Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works
Page 29
Favour them alway, gladden every face 149
with thy fair Presence, blithe Humanity;
of rig’orous rule relieve them, deal the grace
of milder law that leads to sanctity:
impart to long Experience rank and place,
an with Experience ‘habit Honesty
to work thy Sovran will; thus all shall trow
what things befall them, Whence and When and How.
All favour thou in Duty’s different way, 150
as in each life the stored talent lies:
Let the Religious for thy gov’ernance pray,
and beg a blessing on each high emprize;
fast they and fash their flesh for those who stray
in vulgar vices, and as wind despise
Ambition, ne’er shall holy Priest mislead
glare of vain-glory, nor of gain the greed.
Foster the Cavaliers with fair esteem, 151
that oft their fearless, fiery blood have lent
to spread not only Heaven’s law supreme,
but eke thy royal Rule pre-eminent.
Such men who fare to face each fell extreme
of climate in thy cause aye diligent,
conquer a double foe; the fone that live,
and (deadlier task) with dark, dumb danger strive.
So do, my Sire! that sons of famous lands 152
Britons, Italians, Germans and the Gaul,
ne’er vaunt that might of mortal man commands
thy Portingalls, who should command them all.
Take counsel only with experienced hands,
men who long years, long moons, saw rise and fall:
Many for gen’eral science fitness show,
yet the particulars none save experts know.
Elegant Phormion’s philosophick store, 153
see how the practised Hannibal derided,
when lectured he with wealth of bellick lore
and on big words and books himself he prided.
Senhor! the Soldier’s discipline is more
than men may learn by mother-fancy guided:
Not musing, dreaming, reading what they write;
;tis seeing, doing, fighting, teach to fight.
But I, what dare I say, rude, humble, low, 154
to thee unknown, yes, even in thy dreams?
Yet oft from lips of Babes and Sucklings flow,
I trow, the words of wisdom man esteems:
Right honest studies my career can show
with long Experience blent as best beseems,
and Genius here presented for thy view; —
gifts, that conjoined appertain to few.
For serving thee an arm to Arms addrest; 155
for singing thee a soul the Muses raise;
nought lacks me save of thee to stand confest,
whose duty ’tis the Good to prize and praise:
If Heav’en concede me this, and if thy breast
deign incept worthy of a Poet’s lays; —
as doth presage my spirit vaticine
viewing thee pace the human path divine: —
Or do’ing such derring-do, that ne’er Meduse 156
shall Atlas-mountain like thy glances shake,
or battling on the plains of Ampeluse
Marocco’s mures and Terodant to break;
my now esteemed and rejoicing Muse
thy name o’er Earth, I swear, so famed shall make,
an Alexander shall in Thee be shown
who of Achilles envy ne’er shall own.
THE REJECTED STANZAS. (ESTANCIAS DESPREZADAS).
NOTE.
THESE Stanzas, omitted by Camoens, were discovered by Manoel de Faria y Sousa, and published in his Commentaries (Juan Sanches, 1639). The whole are extant in three manuscripts. Number I., the better of the two first, contains only six cantos: Number II., belonging to M. Correia Montenegro, embraces the whole poem. The third MS., in the hands of M. Luiz Franco, is given by Viscount Juromenha (Vol. VI. 419). It has only four “rejected stanzas”; the first three are those of Faria y Sousa; and the fourth is that of the established text (Canto I. 79) with a few unimportant changes of words and rhymes. The Stanzas number: —
MS. No. 1, 48 + 2 fragments =49
„ „ 2, (Correia Montenegro’s) =26
„ „ 3, (Luiz Franco’s) = 4
Total 79
I will not here enter into the consideration why the Stanzas were left out. Many of them fully equal those retained in the popular “Lusiads but almost all contain something opposed to public, or rather to priestly, sentiment. A cursory glance shows that not a few want the polish and finish which distinguish the Poem. I have purposely followed suit for the sake of contrast and fidelity. Juromenha’s original text is printed in verso, that the reader may judge how literal is my version, which, for additional security, was submitted to Mr. J. J. Aubertin, the translator of “The Lusiads.”
