ODE VI.
ODE VII.
ODE VIII.
ODE IX.
ODE X.
ODE XI.
ODE XII.
ODE XIII.
ODE XIV.
SEXTINES
SEXTINE I.
SEXTINE II.
SEXTINE III.
SEXTINE IV.
SEXTINE V.
Luis de Camoens by Fernão Gomes, 1577
“Wherefore I bisekke you mekely that ye praye for me that God foryeve me my giltes, and nameliche of my translaciouns.”
Parsones Tale (by Le grand translateur).
“The things given to the public as poems of Camoens are no more to be found in the original Portuguese than they are in the Song of Solomon.”
BYRON.
De pocos ha de ser mi voz oida;
Passen los anos, y sera estimada.
LOPE DE VEGA.
TO THE PRINCE OF THE LYRIC POETS OF HIS DAY, ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.
MY DEAR SWINBURNE, Accept the unequal exchange, my brass for your gold. Your “Poems and Ballads” began to teach the Philister what might there is in the music of language, and what the marvel of lyric inspiration, far subtler and more aethereal than mere poetry, means to the mind of man.
Without more ado, allow me to excuse this “transaction” by a something which comes from the East:— “A poor man, passing by one day when his King travelled, brought him a little water with both hands, saying:—’ Drink, my lord, for the heat is great.’ He accepted it gladly from him, not looking to the small quality of that service, but only to the good-will with which it was offered.”
Believe me ever,
Your old friend and fellow-traveller,
RICHARD F. BURTON.
DESTERRO, TRIESTE,
Sept. 25, 1884.
THE TRANSLATOR’S FOREWORD.
I NOW submit to the Public a second section, of my Master’s works, the first Part of his far-famed Lyricks. This volume is the fifth of a Camonian series; and two or three more, which are in MS., will complete my Labour of Love.
It is hard to repress a smile at the thought of these pages being turned over by Young England of the nineteenth century — these Sonnets which date from days when “courting” was a study; these Odes that deal with old Endymion and Achilles, whose second death was after the date of Gray; these Canzons so full of shadowy half-expression, of shorthand allusiveness, that every Commentator explains them for himself. To the inevitable cut bono? I can only plead a “call”: my translation should be printed even though it had ne’er a reader save the writer. It is innocuous so far that it can injure no publisher: it is brought out sumptu meo; and my friend Mr. Quaritch is strong enough to lend his name without fearing to lose caste. And yet, though my work must be its own reward, I am not wholly without hope that the healthy, manly, hearty old song will find its little meed of appreciation if not of praise.
In this volume I follow the lines laid down for myself in “The Lusiads”; especially the use of archaicisms and of eclectic style. Both still appear to me necessary when translating a poet older than Shakespeare. Over-polish has been especially avoided: the labor limae of the classics, and the “.filing and finishing” of our older writers, was everywhere applied by my Poet to his Epos, not always to his minor pieces. This copy is naught, if not perfectly faithful to its original; showing Camoens to the English reader in English dress. At the same time, I have borne in mind Rossetti’s dictum—” the life-blood of rhythmical translation is, that a good poem should not be turned into a bad one.”
Again: despite Denham’s denunciation of literalism, —
That servile path thou nobly dost decline
Of tracing word by word and line by line; despite Johnson, who quotes with approval, —
These are the labour’d birth of slavish brain,
Not the effect of poetry but pain;
and despite the superficial popular paradox, “A literal translation is no translation at all,” I have done my best to translate verbatim et literatim; not thought by thought, but word by word. Goethe finally laid down the law thus:—” There are two maxims of Translation. The one requires that the author of a foreign nation be brought to us in such manner that we regard him as our own; the other, on the contrary, demands that we transport ourselves to him, and adopt his situation, his mode of speaking, his peculiarities.” For authority may be quoted the great example of my Master, who, in his Triumphos, translated from Petrarch’s Trionfi, sinks his individuality and attempts the replica. Here once more I have aimed at “Englishing” the style, the idioms, the ipsissima verba of Camoens; I have attempted not only fidelity, but literality, by making the most conscientious possible portrait. Perfection may be unattainable in this matter; but the more we Strive for the beau ideal of translation the less we waste our time and our trouble.
