Jersusalem Delivered

by Torquato Tasso

  And now the wretch those dreadful words begun,v

  Which trouble make deep hell and all her flock,

  Now trembled is the air, the golden sun

  His fearful beams in clouds did close and lock,

  When from the tower, which Ismen could not shun,

  Out fled a mighty stone, late half a rock,

  Which light so just upon the wizards three,

  That driven to dust their bones and bodies be.

  To less than naught their members old were torn,

  And shivered were their heads to pieces small,

  As small as are the bruiséd grains of corn

  When from the mill dissolved to meal they fall;

  Their damnéd souls, to deepest hell down borne

  Far from the joy and light celestial,

  The furies plunged in the infernal lake:

  O mankind, at their ends ensample take!

  This while the engine which the tempest cold

  Had saved from burning with his friendly blast,

  Approachéd had so near the battered hold

  That on the walls her bridge at ease she cast:

  But Solyman ran thither fierce and bold,

  To cut the plank whereon the Christians passed.

  And had performed his will, save that upreared

  High in the skies a turret new appeared;

  Far in the air up clomb the fortress tall,

  Higher than house, than steeple, church or tower;

  The Pagans trembled to behold the wall

  And city subject to her shot and power;

  Yet kept the Turk his stand, though on him fall

  Of stones and darts a sharp and deadly shower,

  And still to cut the bridge he hopes and strives,

  And those that fear with cheerful speech revives.

  The angel Michaël, to all the rest

  Unseen, appeared before Godfredo's eyes,

  In pure and heavenly armor richly dressed,

  Brighter than Titan's rays in clearest skies;

  "Godfrey," quoth he, "this is the moment blest

  To free this town that long in bondage lies,

  See, see what legions in thine aid I bring,

  For Heaven assists thee, and Heaven's glorious King:

  "Lift up thine eyes, and in the air behold

  The sacred armies, how they mustered be,

  That cloud of flesh in which for times of old

  All mankind wrappéd is, I take from thee,

  And from thy senses their thick mist unfold,

  That face to face thou mayest these spirits see,

  And for a little space right well sustain

  Their glorious light and view those angels plain.

  "Behold the souls of every lord and knight

  That late bore arms and died for Christ's dear sake,

  How on thy side against this town they fight,

  And of thy joy and conquest will partake:

  There where the dust and smoke blind all men's sight,

  Where stones and ruins such an heap do make,

  There Hugo fights, in thickest cloud imbarred,

  And undermines that bulwark's groundwork hard.

  "See Dudon yonder, who with sword and fire

  Assails and helps to scale the northern port,

  That with bold courage doth thy folk inspire

  And rears their ladders gainst the assaulted fort:

  He that high on the mount in grave attire

  Is clad, and crownéd stands in kingly sort,

  Is Bishop Ademare, a blessed spirit,

  Blest for his faith, crowned for his death and merit.

  "But higher lift thy happy eyes, and view

  Where all the sacred hosts of Heaven appear."

  He looked, and saw where wingéd armies flew,

  Innumerable, pure, divine and clear;

  A battle round of squadrons three they show

  And all by threes those squadrons rangéd were,

  Which spreading wide in rings still wider go,

  Moved with a stone calm water circleth so.

  With that he winked, and vanished was and gone;

  That wondrous vision when he looked again,

  His worthies fighting viewed he one by one,

  And on each side saw signs of conquest plain,

  For with Rinaldo gainst his yielding fone,

  His knights were entered and the Pagans slain,

  This seen, the duke no longer stay could brook,

  But from the bearer bold his ensign took:

  And on the bridge he stepped, but there was stayed

  By Solyman, who entrance all denied,

  That narrow tree to virtue great was made,

  The field as in few blows right soon was tried,

  "Here will I give my life for Sion's aid,

  Here will I end my days," the Soldan cried,

  "Behind me cut or break this bridge, that I

  May kill a thousand Christians first, then die."

  But thither fierce Rinaldo threatening went,

  And at his sight fled all the Soldan's train,

  "What shall I do? If here my life be spent,

  I spend and spill," quoth he, "my blood in vain!"