ESTANCIAS DESPREZADAS.
Canto I.
ISTO dizendo, irado e quasi insano,
Sobre a Thebana parte descendeo,
Onde vestindo a forma, e gesto humano,
Para onde o sol nasce se moveo,
Ja atravessa a mar Mediterrano,
Ja dé Cleopatra o reino discorreo;
Ja deixa á máo direita os Garamantes,
E os desertos de Libya circumstantes.
2 Ja Meroe deixa atraz, e a terra ardente,
Que o septemfluo rio vai regando,
Onde reina o mui sancto Presidente,
Os preceitos de Christo amoestando:
Ja passa a terra de aguas carecente,
Que estao as alagoas sustentando;
D’onde seu nascimento tem o Nilo,
Que gera o monstruoso crocodilo.
THE REJECTED STANZAS.
MANUSCRIPT NO. I.
Canto I. Stanza 77 (modified).
HE spake in fury wood, like wight insane, 1
And straight alighted on the Theban way,
Where mortal gest and human vesture tane,
He bore where new-born Phoebus bears the Day.
Now spans his flight the Mediterranean Main,
Now spurns the bounds of Cleopatra’s sway;
Now leaves to right the Garamantes-land,
And circumjacent sheets of Libyan sand.
Now leaves he Mer’oe ‘mid the fiery downs, 2
Fed by the waters of the Sev’en-flood River,
Realms which the high and holy President owns,
Of Christ His doctrine old and true Believer:
He passes drouthy land whose people wones
Lacking the Lakes that roll their waters ever;
The very birth-place of the secret Nyle
Who breeds the monstrous brood of crocodile.
3 D’aqui ao Cabo Prasso vai direito;
E entrando em Mozambique, nesse instante
Se faz na forma Mouro contrafeito,
A hum dos mais honrados similhante.
E como a seu regente fosse acceito,
Entrando um pouco triste no semblante,
Desta sorte o Thebano lhe fallava,
Apartando-o dos outros com que estava.
Canto I.
“E para que des credito ao que fallo,
Que este capitao falso esta ordenando,
Sabe que quando foste a visitallo
Ouvi dous neste caso estar fallando:
No que digo nao facas intervallo,
Que eu te digo, sem falta, como, quando
Os podes destruir; que he bem olhado
Que quem quer enganar fique enganado.”
Canto III.
“Entre este mar, e as aguas onde vem
Correndo o largo Tdnais de contino
Os Sarmátas estao, que se mantem
Bebendo o roxo sangue, e leite equino.
Aqui vivem os Missios, que tambem
Tee parte de Asia; povo baixo, e indino;
E os Abios que mulheres nao recebe
m;
E muitos mais que o Borysthenes bebem.”
Hence to the Prasum Headland fast he flies; 3
And, making Mozambique, in briefest space
Becomes the Counterfeit, in Moorman guise,
Of one that held high honourable place.
And, as the Regent much this Moor did prize,
Entering with somewhat sad and charged face,
Began the Theban thus his plaint to make,
Removing others who sat near the Shaykh.
Canto I. (after Stanza 80).
“And eke, that credit these my words befall,
Showing what plotteth you false Capitayne,
Know, when thou wendedst on thy guest to call
I heard this case debated ‘twixt a twain:
In what I tell thee make no interval,
And I will truly tell thee how, when, where,
Thou canst destroy them; for I lief believe
We should deceive him who would us deceive.”
Canto III. (after Stanza 10).
“Between this Ocean, and the waters shed
To feed large Tanai’s, flowing ceaseless flood,
Dwell the Sarmatse races, who are fed
On mare-milk diet mixt with purpling blood.
Here live the Mysian peoples that o’erspread
A part of Asia, low, inglorious brood;
Abii who banish women; and with these
A host of tribes that drink Borysthenes.”