A few words concerning the contents of this volume. By way of general preface I have prefixed the original Prologo of Camoens’ Lyricks which ushered in the Editio Princeps of the Rhythmas. The Poems follow in the order adopted by their earliest Portuguese editors, Faria y Sousa; Joseph Lopes Ferreira; Visconde de Juromenha, and the Bibliotheca da Actualidade (Theophilo Braga). For facility of reference the initial lines of the texts have been prefixed to the. translations. In Appendix I. I have offered a few observations upon the Lyricks of the “Portuguese Apollo.” To avoid troubling my readers and cumbering my pages with notes I have inserted the few absolutely required into the Index of First Lines (Appendix II.), after the fashion of certain Portugueseeditions. Most of the subjects treated in the Rhythmas have already been noticed in “Camoens, his Life and his Lusiads”) and to these two volumes the student is referred.
It may conciliate some enmities and captivate, perhaps, some good-will when I abjure all pretensions to rank as a Poet. No one more fully appreciates the difference between “making” and translating; between the Poétés (the Creator) and the copier who aspires only to second prizes, to “increase the returns or revenues of knowledge, but not the stock or inheritance.” My ambition is limited to the humbler boast, —
Pus dieus m’ a dat saber —
E entendemen ver
De trobar, etc.
Also let me request English readers, who would form a critical estimate of the Camonian Sonnet, to renew their acquaintance with those of Shakespeare and Spenser. Finally they might oblige me by remembering the weighty words of Milton:—” Books are not dead things, but do contain, as in a phiall, the potent efficacy of the spirit that bred them.” They will not find a nobler spirit than Camoens.
In preparing this volume I have been aided by a host of “with-workers.” Amongst them I must mention with cordial expressions of gratitude the names of my correspondents, M. J. J. Aubertin and Dr. Wilhelm Storck, Professor der deutschen Sprache und Literatur, at Munster. This learned German, the first translator of all Camoens’ Obras, has not only published in five volumes the Redondilhas and Letters (1); the Sonnets (2); the Elegies, Sextines, Odes and Octaves (3); the Canzons and Idylls, or Eclogues (4); The Lusiads (5); and the Theatre (6); he has, moreover, illustrated his versions with critical notes and text-emendations which are most valuable to the student of Camoens.
RICHARD F. BURTON.
PROLOGO OF FERNANDO RODRIGUES LOBO SURRUPITA.
(Editors Preface to his Readers.)
WHEREAS this Book must come into the hands of the many; and whereas it were impossible that all should be equal in the knowledge of things required for its intendiment, meseemeth not a little profitable to advert briefly upon some of the subjects; such, for instance, as the title and the distribution of the work, and also the author thereof. And, beginning with the title, the term Rhythmas (which the Italians and the French pronounce without the aspirates) descendeth from ‘Puthos’, a Greek vocable signifying Number or Harmony. Thus declare Diomedes Grammaticus and Nicolao Berotto, in the “Cornucopia,” the Commentary on the fourth Epigram. In either signification it applieth e
specially to the verse of Italian measure; because this consisteth not only of a certain number of syllables, but also containeth the Harmony produced by the Accents and the Consonants (rhymes); as proveth Benedetto Varchi in his Dialogo Tusculano (Enquiry IX.). Nor doth this admit of doubt, for the Corpus of every manner of Poem is composed of Number and Harmony, whence the definition of Posidonius, the Stoick, “Numbered Diction,” consisting of a certain measure or metre, as Laertius hath it in his Life of Zeno. So true it is that Socrates, having been counselled by an Oracle that, if he would attain to happiness, he must apply his mind to Musick, understood thereby that he would satisfy the intent of such counsel by employing himself wholly in making Verses, the Numbers or Harmony of which are part of the same Musick, even as relateth Celio Calcagnino, in the Oration which he made in Praise of the Arts. Hence also proceeded the Etymology of this term “Poet,” which, conformably with the opinion of Eustathius, followed by Rhodiginus in his fourth Book, is derived from ‘poien’ in the sense of ‘emmetros aeidein’, meaning cantare, to sing. This wise also affiirmeth the same Nicolao Perotto (on the fifth Epigram); and, therefore, Dante called Poetry a “rhetorical Fiction set to Musick.”
