southward till reached its point, Cape Comori,
erst ‘Cori’ called, where th’ Island Taprobanian
(’tis now Ceylon) encrowns the fronting sea:
Besides these waves thy people Lusitanian,
who with their doughty arms will follow thee,
by conquering wars shall lands and towns debel,
wherein your sons and sons of sons shall dwell.
“The regions lying ‘twixt these Rivers twain, 108
thou see’st, with various tribes are infinite:
Here rule the Moslems; there the Gentoos reign
whose Holy Writ the Devil did indite:
See where Narsinga’s seigniories contain
the saintly relicks blessing human sprite,
Thomés remains, the Miss’ioner sanctified
who thrust his finger in Lord Jesu’s side.
“Here rose the potent City, Meliapor 109
named, in olden time rich, vast and grand:
Her sons their olden idols did adore
as still adoreth that iniquious band:
In those past ages stood she far from shore,
when to declare glad tidings o’er the land
Thomé came preaching, after he had trod
a thousand regions taught to know his God.
“Here came he preaching, and the while he gave 110
health to the sick, revival to the dead;
when Chance one day brought floating o’er the wave
a forest-tree of size unmeasured:
The King a Palace building lief would save
the waif for timber, and determined
the mighty bulk of trunk ashore to train
by force of engines, elephants and men.
“Now was that lumber of such vasty size, 111
no jot it moves, however hard they bear;
when lo! th’ Apostle of CHRIST’S verities
wastes in the business less of toil and care:
His trailing waist-cord to the tree he ties,
raises and sans an effort hales it where
a sumptuous Temple he would rear sublime,
a fixt example for all future time.
“Right well he knew how ’tis of Faith aver’d 112
‘Faith moveth mountains’ will or nill they move,
lending a listening ear to Holy Word:
As CHRIST had taught him, so ’twas his to prove:
By such a mir’acle much the mob was stir’d;
the Brahmins held it something from above;
for, seen his signs and seen his saintly life,
they fear the loss of old prerogative.
“These be the Sacerdotes of Gentoo-creed, 113
that of sore jealousy felt most the pain;
they seek ill-ways a thousand and take rede
Thomé to silence or to gar him slain:
The Principal who dons the three-twine thread,
by a deed of horror makes the lesson plain,
there be no Hatred fell, and fere, and curst,
as by false Virtue for true Virtue nurst.
“One of his sons he slaughters, and accuses 114
Thome of murther, who was innocent:
Bringing false witnesses, as there the use is,
him to the death they doom incontinent.
The Saint, assured that his best excuses
are his appeals to God Omnipotent,
prepares to work before the King and Court
a publick marvel of the major sort.
“He bids be brought the body of the slain 115
that it may live again, and be affied
to name its slayer, and its word be tane
as proof of testimony certified.
All saw the youth revive, arise again
in name of Jesu CHRIST the Crucified:
Thome he thanks when raised to life anew
and names his father as the man who slew.
“So much of marvel did this Mir’acle claim, 116
straightway in Holy Water bathes the King
followed by many: These kiss Thome’s hem
while those the praises of his Godhead sing.
Such ire the Brahmans and such furies ‘flame,
Envy so pricks them with her venom’d sting,
that rousing ruffian-rout to wrath condign
a second slaughter-plot the priests design.
“One day when preaching to the folk he stood 117
they feigned a quarrel ‘mid the mob to ‘rise:
Already CHRIST his Holy man endow’d
with saintly martyrdom that opes the skies.
Rainéd innumerable stones the crowd
upon the victim, sacred sacrifice,
and last a villain, hast’ier than the rest,
pierced with a cruel spear his godly breast.
“Wept Gange and Indus, true Thome! thy fate, 118
wept thee whatever lands thy foot had trod;
yet weep thee more the souls in blissful state
thou led’st to don the robes of Holy Rood.
But Angels waiting at the Par’adise-gate
meet thee with smiling faces, hymning God.
We pray thee, pray that still vouchsafe thy Lord
unto thy Lusians His good aid afford.
“And you, ye others, who usurp the name 119
of God’s Apostles, miss’ioners like Thomé,
say, an ye boast of apostolick claim
why fare not Holy Faith to preach and pray?
If ye be salt see how yourselves ye shame,
cleaving to home, where none the Prophet play;
how shall be salted in dark days as these
(Pagans I leave) such hosts of heresies?
“But now this perilous theme I pass beyond; 120
gain we again the limned shore and site.
Here with the City whereof Fame is fond,
bends the long bow-line of Gangetick Bight:
Runneth Narsinga rich and potent lond,
runneth Orissa vaunting tissues bright,
and at the bottom of the Bay’s long line,
illustrious Ganges seeks his home, the brine:
“Ganges whose acc’olents bathe, and bathing die, 121
and die in lively faith withal secure
whatever sins upon their spirits lie,
the Holy Waters lave them sinless-pure.