Canto III.
“Mas a iniqua mae seguindo em tudo
Do peito feminil a condigao,
Tomava por marido a dom Bermudo,
E a dom Bermudo a toma hum seu irmao.
Vede hum peccado grave, bruto e rudo,
De outro nascido! Oh grande admiragao!
Que o marido deixado vem a ter
Quern tern por enteada, e por mulher.”
Canto IV.
“Sempre foram bastardos valerosos
Por letras ou por armas, ou por tudo:
Foram-o os mais dos deoses mentirosos,
Que celebrou o antigo povo rudo.
Mercurio, e o docto Apollo sao famosos
Per sciencia diversa e longo estudo;
Outros sao so por armas soberanos;
Hercules e Lyeu, ambos Thebanos.
2 “Bastardos sao tambem Homero e Orpheo,
Dous a quern tanto os versos illustraram;
E os dous de quern o imperio procedeo,
Que Troia e Roma em Italia edificaram.
Pois se he certo o que a fama ja escreveo,
Se muitos a Philippo nomearam
Por pae do Macedonico mancebo
Outros lhe dao o manho Nectanebo.
Canto III. (for Stanza 29).
“But his ill mother following whither led
Her woman’s bosom ready aye to range,
Took Dom Bermudo to her marriage-bed, —
And Dom Bermudo’s brother takes in change.
See the foul, sinful, bestial action bred
By crime begetting crime! Strange, mighty strange!
That left her husband she remains for e’er
His marriage-sister and his married fere.”
Canto IV. (after Stanza 2).
Translated in the Millie-Dubeux edit, of 1862.
“The meed of valour Bastards aye have claimed 1
By Arts or Arms, or haply both conjoined;
Such were of fabled Gods the most enfamed
To whom rude Antients highest rank assigned.
Hermes, and doct Apollo still are named
For varied Science with long Art combined;
Others by Arms alone prevail; so reign
Bacchus and Hercules, that Theban Twain.
“Homer and Orpheus, eke, of birth were base, 2
The pair by Po’etry raised to such degree;
And they, the Sires of that Imperial race,
Who founded Troy and Rome for Italy.
Nay, an in written legend trust we place,
Though many Philip made the father be
Of Macedonia’s Youth, not few would prove
Great Nectanebus filcht his mother’s love.
3 “Assi o filho de Pedro justigoso,
Sendo governador alevantado
Do reino, foi nas armas tao ditoso,
Que bem pode igualar qualquer passado.
Porque vendo-se o reino receoso
De ser do Castelhano sujugado,
Aos seus o medo tira, que os alcanga;
Aos outros a falsffica esperanga.”
Canto IV.
“Nem no reino ficou de Tarragona
Quem nao siga de Marte o duro officio:
Nem na cidade nob re, que se abona
Com ser dos Scipioes claro edificio.
Tambem a celebrada Barcelona
Mandou soldados dextros no exercicio:
Todos estes ajunta o Castelhano
Contra o pequeno reino Lusitano.”
Canto IV.
“Oh inimigos maos da natureza
Que injuriaes a propria geragao!
Degenerantes, baixos! Que fraqueza
De esforgo, de saber e de razao,
Vos fez, que a clara estirpe que se presa
De leal, fido e limpo coragáo,
Offendais dessa sorte? Mas respeito
Que este dos grandes he o menor defeito.”
“Thus Justiciary Pedro’s bastard son, 3
Being exalted o’er the realm to sway,
By Géstes of arms such goods of Fortune won
That equalled ev’ery Great of bygone day.
He, when his kingdom feared to be undone
And prostrate lie, the proud Castilian’s prey,
Bateth the terror his own lieges tries;
And in all others Esp’erance falsifies.”
Canto IV. (after Stanza 11).
Omitted because Catalonia and Arragon did not then belong to
Castile (?).
“Remained none in realm of Tarragon
Who shirkt to mell in Mavors’ dour emprize:
None in the noble City, whose renown
Upon her founder Scipio’s name relies.