  With that his steps from Godfrey back he bent,

  And to him let the passage free remain,

  Who threatening followed as the Soldan fled,

  And on the walls the purple Cross dispread:

  About his head he tossed, he turned, he cast,

  That glorious ensign, with a thousand twines,

  Thereon the wind breathes with his sweetest blast,

  Thereon with golden rays glad Phœbus shines,

  Earth laughs for joy, the streams forbear their haste,

  Floods clap their hands, on mountains dance the pines,

  And Sion's towers and sacred temples smile

  For their deliverance from that bondage vile.

  And now the armies reared the happy cry

  Of victory, glad, joyful, loud, and shrill.

  The hills resound, the echo showereth high,

  And Tancred bold, that fights and combats still

  With proud Argantes, brought his tower so nigh,

  That on the wall, against the boaster's will,

  In his despite, his bridge he also laid,

  And won the place, and there the cross displayed.

  But on the southern hill, where Raymond fought

  Against the townsmen and their agéd king,

  His hardy Gascoigns gainéd small or naught;

  Their engine to the walls they could not bring,

  For thither all his strength the prince had brought,

  For life and safety sternly combating,

  And for the wall was feeblest on that coast,

  There were his soldiers best, and engines most.

  Besides, the tower upon that quarter found

  Unsure, uneasy, and uneven the way,

  Nor art could help, but that the rougher ground

  The rolling mass did often stop and stay;

  But now of victory the joyful sound

  The king and Raymond heard amid their fray;

  And by the shout they and their soldiers know,

  The town was entered on the plain below.

  Which heard, Raymondo thus bespake this crew,

  "The town is won, my friends, and doth it yet

  Resist? are we kept out still by these few?

  Shall we no share in this high conquest get?"

  But from that part the king at last withdrew,

  He strove in vain their entrance there to let,

  And to a stronger place his folk he brought,

  Where to sustain the assault awhile he thought.

  The conquerors at once now entered all,

  The walls were won, the gates were opened wide,

  Now bruiséd, broken down, destroyéd fall

  The ports and towers that battery durst abide;


  Rageth the sword, death murdereth great and small,

  And proud 'twixt woe and horror sad doth ride.

  Here runs the blood, in ponds there stands the gore,

  And drowns the knights in whom it lived before.

  | Go to Contents |

  Glossary

  [Roman figures indicate the Book, Arabic figures the stanza, in which a word occurs.]

  Abraid, started suddenly.

  Algates, by all means.

  Aneath, below.

  Anmail, enamel.

  Apayed, satisfied.

  Arrear, behind.

  Beaver, the lower part of the helmet, in front.

  Been (and frequent throughout), are.

  Besprent, besprinkled.

  Bewray, disclose.

  Bield, shelter.

  Brast,burst.

  Brust, burst.

  Brent, burnt.

  Busked them, made themselves ready. Busked him, made himself ready. [The old Scandinavian reflexive was already in the suffix "sk."]

  Carknet, carcanet, collar of jewels.

  Coast, side.

  Cobbles, small round stones.

  Cogg, small boat, "cock"-boat.

  Congee, to take, to take leave.

  Cornet, a troop of horse [because accompanied with a bugle].

  Curtlax [curtle axe, no axe, but sword; Ital. coltellaccio], cutlass.

  Deal, part, division.

  Defoiled, defiled.

  Depart, divide.

  Dictamnum, the herb dittany.

  Dight, arrayed, dressed, prepared.

  Dormant, a large fixed beam, as the large beam across a room.

  Dripile, by little drops, dribbling, weakly.

  Duke (throughout), for Dux, Leader.

  Earned, yearned.

  Eath, easy, easily.

  Eftsoons, immediately.

  Eild, age.

  Emprise, enterprise.

  Eyne, eyes.

  Fand, found.

  Fared, went.

  Fleet, float.

  Forced not, cared not about.

  Forlore, lost.

  Fornenst, opposite to.

  Forthy, for that, therefore.

  Frushed, bruised, battered to pieces. [French, froisser.]

  Gan (and throughout the poem), began, an auxiliary that gave an inceptive sense to verbs.

  Garamants, a people of Africa, named by Herodotus. The Garamantes were, probably, in the parts now called Fezzan.

  Girdling-stead, part of the body round which the girdle is fastened.

  Gite, gown.

  Glave and glaive, sword.

  Greaves, groves.