See Cathigam, amid the highest high
in Bengal-province, proud of varied store
abundant, but behold how placed the Post
where sweeps the shore-line t’wards the southing coast.
“Arracan-realm behold, behold the seat 122
of Pegu peopled by a monster-brood;
monsters that ‘gendered meeting most unmeet
of whelp and woman in the lonely wood.
Here bells of sounding orichalc they fit
upon their bodies, by the craftihood
of subtle Queen, who such new custom plan’d
to ‘bate adult’erous Sin and Crime nefand.
“Behold Tavai City, whence begin 123
Siam’s dominions, Reign of vast extent;
Tenassari, Queda of towns the Queen
that bear the burthen of the hot piment.
There farther forwards shall ye make, I ween,
Malaca’s market grand and opulent,
whither each Province of the long seaboard
shall send of merchantry rich varied hoard.
“From this Peninsula, they say, the sea 124
parted with puissant waves, and entering tore
Samatra’s noble island, wont to be
joined to the Main as seen by men of yore.
’Twas called Chersonese, and such degree
it gained by earth that yielded golden ore,
they gave a golden ep’ithet to the ground:
Some be who fancy Ophir here was found.
“But on her Lands-end throned see Cingapur, 125
where the wide sea-road shrinks to narrow way:
Thence curves the coast to face the Cynosure,
and lastly trends Auroraward its lay:
See Pam, Patane, and in length obscure,
Siam, that ruleth all with royal sway;
behold Menam, who rolls his lordly tide
from Source Chiamai called, Lake long and wide.
“Thou see’st in spaces of such vast extent 126
nations of thousand names and yet unnamed;
Laos in land and people prepotent,
was and Bramas for vast ranges famed.
See how in distant wilds and wolds lie pent
the self-styled Gueons, salvage folk untamed:
Man’s flesh they eat: their own they paint and sear,
branding with burning iron, — usage fere!
“See Mecom river fret Cambodia’s coast, 127
his name by ‘Water-Captain’ men explain;
in summer only when he swelleth most,
he leaves his bed to flood and feed the Plain:
As the frore Nyle he doth his freshets boast;
his peoples hold the fond belief and vain,
that pains and glories after death are ‘signed
to brutes and soulless beasts of basest kind.
“This Stream with gentle, bland repose shall greet 128
in his embrace the Song, that swam to land
from sad and piteous shipwreck dripping wet,
‘scaped from the reefs and rocks that fang the strand;
from hunger-tortures and the perilous strait,
what time went forth the dour unjust command
on him, whose high sonorous lyre shall claim
such want of Fortune and such wealth of Fame.
“Here courseth, see, the called Champa shore, 129
with woods of od’orous wood ’tis deckt and dight:
See Cauchichina still of note obscure,
and of Ainam you undiscovered Bight:
Here the proud Empire famed evermore
for wide-spread lands and wealth and matchless might,
of China runs, and boasts the whole her own
‘twixt torrid Cancer and the frigid Zone.
“Behold you wondrous and incred’ible Wall, 130
this and that other Region built to part;
most certain symbol this which shows to all,
Imperial Puissance proud in arm and art:
These their born Princes to the throne ne’er call,
Nor Son succeedeth Sire in subject heart;
the prop’erest man as Monarch they devise,
Some Knight for virtue famed, brave and wise.
Parforce hide other vasty lands from thee 131
until what time no land remain unfound:
But leave thou not those Islands of the Sea,
where Nature rises to Fame’s highest round:
This Realm half-shadowed, China’s empery
afar reflecting, whither ships are bound,
is the Japan, whose virgin silver mine
shall shine still sheen’ier with the Law Divine.
“Here see o’er Oriental seas bespread 132
infinite island-groups and alwhere strewed:
Tidore, Ternate view, whose burning head
lanceth the wavy flame and fiery flood:
There see the groves the biting clove-bud shed,
bought with the price of Portughueze’s blood;
here dwell the golden fowls, whose home is air
and never earthward save in death may fare.
“See Banda’s Islets, which enamelled glow 133
various painted by the rosy fruits;
variegate birds, that flit from bough to bough,
take tithe and tribute of the greeny nuts:
See Borneo’s sea-girt shore where ever flow
the perfumed liquor’s thick and curded gouts,
the tears of forest-trees men ‘Camphor’ clepe,
wherefore that Island crop of Fame shall reap.
“Timor thence further sendeth forth her store 134
of fragrant Saunders, wood medicinal:
See Sunda’s Isle, so stretch her farther shore
that hideth Auster’s regions of appall:
The wand’ering men who inner wilds explore,
tell of a stream whose marvels never pall;
for, where its lone and single current floweth,
dead wood that in it falls a live stone groweth.
