway, entered first of all.

  “See’st Country Pedro, daring to support 38

  two sieges laid by Barb’ary’s might entire;

  and see’st you other Count who shows the port

  of earthly Mars in martial force and fire:

  Sufficeth not to fence Alcacer-fort

  from swarming hosts; his spirit flieth higher,

  his King’s beloved life the Brave defends

  ns stone-wall standing till his own he ends.

  “And here the Painters who in Art prevail, 39

  pardie, had many painted and portray’d;

  but fail their pencils and their colours, fail

  prize, praise, and premium, of Art’s life the bread.

  Fault of the vices flowing from th’ entail

  of men degen’erate, who so far have stray’d

  from valour’s paths where trod their lustrous sires,

  deep mired in vanities and low desires.

  “Those high illustr’ious Fathers who gave birth 40

  to generations on their grace depending,

  fought for fair HONOUR, sternly strove on Earth

  to found a fam’ily that could bear descending:

  Blind! if paternal toils of priceless worth,

  won name, fame, claim so far and wide extending,

  they leave their lesser sons but more obscure,

  when left in crap’ulous vice to live impure.

  “Als there be others, sons of wealth and might, 41

  who to no lordly tree by birth belong:

  Fault of the Kings, who oft some favourite

  prefer to thousands, wise and true and strong:

  For these the painted Past hath poor delight,

  feeling vain colours work them present wrong;

  and aye as nat’ural foe in hate they bear

  the speaking pictures which their semblance wear.

  “Gainsay I not, that some of high descent 42

  from wealthy houses, men of gen’erous strain,

  still with their noble lives and excellent

  ‘herited titles worthily sustain:

  And if the light which ancestry hath lent

  no novel glory by their doings gain,

  at least it faileth not, nor dim it groweth: —

  But ah! few men like these the Painter knoweth.”

  Thus Gama’s el’oquence told the mighty deeds, 43

  disclosed by various tints to stranger view,

  where Art to sing’ular Artist-hand concedes

  depainting Nature with her nat’ural hue.

  The Cat’ual’s ready glance distinctly reads

  the surd-mute story and the tale so true:

  A thousand times he askt, a thousand heard

  each tasteful battle which his eyne prefer’d.

  And now the light a doubtful lustre showed, 44

  when veiled the mighty Lamp its lucent ray

  beneath the sky’s round rim, and lum’inous glowed

  on our Antipodes the smile of Day:

  The gen’erous crowd of Nayrs and Géntoos rowed

  off from the stalwart ship on homeward way,

  seeking repose and sleep’s delicious swoon,

  to weary beings Night-tide’s gentle boon.

  Meanwhile those Augurs who must fame affy 45

  in false opinion, that by sacrifice

  forecast of future things which dubious lie,

  thro’ diabolick sign and show they wis;

  by royal mandate hied Black Arts to ply,

  and various offices ‘gan exercise,

  to find what projects brought across the Main

  unheard of foreigners from unknown Spain.

  By Demon-aidance truthful sign they learn, 46

  how doth this novel visitor portend

  a yoke perpet’ual, servitude eterne,

  the Race’s ruin and its valour’s end.

  Th’ amazed Augur, whom the proofs constern,

  wends to the King and tells (e’en as he ken’d)

  the fearful symptoms that had met his sight

  by victim’d bowels brought anon to light.

  These signs confirming, to a Priest devout, 47

  a man of mark in Mafamede’s creed,

  from preconceived hatred not remote

  ‘gainst Holy Faith, that doth all faiths exceed,

  in the False Prophet’s form of evil note,

  who drew his being from slave Hagar’s seed,

  Bacchus the hateful in a dream appears,

  whose hate is doubled by redoubled fears.

  “Guard ye, my children, guard ye,” — thus he spoke, 48

  “from snares and perils laid by deadly foes

  who o’er the tumid waters hither flock,

  before the danger more immediate grows.”

  The Moorman, startled by these words, awoke

  in visionary fear: But soon arose

  the thought that vulgar dream his brain oppre
st,

  and thus returned he tranquil to his rest.

  When Bacchus thus returneth:—” Know’est thou not 49

  the mighty Maker, who the Law devised

  for thy forefathers, he whose will ye wot

  and lacking whom had many been baptized?

  I wake for thee, for me dost sleep, thou sot?

  Then by the Future soon shalt be advised

  how these new-comers come with bane and ban

  to break the laws I taught to seely man.

  “Until this feeble folk full force hath won, 50

  contrive resistance in all manner o’ ways;

  for, easy ’tis upon the rising Sun

  firm eyne to fix sans fear of blinding rays:

  But, when to zenith hath his race been run

  the strongest eye-sight that would dare to gaze

  remaineth dazed, and so shall ye remain

  unless ye let them ere the root be tane.”

  Then with the Dreamer’s sleep away he speedeth: 51

  Trembling remains th’ astonisht Hagarene;

  springing from couch his slaves bring light he biddeth,

  the fervid venom fest’ering in his spleen.

  As the pale dawn-light, which the sun precedeth,

  display’d her angel-cheek and brow serene,

  convoked the Doctors of the turpid sect,

  he of his vision renders ‘count direct.

  Divers opinions couched contrary 52

  are told and heard as each best understood:

  Astute waylayings, argute treachery,

  were workt and woven in their vengeful mood:

  But shirking treason which may danger dree,

  they sought the spilling of the Strangers’ blood

  with plots and projects of the subtlest school,

  by bribes the Rulers of the Land to rule.

  With golden bribe, rich fee, and secret gift, 53

  they strive the country-principals to please;

  showing with proofs discreet of not’able drift,

  how shall perdition all the people seize;

  “These be,” they say, “a folk of scanty thrift,

  rovers who run from occidental seas,

  pyratick rapine is their sole design,

  sans Roy, sans Loy, or human or divine.”

  Ah! how behooves the King, who rules aright, 54

  to choose his councillors or his friends beloved,

  by rule of conscience, Virtue’s inner light,

  whose sprites sincere affection long have proved!

  The man exalted to that dizzy height,

  the kingly throne, of things from note removed

  can gain no notice sure, no knowledge clear,

  save what th’ adviser’s tongue will teach his ear.

  Much less I counsel Kings to rest secure 55

  in the clear conscience of the men who show

  of humble pauper cloak the form of lure;

 

‹ Prev