And last not least the far-famed Barcelon
Sent warmen tried in warlike exercise:
All these strong powers uniteth haughty Spain
Against our little Lusitanian reign.”
Canto IV. (after Stanza 13).
“Oh, foes unnat’ural! Nature so misbred,
Race of thy race’s name disgrace that art!
Degenerates! caitiffs! say what feeble Dread,
Sans wisdom, reason, all Man’s better part,
Have made a gallant people, born and bred
Loyal and brave with clean and candid heart,
Offend in such base guise? But I suspect
Amid the Great this be the least defect.”
Canto IV.
“Qual o mancebo claro, no Romano
Senado, os grandes medos aquebranta
Do grao Carthaginez, que soberano
Os cutelos lhe tinha na garganta;
Quando ganhando o nome de Africano
A resistir-lhe foi com furia tanta,
Que a patria duvidosa libertou,
O que Fabio invejoso nao cuidou.”
Canto IV.
“Ja a fresca filha de Titao trazia
O sempre memorando dia, quando
As vesperas se cantam de Maria,
Que este mez honra, o nome seu tomando.
Para a batalha estava ja este dia
Determinado: logo, em branqueando
A alva no ceo, os Reis se apparelhavam,
E as gentes com palavras animavam.”
Canto IV.
“E vos Imperadores, que mandastes
Tanta parte do mundo, sempre usados
A resistir os asperos contrastes
De traidores crueis, e alevantados:
Nao vos queixeis: que agora se attentastes,
<
br /> Hum dos mais claros Reis, e mais amados,
Ve contra si, contra seu reino, e lei,
Seus vassallos por outro estranho Rei.”
Canto IV. (in lieu of Stanza 21).
“E’en as the noble Youth of Roman strain
Strengthend the Senate, fain in fear to fly
The Carthaginian who, all-sovereign,
His whetted blade to shrinking throats brought nigh;
When worth’ily winning surname ‘African,’
His furious force so did their force defy,
His doubtful country free as air he made
When jealous Fabius still his rede delay’d.”
Canto IV. (after Stanza 27).
“Now Titan’s daughter fresh and rosy came
Bringing that memorable, deathless day,
When Vespers chaunted are in Mary’s name,
Hon’ouring the holy month whose name is May.
This day for battle having fittest claim
Was chosen: Now, as paled the morning Gray
Bleaching the skies, both Kings unsheathed their swords
Their hosts enheartening with hearty words.”
Canto IV. (after Stanza 33).
“And, Emperors! you that held and had command
O’er so much Earth, aye ready to resist
In asp’erous conflict, and the wrong withstand
Of cruel Traitors raising Treason’s crest:
Complain ye not: Nay, well this chance attend,
One of the noblest Kings, and loved the best,
Sees ‘gainst his law, his crown, his self, his all,
Vavasors rise to sue a stranger’s thrall.
Canto IV.
“Passaram a Giraldo co’ as entranhas
O grosso e forte escudo, que tomara
A Perez que matou, que o seu de estranhas
Cutiladas desfeito ja deixara.
Morrem Pedro, e Duarte (que faganhas
Nos Brigios tinham feito) a quem criara
Braganga: ambos mancebos, ambos fortes,
Companheiros nas vidas e nas mortes.
“Morrem Lopo e Vicente de Lisboa,
Que estavam conjurados a acabarem,
On a ganharem ambos a coroa
De quantos n’esta guerra se afamarem
Por cima do cavallo Afonso voa;
Que cinco Castelhanos (por vingarem
A morte de outros cinco, que matara)
O vao privar assi da vida cara.
“De tres langas passado Hilario cai;
Mas primeiro vingado a sua tinha;
Nao lhe peza porque a alma assi lhe sai,
Mas porque a linda Antonia n’elle vinha:
O fugitivo esp’rito se lhe vai,
E n’elle o pensamento que o sostinha;
E saindo da dama, a quem servia,