Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works
Page 25
Burthens thee not this Soul, my mesquin Soul,
which in those threads of glancing gold bespun,
tangled thou bearest? or thus won the prize,
hast lightened Fortune which so heavy lies?
“In this sole Esp’erance thee, my Fair, I chase; 81
that or thou weary her sad load to bear;
or haply shall thy Beauty’s magick grace
have power to change her sour malignant Star:
And if thus change she, cease this useless race,
for Love shall smite thee, gentle Ladye fair:
And thou shalt wait when Love shall smite thee sore;
and if thou wait what wait I, want I more?”
No longer fled the lovely Nymph, to play 82
her sad pursuer’s heart, her pow’er to try;
as still to revel in the lovely lay
which told the soldier’s loving agony:
Bending her brow that beamed a holy ray,
all bathed with sweetest smiles of gentle joy,
she falls a victim at the victor’s feet,
melted with purest love by dear defeat.
Ah me! what hungry kissings wake the wood! 83
What choirs in suavest unison acclaim!
What pretty pettings! What coy pettish mood
which pleasant laughter presently became!
What Morn and Noontide saw and understood,
as Venus joyed her lovers’ joys to ‘flame,
were better far t’ experience not to judge,
yet judge it he whose Fate such boon shall grudge.
This way in fine conform the fair and bright 84
Nymphs, and each Bride with love her Groom endowers,
all heads are crowned with chaplets of delight,
of bays and gold and amaranthine flowers:
Their soft white palms they prest in wedded plight:
With formal phrase and stipulating powers
that pledge for endless time their mutual Faith,
honour and joyaunce, till life end in Death.
One, chiefest She, whose mandate proudly led 85
the Nymphs, obedient vassals of her throne,
Coelus and Vesta’s progeny ’twas said,
as by her queenly bearing might be known;
who over Earth and Ocean glamour shed,
the noble Captain, digne such boon to own,
with honest princely pomp comes forth to greet
as for such great egregious Ladye meet:
And, told the station and the name of her, 86
in high exordium with high grace ornate,
her cause of coming ‘gan to him prefer,
by the high influ’ence of immobile Fate;
and ope before his eyne the gen’eral sphere
of vasty regions, seas unnavigate,
the secret knowledge couched in prophecy,
which he and his alone deserved to see;
Taking his hand in hers she guides her guest 87
straight to a tow’ering head of Hill divine,
whereof a splendid Pleasaunce is the crest,
plated with purest gold and chrystal shine.
Therein the greater part of day they rest
where loving play and lasting pleasures reign:
The Queen enjoys her loves in palace-bowers,
the Nymphs in sylvan shades amid the flowers.
Thus Fair and Brave in fittest union meet, 88
while minute by the merry hours of light;
and taste the genial gladness rare as sweet
which their long labours and dark days turn bright:
Man’s high heroick deed, and daring feat
of famous force, the World shall aye requite
with guerdon merited, and boon sublime, —
a Name and Fame that stand the test of Time.
For, all our Ocean-maids so fair, so sprightful, 89
Tethys, and eke her Isle of angel-ground,
None other thing be they, but the delightful
Honours that make our human life renown’d:
That high pre-em’inence and that glory rightful
are but the Triumphs, and the brows becrown’d
with Palms and Bay-wreaths, wond’ering gaze and praise:
Such the delights my fabled Isle displays;
These Immortalities, — in young world feigned 90
by men who cherisht toils of noble aim,
there on Olympus’ star-lit heights, attained
on inclyt wings that soar to deathless Fame,
whose Deeds of Derring-do the guerdon gained,
by dint of endless toil and moil we name
the Path of Virtue, stony, steep t’ ascend,
but joyous-glad, delicious-sweet at end:
Were nought but prizes brother-men impart 91
in change for Feats immortal, sovereign,
to that baronial Host, whose Arm and Art
made to be Gods that had been only men:
Jupiter, Phoebus, Mercury, and Mart,
AEneas, Rom’ulus, and the Theban twain,
Ceres, Diana, Juno, Pallas, were
but human flesh to human weakness heir.
Yet Fame, that trumpet of Man’s high emprize, 92
on Earth bestowed them names of strange estate,
Godheads, and deathless Semi-deities,
Indigetes and Heroes, “Grand” and “Great.”
Wherefore, oh, ye! who Fame’s fair guerdon prize,
if in the World with these ye lief would mate,
awake from Slumber, shake off Sloth ignave
that sinks Man’s freeborn soul to soul of slave.
And bridle Av’arice-sin with iron bit, 93
rein that Ambition which o’er-reigns your race
in thousand fashions, and the base conceit
of vicious Tyr’anny breeding vile disgrace:
Such tinkling honours, gold so counterfeit,
to true and honest worth ne’er raised the base:
Better to merit and the meed to miss,
than, lacking merit, every meed possess.
Or give us Peace, and Laws impartial deal, 94
that baulk the rich from plundering poorer men;
or cloak your forms in coats of flashing steel,
and crush the law of hostile Saracen:
Thus shall your valour raise the Commonweal
all gaining ampler, none a smaller gain;
deserved rights shall to you be rife
with Honours, alt-relief of human life.
