Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works

by Luis de Camoes

  With marquetry of blood and memory shine.

  An Love had such design

  That, this my life instead,

  Some memory of me,

  Survive, some history

  Mote by some beauteous Eyne be fondly read;

  My life, my joy, my luck

  For so sweet memory lief I’d give in truck.

  III.

  But this my waking dream

  Was by hard Fate design’d

  But to mislead and falsing Hopes confound.

  Now cease my thoughts to deem

  That I in Death shall find

  What in so long a Life I never found.

  Now lost is every ground

  Of my firm confidence,

  So lost that desperate,

  Seeing my sad estate

  Even of Death I forfeit esperance.

  But O! would Fortune give

  Gift of Despair true life some day I’d live!

  IV.

  Naught of what sights I saw

  Can now compel me cower,

  Since of Despair protection I forwent,

  Came other cause to adaw;

  For ne’er had I the power

  To light these flames that keep me ever brent.

  If deem they I resent

  Doubts of forgetfulness,

  O would my parlous plight

  Such wise befriend my sprite,

  Leaving some terror on my thoughts to press!

  Whoe’er hath seen such snare

  That Esperance there survive nor fear her care?

  V.

  Who hath what he may tyne

  He only Fear can feel;

  But triste the mortal who can tyne no more!

  Your fault ’tis, Ladye mine!

  That my poor life to kill

  One hour sufficeth of your sight forlore.

  You doomed me to deplore

  Hope and her false annoy:

  And what doth more appal me

  Ne’er did such worth befall me

  I could such joyaunce find to find you coy.

  A worth so mean, so slight

  Can never merit pain of such delight.

  VI.

  With me was Love so fain,

  So bland or scantly stirréd,

  As now I know him to my detriment.

  No penalty, bears more pain

  For one who knows he errréd

  Than to deny him merited chastisement.

  Happeth such accident

  To wretch on bed of death

  When, in Despair of him,

  Humours his every whim

  The Leech, who granteth all he passioneth:

  So granted Love my prayer —

  Hope, and desire, and heart to greatly dare.

  VII.

  And now I come to give

  ‘Compt of my passed weal

  To this long life-tide, Severance so immense.

  Whose Fancy could conceive

  My fault was so unleal

  That it deserved so grave penitence?

  Look if your conscience

  Allow that lache so light

  Dame! pay so painful fee.

  Look is’t not usury?

  But an so long sad exile to me dight

  To you give aught Content,

  Ne’er end its tortures which this heart torment.

  VIII.

  River! so pure, so fair,

  And you O palmy trees!

  Wont for the worthy Conqueror weave a crown,

  And which to boor avare,

  Pleasing all while to please,

  Yield divers fruitage single bole hath grown;

  So ne’er to you be known

  Time’s all-injurious blight;

  Safe in your shelter dwell

  The yearnings here I tell,

  Long as Sol lendeth Lune the boon of light;

  That man teach brother-man

  How ’tis that Severance shorts not Life’s short span.

  L’ENVOI.

  Canzon! This banishment shall lend thee life,

  Rude voice, Truth’s naked bruit,

  Till Time to Echo shall thy tones permute.

  CANZON VII.

  Mandame Amor que cante docemente

  (How his love began).

  I.

  Love bids I sing in song of sweetest strain

  What hath imprest his influence on my Soul,

  Prejudging thiswise solace might be sent me;

  And, that I find Contentment bred of bane,

  Saith He when eyes so fair my spirit stole,

  Singing such fortune should by rights content me.

  This excellent mode of snares to circumvent me

  I might have counted Love’s debt-interest.

  Had he not changed behest,

  Repenting, and by tortures darked my wits:

  Yet dare I doughtier flight,

  Holpen by Beauty of whose charms I write:

  And if my theme be higher than me befits,

  My Bel Vezers I hail

  Whose might exceeds Love’s force to gar me fail.

  II.

  Unknowing Love I wont in freedom fare,

  Spurning his bended bow and great beguiling,

  When Life maintained was by wiles alone.

  A Love all-guiling, which but feigned to snare

  A thousand alien Wills for greater wiling,

  Caused me to scoff at hearts by guiles o’erthrown.

  Sol trod in Taurus, Progné home had flown

  And Flora wreathéd Achelous’ horn;

  When Love one Easter-morn

  Loosed those ribbed locks of thridded gold

  To the sweet Winds’ coy play;

  Those Eyne out-scintillating lively ray;

  And seed of Roses sown on snowy mould;

  With smile so gallant-bright

  That e’en a Diamant-corslet mote undight.

  III.

  Some Sweet (I know not what the Sweet) respiring

  I thrilled with novel admirable fear,

  For felt a Feeling things no feeling know:

  There garrulous birds, loud praises ever choiring,

  Showed in their singing fire not ordinaire,

  Burning, as my desires, wi’ living lowe.

  Forgot the chrystal founts to spring and flow

  Flamed by the vision of that pure fair sight.