That the Title of Rhythmas besitteth this work also appeareth clearly from a Discourse made by Cardinal Pietro Bembo, in the second Book of his Prosas, wherein he saith that Rhythmas (or “Rimas,” as he writeth the word) be of three modes; for they are either regulate or they are free, or they are partly free and partly regulate.
Regulate we term those Rhythmas which are ever subject to one and the same Rule; such be the “Tercets,” or triple rhymes, of which Dante is supposed to have been the inventor, for that, before him, they Were made by none. Regulate also are the “Octaves” (Ottava rima) devised by the Sicilians, who assigned to each;of them only two Consonants or Rhymes: the same were afterwards reduced to a better form by, the Tuscans, a third Consonant in the last Couplet being introduced by them. Of this sort, further, were the “Sextines,” an invention; of the Provencaux, especially of Arnaldo Daniel?
Free Rhythmas are those which do not keep any Rule, either in the Number of the Verses or in the Correspondence of the Consonants. Such is the “Madrigal,” derived from Mandra, a Tuscan vocable, this being a Composition of Villeins, or country-folk, and corresponding with, our Portingall Villancetes.
Rhythmas partly free, and partly regulate be those which in some things go subject to Rule, and which in others are exempted from it. Of such, sort are the “Sonnet” and the “Canzon for Sonnets, although obliged to follow the same Rule in the Number and in the Disposition of their Verses, withal, in the Correspondence of Consonants, they have no certain obligeance. This was shown by Rengifo in his Ars Poetica (Cap. XLIII.), wherein, however, he followeth the Observations made with abundant Judgement and Genius by Torquato Tasso in his Dialogo della Poesia Toscana. The “Canzons” partake of the same Nature, as is pointed out by the same Rengifo (Cap. LIX. et seq.). Saying thus much we have justified the Title.
Followeth the Distribution of the work, which is divided into five parts, because the Number quinary especially appertained! to works of Poesy and of Eloquence. This is clearly seen for-that conformably with the doctrine of the Platonists, it was dedicated to Mercurius and to other gods, who, according to their gentilick rite, were the Patrons of the Arts, as Rhodiginus writeth (Lib xii. Cap. 10), and they held Mercurius to be the Deity of Eloquence; and therefore, as relateth Vincencio Cartario, in his Book on the “Images of the Gods,” they consecrated to him the Tongues (of victims). This being the case with Eloquence, the same became that of Poetry, by virtue of the alliance subsisting between the twain; agreeably to the definition of Dante and Posidonius. And therefore the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet was dedicated to Apollo, as writeth Guillelmus Onciacus ls in his “Book of Places” (Numeralium Locorum Decas, Cap. V.). Also of the Muses, albeit they number nine, only five had the Government of Poesy; because to Clio was attributed the Subject of Verse, she presiding over History; to Polymnia the adornment of Language; the Epos Heroical to Calliope; to Melpomene the Tragick; and to Thalia the Comick, conformably with the vulgar Epigram which goeth amongst those of Virgilius.
Following, then, such Distribution, we have assigned the First Place to the Sonnets, these being Compositions of the highest Merit by reason of their Difficulty; for not only do they refuse admittance either to an idle word or to a word of little weight, they must also include the whole of their Subject-matter within the term of fourteen Lines; and they must be closed by the last Tercet in such sort that the understanding feel no desire to pass onwards, a matter wherein many Poets who fly upon the wings of Fame have not proved themselves happy.
The second place was given to the Odes which correspond with Verses Lyrical, as showeth Fernando de Herrera in his most erudite “Commentary on the first Canzon of Garcilasso. The third to the Elegies and to the Octaves, forms which we cannot find that Petrarch used, whilst both were cultivated with great felicity by Ariosto; and, peradventure, he knew better to imitate, in the perfection of Elegiack Verse, Tibullus and Propertius (who be the Princes of this Genus) than Virgilius in the Majesty of the Heroick, Fourthly come the Eclogues because ’tis a species of composition which requireth less competency; and in this form, leaving aside Theocritus and Virgilius, especial excellence was attained by Sannazaro, as also by Bernardino Rota in his Piscatory Eclogues, The fifth and final place was assigned to the Grosas, the Voltas and other compositions in short (octosyllabic) verse, which are peculiar to our Spain. In these Gregorio Sylvestre showed notable superiority, amongst all the Spaniards; of a truth, he would have held the first place had it not been taken from him by Luis DE CAMOENS for the acuteness of his conceits and the propriety of his Diction, as well as for the ability of submitting to impossible Rules, an ability which he displayed much more in his other Rhythmas, as we shall presently say.