Thus shall ye serve the King ye love so dear 95
now with your proffer’d counsels sagely bold
then by the Sword, that shall your names uprear
to dizzy heights where trod your sires of old:
To ‘tempt impossibilities forbear;
who wills aye finds a way; and thus enrol’d,
your names shall rival this heroick band,
and gain fair greeting in Dame Venus’ land.
CANTO X.
ARGUMENT OF THE TENTH CANTO.
TETHYS inviteth the Navigators: The Siren’s prophetick Song, wherein she toucheth upon the principal achievements and conquests of the Portugueze Viceroys, the Governors, and the Captains in India until the days of D. Joam de Castro: Tethys with Da Gama ascendeth a Mount, whence she showeth him the Spheres, terrestrial and celestial: Description of the Globe, especially of Asia and Africa: The Navigators quit the Island; and, pursuing their Voyage, happily reach Lisbon.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT.
As mesas de vivificos manjares,
Com as Nymphas os Lusos valerosos,
Ouvem de seus vindouros singulares
Facanhas, em accentos numerosos:
Mostra-lhes Tethys tudo quanto os mares,
E quanto os ceos rodeam luminosos,
A pegueno volume reduzido,
E torna a frota ao Tejo tao querido.
CANTO X.
Now had the glowing Amourist, who wo
n 1
fair faithless Larissaea’s love, incline’d
his steeds where lies, girt by the great Lagoon
Temistitam, the western world behind:
Favonius’ breath the brenning of the Sun
cooleth, and o’er the nat’ural tanks his wind
crisps the sea-mirror, and awakes the Lily
slumb’ering with Jasmin through the noontide stilly:
When the fair Nymphs, who each her lover led, 2
hand linkt in hand, conforming and content,
trooped where the radiant Pleasaunce reared its head
all gay with gold and metals lucident;
when bade the Queen that tables there be spread
with varied viands chosen, excellent
for loved and loving vigour to restore,
the pow’ers which Love from weary nature bore.
There on the radiant thrones, rich, chrystalline, 3
sit the blithe couples, cavalier and dame;
while on the golden dais in state recline
the lovely Goddess, Gama loved by Fame:
Delicious dainties, delicate, divine,
that antique Egypt’s lux’ury sink to shame,
heap the huge chargers of the tawny gold
from far Atlantis-treas’ury hither roll’d.
The wines of fragrant scent not sole excel 4
Falernus’ vintage, proud Italia’s boast,
but e’en th’ Ambrosia Jove esteems so well
and eke esteems his sempiternal Host;
in cups where steely file may not prevail,
they spume crisp foam that glads man’s innermost
bosom, and warms his heart with sudden glow;
and with ice-water temper’d, leap and flow.
Told were a thousand tales of joy and mirth; 5
sweet smiles met subtle sayings warm with wit
which to this courses and that gave double worth,
and sharpened edge to blunted appetite:
Nor of the Harp harmonious was there dearth,
(which in profoundest Pit the naked Sprite
awhile can respite from eternal pain),
sweeten’d by Siren-voice of Angel-strain.
Thus sang that Nymph, the fairest of her kind, — 6
her descant ech’oing down the halls sublime, —
with consonance of instrument combine’d
and all conforming to one tone and time:
A sudden silence husheth every Wind,
and makes the Wavelet plash with softer chime,
while salvage animals in nat’ural lair
to slumber charmed, a dreamy musick hear.
Her voice of silver raiseth to the skies 7
the coming race of Barons high renown’d,
whose prototypes were shown to Proteus’ eyes
within the hollow Sphere’s diaph’anous round; Jove’s goodly present and the choicest prize
giv’en him in vision. To the Realm profound
the tale prophetick told he, and the Maid
in Mem’ory’s depths the glorious hist’ory laid.
Subject of buskin ’tis, and not for sock, 8
what in that vasty Lake the Nymph made known,
things from Iopas hid and Demodoque;
Phoeacian this, and that of Carthage-town.
Thee, my Calliope! I now invoke
in this mine extreme labour, thou alone
canst for my writing to my sprite restore
the gust of writing, which I ‘joy no more.
My years glide downwards, and my Summer’s pride 9
mergeth in Autumn, passing, ah! how soon;
Fortune my Genius chills, and loves to chide
my Poet-soul no more my boast and boon:
Hopes long deferred bear me to the tide
of black Oblivion, and eternal Swoon:
But deign to grant me thou, the Muses’ Queen,
to praise my People with my proper strain!
Sang the fair Goddess how the wide Seas o’er 10
from Tagus bank, whence Gama cut his path,
shall sail strong Navies, conq’uering ev’ry shore
where Indie Ocean sucks his mighty breath:
How all the Kings, who Gentoo gods adore,
and dare our yoke reject shall rue the wrath
of hard and hardy Arms, with steel and lowe,
till low to Gama or to Death they bow:
Of one she chaunted that in Malabar 11
held of the Priesthood highest dignity,
who, lest be loosen’d with the singular
Barons the knot of love and amity,
shall see his towns, his cities in the war
with fire and sword, and wrath and cruelty
undone, which potent Samorim shall wage:
Against the stranger such shall be his rage.