  With bloom the Greenth was bright

  Where past she touching Earth wi’ her feet divine;

  The boughs obedient bow’d,

  Or jealousing the shrubs whereon she trod,

  Or for-that all things bowed before her shrine.

  In fine no entity

  But what at her much marvelled, I at me.

  IV.

  For when I viewed thro’ her intelligent grew

  Intelligence-less things, I felt a-fright

  To think what action mote for me be plann’d.

  My lack of knowledge now I truly knew:

  Here only knowing, for Love left me sight

  Enow to see what power he held in hand.

  Then Love such vengeance ‘gan fro’ me demand

  He changed my human nature till ’twas grown

  Hard as the cliffy stone

  And hilly harshness past into my breast.

  O Difference passing strange,

  That senseless Mountain’s being so could change

  To one who human judgment erst possesst!

  Look ye how sweet a cross,

  Gain you a general profit fro’ my loss!

  V.

  This wise a-losing every sentiment

  My rational Part, I felt a sore affray

  To see mere Appetite my wits subdue.

  But, in my Soul, extreme intendiment

  For so sublimest Cause, would ever say,

  ‘Twere well that Reason Reason overthrew.

  Thus when I saw her vanishing my view

  The loss of Reason Reason did restore;


  And in sweet Peace galore

  Both in one subject dwelt with foe elect.

  O the rare unity!

  Who will not judge most high and heavenly

  That Cause whence cometh so unused Effect,

  Which so a heart can season

  Transmewing Appetite to shape of Reason?

  VI.

  Here sensed! Love his finest art display,

  As saw! Sense insense the insensible,

  And saw I self myselfs perdition prove;

  And sensed, in fine, my Nature self denay:

  Therewith I learnéd all was possible

  To her fair Eyne save only boon of Love.

  But when with fastly failing sense I strove

  In lieu of senses that had taken flight,

  One ne’er I knew did write

  Upon my soul, with writ of Memory,

  Most of my by-gone quest,

  Jointly impresséd with that dearest geste,

  The cause which caused so long history.

  An I have truth related

  Writ it not I, I but from Soul translated.

  L’ENVOI.

  Canzon! who haply read

  Ne’er heed he what thou sayst of those fair Eyne,

  For what thou hidst unconn’d;

  Our human Senses (this wise him respond)

  May not in judgment sit on things divine,

  Save by a Thought intense

  When Faith enforceth frail intelligence.

  CANZON VIII.

  Mandame Amor que cante o que a Alma sente,

  (F. y S. makes this the first draught of No. 7).

  I.

  Love bids I sing my Spirit’s sense and sent,

  Case heretofore unsung by Poet’s song,

  Nor ever happenéd in mortal view.

  This wise he partly pays me for my wrong;

  For in self-praise he would I represent

  How well to lose me in the World I knew,

  I am his Partner, none will deem me true:

  Yet such my pleasure is to approve and praise me,

  And by such praise upraise me,

  As captive captured by that lovely Sight,

  That all impediment

  The glory of my griefs hath shent and rent,

  Griefs charged with peregrine and suave delight;

  My song, I see full lief,

  Shall more of marvel win and less belief.

  Of some sweet Hope in happy thought inwove,

  That mote for madding Youth win high degree.

  The Year returnéd to his infancy

  And Earth re-donned her raiment glad and gay,

  When Amor deigned display

  The loosed tresses of the thriddéd gold

  On Summer’s breath to stream;

  Those Eyne outscintillating lively beam,

  The seed of Roses sown on snowy mould;

  The mien so grave, so glad

  That bade me jointly hope and bide y-drad.

  III.

  Some Sweet (I weet not what the Sweet) respiring,

  I thrilled with novel admirable fear,

  For e’en unfeeling beings felt the spell:

  There garrulous Birds, loud praises ever choiring,

  With song disordered and in shrillings rare

  Were fired with like desires my soul did quell:

  Forgot the chrystal Founts to spring and well

  Flamed by the vision of that pure fair sight.

  With bloom the Greenth was bright

  Where past she pressing with those blessed feet.

  The Boughs obedient bow’d,

  Or jealousing the shrubs whereon she trod,

  Or for-that all things bowed her sight to greet;

  And Day and Air and Wind

  She quicked with spirits of continuous kind.

  IV.

  And when I saw thro’ her intelligent grew

  Things unintelligent, whispered Phantasy

  What marvels she might show the intelligent mind.

  Fro’ my own law I saw her set me free,

  Deprived of every sentiment I knew,

  And Life transformed to Life of other kind.

  She came with Love’s almighty might to bind

  My sense and all its uses to bereave.

  I weet not how Love gave,

  ‘Gainst power of Nature and her use and ure,

  E’en to the trees, the mounts,

  Roughness of hairy herbs and flushing founts,

  That owned the presence of a sight so pure:

  Alone remained I shrunk

  By power of marvel to a rough rude trunk.

  V.

  After my spirit lost all sentiment

  Of human, one Desire would not depart,

  But all my Reason it-ward overbore.