And pursuing with the Poet (which be the third part of this Prologue), it were evident Rashness to attempt his Eulogy, For albeit many others won Fame in some individual Perfection; natheless not a few of them wanted the natural Disposition - which would have made easy to them the contexture of Verse.; hence they elaborated it with such Asperity and Difficulty that they would seem to deflower their words and to beget upon them Conceits par force, and thus they fail of this Suavity wherein Poesy herself consists, agreeably to the Doctrine of Fracastorius in his “Dialogue” entitled Naugerio and taken from Horatius and Quintilianus. Others again, who drew nearer to Nature, fell short either because they were unhappy in choice of Terms; or because they lacked the Wealth, of Words wherewith to attire and to adorn Speech, together with the Beauties of Language, such as the Tropes and Figures, without which Cicero and Virgilius never spake; or, finally, because they employ expressions so homely and commonplace, as if the very constitution of Poesy Were not Elevation above vulgar usage, conformably with the opinion of Plutarchus in his Tractate, “De Poesiis” and of Rhodiginus (Lib iv. Cap. 4). Others, who have better Gifts of Language possess no Learning wherewith to illustrate their works; it being a Truth (as saith Rhodiginus in Cap. 2 of the same Book), that they only may be lawfully entitled Poets who displayed a knowledge of various Sciences, as did Orpheus, Homeros, Virgilius and Pindaros.
Now, Luis DE CAMOENS, on the other hand, is so far removed from all such Defects that we see in him conjointly the promptest natural Disposition to express his Thoughts, accompanied with an innate Facility which fills his Verse with Sweetness; and, withal, a Diction so pure, so ornate with all the Splendours of Eloquence, and so rich in the Conceits and Jewels of every Science, that it would seem as if in him alone Art and Nature had conjoined every requisite for rising to the height of Poesy.
And besides being excellent in all modes of Rhythmas, especially in shorter Verse, as we have already said, he is most happy in the Canzon, keeping every Law of that Composition in such manner that he hath no cause to envy Petrarch, Bembo, and Garcilasso, who are the most lauded in this department. And
he holdeth the same Place in the greater part of his Sonnets; and he would have held it all had not some, which do here figure as his, been, thrown off with scanty care at the importunity of Friends. Hence it happens that oft-times they came to aid those who asked aid, with more of haste than of the obligatory filing and finishing; and, finally, they are printed as his without the will of the Author.
This is not the Place to treat of the Style heroical: the task may be left to him who shall comment upon The Lusiada, But what may here be said is that our Poet carried out so literally and so completely the Obligations of the Epos, that if it did not seem Arrogance we might assign to him a Seat hard by that occupied by Virgilius; for in the Grandeur, the Gravity, and the Harmony of the Words; in the Tracing and the Discursus of the Work, and in the Sublimity of the Subject, he everywhere followed Virgilius his footsteps. And in all his Fictions and Allegories, without which there can be no Heroick Poem (agreeably to the opinion of Aristotle as quoted by Rhodiginus in the same Lib iv. Cap. 4; and to the writings of Plutarchus, who in the place above referred to reprehends Empedocles, Parmenides, Nicandros and Theognides for usurping the name of Poet, because they wrote verses rich only in Learning but unaccompanied by Imagination), in this matter, I say, he showed a genius so admirable as well nigh to rival Homeros. Would that he had been able to abase his Grandeur in some of his Eclogues by conforming them more with the style Bucolick.
And although our Poet lack not Detractors to calumniate his Works, yet doth Detraction by no means obscure their Desarts. For both Virgilius and Homeros underwent this trial, which naturally awaits all rare and seld-seen Genius. So true it is that the Grammarian Carvilius writ a whole book upon the Errors of Virgilius: also Caligula, the Caesar, dared affirm that the Poet had neither Ability nor Erudition; and resolved upon sending an Order to burn all his Works and Portraits stored in sundry Bibliothecae. So relate Suetonius Tranquillus and Pedro Crinito in “De Poetis Latinis,” libri iii.
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 140