And eke she singeth how shall join the Fleet 12
in Belem moor’d, to ‘bate this deadly bane,
when of his burthen nought could Ocean weet,
our great Pacheco,’Achilles Lusitan:
Lo! as he ent’ereth all his weight shall greet
the curved timber and the fervid Main,
as in the waters every keel that groaneth
sits deeper swimming than its nature owneth.
But hardly landed on those Orient ends, 13
and, leaving with the royal Unbeliever
of Cochim-realm, some native troops where bends
its salty branches Cochim’s snakey river;
the Nayrs’ infernal bands he breaks and rends,
in the Pass Cambalam, whereat shall shiver
with freezing fear the Orient’s fiery glow,
seeing so few so many men o’erthrow.
The Samorim shall summon fresh allies; 14
Kings hurry’ing come from Bipur and Tanor,
and where Narsinga’s serried crests arise
vowing high valour to their Grand Seignior:
Lo! at his bidding every Nayr-man hies,
that dwells ‘twixt Calecut and Cananor,
two hostile peoples linkt at War’s demand,
by sea the Moormen come, Gentoos by land.
Again shall scatter all their strong array 15
Pacheco grandly bold on shore and Main;
the mighty Meiny he shall crush and slay,
and be the Marvel of the Mal’abar plain:
Again shall dare the Pagan sans delay
to offer battle for his bitter bane;
taunting his Host and offering vainest vows
his deaf, and dumb, and heedless Gods to ‘rouse.
No more the Passes only now defending, 16
he shall with fire consume thorpe, fane and town:
The Hound, waxt wood to see with toil unending
his fenced Cities on the plain bestrown,
shall drive his soldiers, life so freely spending,
against Pacheco, who with wings hath flown
for double movement: But at single bout
hither and thither all he puts to rout.
Shall come in person Sam’orim fight to dare, 17
to cheer his forces and fresh force enjoin;
but soon a bullet singing through the air
shall stain him red in lofty palanquin.
Naught now availeth him, ne wile ne snare
ne force Pacheco deemeth like to win;
he shall vain venoms deal, deal treasons base
which aye gain less of gain by God’s good grace.
“He shall a seventh time,” she sang, “aspire 18
the brave beleaguer’d Lusian to assail,
whom toil and travail lack the strength to tire;
but save confusion nothing shall avail:
Then shall he bring to battle dread and dire
machines of timber, unknown, terrible,
to sink the Carvels by the board assailed,
when force and fraud both tried alike have fail
ed.
“On water-plain upheaping fiery hill 19
he now shall ‘tempt the Lusian Fleet to ‘flame:
But soldier-science and the war-man’s will
the strength shall weaken wherewithal he came.
Ne’er hath a Baron famed for martial skill,
that starward soared on the wings of Fame,
rivalled this, who Palms from all hath won: —
Illustrious Greece, or Rome, my words condone!
“For, such fierce battles in such manner gained 20
by a poor hundred or few more, such fight,
such feints, such strength, such stratagems sustained,
so many hounds not heartless hurled to flight;
such feats, I say, must seem as Fables feigned,
or that the Hosts of Heav’en invoked, alight
earthward to aid him, shall to him impart
daring and doing, heart and warrior art.
“Nor he who in the champaign Marathonian, 21
Darius’ mighty powers piecemeal rendeth;
nor with four thousand men Lacedaemonian
he who the Pass Thermopylae defendeth;
nor youthful Codes of the strain Ausonian,
who with the whole Etrurian host contendeth
the Bridge to hold, nor Quintus Fabius e’er
like this in war showed strength and savoir-faire.”
But here the Nymph’s triumphant measure dies, 22
shifting to sadden’d murmur low and slow,
she sings ‘mid tears and ill-suppressed sighs
the mighty Gestes that did no grat’itude know.
“Oh, Belisarius! thou who aye shalt rise
in ninefold Choir, and ever nobler grow,
if Mars dishonour’d didst behold in thee
one to console thee here thy Shade shall see!
“Thou hast a Rival, not alone in deed 23
but in his dolence and his guerdon dour:
In thee and him two breasts of noblest breed
we see degraded to low state obscure:
To die in ‘spital, on the bed of need,
who King and Law like wall of i’ron secure!
Thus do capricious Kings, whose will demandeth
more than what Justice or what Truth commandeth:
“Thus do the Kings who, drunk with flatt’ery, feel 24
the charm of show that gains their hearts’ content;
the doles of Ajax’ arm the due they deal
to tongue of vain Ulysses fraudulent:
But, — oh Revenge! — these goods of little weal,
wasted on those who ghosts of Good present,
if brave and gentle Knights miss all their grants,
such grants but glut their greedy sycophants.
“Yet thou! who paidest in such sorry ways, 25