  Then One (I know him not) affirmed my heart

  That for such lofty thought, so dulce intent

  ’Twas reason Reason be fro’ me forlore:

  Thus as I saw my Reason lost the more,

  By that same loss I gained gainfullest gain.

  In such sweet peace the twain

  Both in one subject dwelt with foe elect.

  O Case most strange and new!

  For high and great I prove to mental view

  The cause, whence cometh so sublime effect,

  Which so a heart can season

  That reasonless Desire take rank as Reason.

  VI.

  After I yielded to appetency,

  Or into longings of my flesh nigh changéd,

  Sylvestran, solitary, unhumáne,

  I fared so fain to see myself estrangéd

  That seemed me all things, whatso I could see,

  Might claim a pardon save my loss and bane.

  Draining this honeyed draught of snaring strain

  In lieu of senses lost and aye forsped,

  I saw Love-sculpturéd

  Deep in my soul a noble Shape most fair;

  Grave wit withouten guile,

  Gentleness, graceful geste and gracious smile;

  And, as such gifts could not contain in her,

  Goods, in such endless store,

  Convert to singing from my lips outpour.

  L’ENVOI.

  Canzon! if thee they doubt

  What of that clearest Geste thou dost design,

  For what thou hidest unconn’d;

  Our human senses (thus to them respond)

  May not in judgment sit on things divine,

  Save by a Thought intense

  When Faith enforceth frail intelligence.

  CANZON IX.

  Tomey a triste pena

  (Letter to a Lady).

  I.

  I took sad pains, whilbme

  A prey to my despair,

  Of praying you note what pains I undergo;

  Seeing how me you doom

  Ever the blame to bear

  For wrongs you wrought me and for debts I owe.

  Yet own I that I know

  In part a cause I gave

  To whatso Ills I sight,

  For my Desire in plight

  I pledged to promises of words so brave;

  But ne’er could I suspect

  You nurst intention of such ill effect.

  Look! you so deal me Woe

  Treating me day by day

  With your cold dalliance;

  The while vain Esperance,

  Wherein I vainly deemed my riches lay,

  Memories must e’er renew,

  Since to such memories all my gloire is due.

  III.

  And would you now agnize

  This truth as truth more pure

  Than Gold that glittereth in Araby;

  E’en willed you otherwise,

  This doom so dour and dure

  Would change to soft by easiest degree.

  I, — who mine innocence see

  Ladye! in this my case,

  Lief to an arbiter

  For sentence w
ould refer

  Who should the justest cause of Justice trace

  Did he, in fine, not dread

  You for my death and me for you do dead.

  IV.

  Writ in your lot I viewéd

  A harsh enhardened sprite,

  And writ in Soul of him you gar to live;

  And there for aye renewed,

  Even with more despight,

  What sad deceptions aye did undeceive;

  For ere fro’ me you reave

  The pains of sent and sense

  ‘Gainst Ills I underwent

  Enlists Intendiment

  Two doughty Kempés armed for my defence,

  With gems of richest ray,

  A light to lend me and to lead my way.

  V.

  ‘Companied by these Squires

  At post I ‘wait sans fear

  Whatever fatal Destiny ordain:

  Yet, gi’en my spirit tires

  At some time, far or near,

  I may from pain of paining self unpain: —

  And e’en if Destiny deign

  (This bestest Hope I store)

  Doom me to pains more dread;

  With fears all banished

  The more they come the less I’ll cry “No more”!

  In fine such force have I

  Nothing shall change me though the Death I die.

  L’ENVOI.

  Canzon! if now thou nill

  Believe such dire Unruth,

  Fare thee and there thou shalt behold my truth.

  CANZON X.

  Junto de hum seco, duro, esteril monte,

  (Autobiographical).

  I.

  Hard by a sunparcht, dure, esterile Mount —

  A treeless, bald-head, shapeless nuditye —

  By Nature hated and of kind unkind,

  Where beast ne’er dens, whereo’er no birds may fly,

  Nor pearleth chrystall rill nor bubbleth fount,

  Nor palm-frond sweetly rustleth in the wind;

  Whose name the Many-headed have design’d

  “Felix “ — an unfelicitous antiphrase —

  By Nature’s quaint decree

  Situate near the site

  Where stand departed by the deep Sea-bight

  Abassian shores from asperous Araby,

  And Berenich rose in olden days,

  Upon the Western brink

  Where Suns enfiring Earth beneath her sink:

  II.

  The Cape is sighted, from whose head is view’d

  That Africk shore which trends from Austral bound

  And makes a boundary “Aromatick” clept:

  “Aromata” whilere; but whirling round

  The wheel, an ill-composed jargon rude

  Of its own Blackmoors other title gave.

  Here, in this Sea that loves with hasty wave

  Through gorge and gullet e’er to rush and race,

  Led me and held me unlief,

  My hard-heart Aventure.

  Here in this seld-seen, salvage, asperous, dure