“Behold you land, made island of the sea 135
by Time, whose trembling flame in vapour swelleth,
see Petroil-fountain, and the prodigy
of od’orous juice the weeping tree distilleth;
sweeter than scent-tears shed in Araby
by Cin’yras’ daughter, where for aye she dwelleth;
and see, how holding all that others hold,
soft silk she hoardeth and the nugget-gold.
“See in Ceylon that Peak so stark, so gaunt, 136
shooting high o’er the clouds or mocking sight:
The native peoples hold it sacrosanct
for the famed Stone where print of foot is pight:
O’er lone Maldivia’s islets grows the plant,
beneath profoundest seas, of sov’ereign might;
whose pome of ev’ry Theriack is confest
by cunning leech of antidotes the best.
“Eke shalt thou see toforn the Red Sea strait 137
Socotra, famed for Aloe’s bitter growth:
I subject other sea-girt Isles to ‘wait
your steps where sandy Africk seaboard show’th;
and yieldeth floating mass rare, odorate,
but whence it cometh none of mortals know’th:
Of Sam Lourengo see you famous Isle,
which certain travellers Madagascar style.
“Here distant Orient’s new-found climates see, 138
climes on the world by this your Feat bestowed
that opened Ocean-portals patent-free,
whose vasty plain with doughty hearts you plowed.
But in the Ponent als a reason be,
a Lusian’s noble exploit be avowed,
who being greatly by his King aggrieved,
shall force a passage Fancy ne’er conceived.
“See you huge Region whose continuous lines 139
course from Callisto to the contr’ary Pole;
superb shall’t be by boast of lucent mines
whose veins Apollo’s golden tincture stole.
Castile, your ally, worthily designs
to make its barb’arous neck her yoke to thole:
In varied regions bide its various tribes,
with different rites which different use prescribes.
“But here where Earth spreads wider, ye shall claim 140
realms by the ruddy Dye-wood made renown’d:
These of the ‘ Sacred Cross’ shall win the name:
By your first Navy shall that world be found.
Along this seaboard, which your arm shall tame,
shall wend him seeking Earth’s extremest bound
Magellan who, good sooth, by birth shall be
a Portughueze in all save loyalty.
“And when his courses pass the midway place 141
which from the Pole Antarctick parts the Line,
he shall behold an all but Giant race
holding the countries which therewith confine:
Still onwards lie the Straits that aye shall grace
his name, which sea with sea through land conjoin;
a sea and land where horrid Auster bideth,
and ‘neath his frozen wings their measure hideth.
“Thus far, O Portingalls! to you was given 142
the feats of future ages now to know;
how o’er those Oceans which your keels have riven
great-hearted Barons grandest deeds shall do:
And hence, si
nce all with mighty toils have striven,
toils by whose Fame your favour aye shall grow
with your eternal Spouses debonnair,
who shall weave glorious crowns for you to wear:
“Ye can embark, for favouring blows the Wind 143
and to your well-loved home the seas be clear.”
Thus spake the Goddess, and the Braves incline’d
from the glad Island of sweet Love to steer.
They bear refreshment of the noblest kind,
they bear the longed-for Comp’any, each his Fere,
the Nymph that ever shall in heart abide,
long as the sunshine warmeth land and tide.
So fared they, cutting through the Main serene 144
with favouring breezes that ne’er blew in ire,
till they had sighted that familiar scene
their Fatherland, and ever fond desire.
They past the Tagus-mouth, our stream amene,
and gave their Country and their dread loved Sire,
who willed their voyage, glory and renown
and added lustrous titles to his crown.
No more, my Muse! no more, for now my Lyre 145
untuned lies, and hoarse my voice of Song;
not that of singing tire I, but I tire
singing for surd and horny-hearted throng.
Favours which Poet-fancy mostly fire
our Land gives not, ah, no! ’tis plunged too long
in lust of lucre, whelmed in rudest folly
of vile, austere and vulgar melancholy.
Nor ken I wherefore, by what Fate indign 146
she ‘joys ne genial pride, ne gen’eral taste,
which strengthen mortal spirit and incline
to face all travail with a happy haste.
Wherefore, O King! thou whom the Will Divine
hath on the kingly throne for purpose place’d
look that thou be (and see the realms of Earth)
sole Lord of vassals peerless in their worth!
Look how they gladly wend by many a way, 147
with raging Bulls’ or rampant Lyons’ might,
self-doomed to sleepless night and foodless day,
to fire and steel, shaft-show’er and bullet-flight:
To torrid Tropicks, Arcticks frore and grey,
the Pagan’s buffet and the Moor’s despight;
to risks invisible threating human life,
to wrack, sea-monsters and the waves’ wild strife.
All risks to serve thy cause they dare affront, 148
to thee though distant yield they homage due,
of ev’ry hard command they bear the brunt
sans answer, ever prompt and ever true:
On single look of favour could they count,
infernal Demons, black with Hell’s own hue,
with thee they fain encounter, and they dare
unconquer’d Conqueror their King declare.
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 28