  Greet, stones, with reference to their grain or texture. Fairfax's "of varied Spartan greet" is his translation of Tasso's "di riche pietre elette."

  Guie, guide.

  Hags, small woods, originally divisions of a forest marked out to be cut.

  Hent, seized.

  Hight, was named.

  Holt, wood.

  Impeach, hinder.

  Ipight, pitched, fixed.

  Keep, take keep, take heed.

  Kest, cast.

  Kind, the old English word for Nature.

  Leden, speech.

  Lere, teach.

  Let, hinderance; hinder, hindered.

  Lite, little.

  Macon, throughout, is, like Mahound, an old English form for Mahomet.

  Main, strength.

  Met, meted, measured.

  Mew, any close place. Originally the place in which hawks were shut up while they were "mewing," or changing their plumage. Mews

  Mister, kind of [French, mestier]; "what mister wight," what kind of being.

  Nar, nearer. So Spenser—

  "To kirk the nar, from God more far,

  Has been an old-said saw."

  Nere, were not.

  Nill, will not.

  Nolt, know not; for "not," "ne wot," with the l inserted by false analogy.

  Nould, would not.

  Object, put forward.

  On live, alive.

  On sleep, asleep.

  Owe, own.

  Pentise, pentice, and overhanging shelter, built against a wall as "appendicium" appendage. The old word "pentice" has been corrupted into penthouse. Penticle diminutive of "pentice."

  Ports, gates.

  Prest, ready. [French, prêt.]

  Punchions, large casks.

  Quarrel, quarry, the square bolt shot from a crossbow.

  Quits, requites, pay.

  Railed, rolled.

  Recure, recovery.

  Rew, row.

  Rory, dewy.

  Rout, a company, or large number of people.

  Scaldered, scorched.

  Seely, simple, innocent.

  Sell, saddle.

  Shallop, sloop, light boat.

  Shend, shent, put to shame.

  Signorise, hold lordship.

  Smook, smack, taste; or perhaps smoke, vapor.

  Soun, sound.

  Sout, sweet.

  Spright, sprite, spirit; the spelling retained in "sprightly."

  Spring, a wood.

  Stound, space of time.

  Stowre, tumult, conflict.

  Strouting, spreading out. Said by Fairfax of mustaches, as Chaucer said of a man's hair that it "strouted as a fanne large and brode."

  Studs, the timber uprights, between which stones or plaster were used in making walls.

  Tapished, hidden [a hunting term].

  Teen, vexation.

  Than, then.

  Tout, toot, look searchingly; "Narcissus tooting in his spring."

  To…ward (and elsewhere), as "to the heavens ward" for "toward the heavens."

  Trigons, triangular formations.

  Truchmen, interpreters. "Trucheman" was a French corruption of "dragoman."

  Uncouth, unknown.

  Uneath, not easily.

  Unwroken, unavenged.

  Ure, bull, ure-ox. [Latin, urus.]

  Vail, lower.

  Vamure, for "avantmur," the outwork for defence of a wall.

  Vantbrace, for "avantbras," armor to protect the arm.

  Vental, the movable front to the helmet which covered the face, and enabled the wearer to breathe.

  Wanted, was wanting.

  Warraid, made war upon.

  Weed, dress.

  Wend, for weened, supposed, thought.

  Windlays, sudden turns and windings of a skater.

  Wist, knew.

  Won, wone, inhabit. Wonned.

  Wone, custom.

  Wonts, is accustomed.

  Wood, mad.

  Wot, know. Wotest.

  Y- (or-i), a prefix representing the old "ge-" before past participles.

  Ybore, born.

  Yode, yood, went, from First English "eóde."

  Ypend, ypent, penned in.

  | Go to Contents |

  Nineteenth Book

  THE ARGUMENT

  Tancred in single combat kills his foe,

  Argantes strong: the king and Soldan fly

  To David's tower, and save their persons so:

  Erminia well instructs Vafrine the spy,

  With him she rides away, and as they go

  Finds where her lord for dead on earth doth lie;

  First she laments, then cures him: Godfrey hears

  Ormondo's treason, and what marks he bears.

  NOW death or fear or care to save their lives

  From their forsaken walls the Pagans chase:

  Yet neither force nor fear nor wisdom drives

  The constant knight Argantes from his place;

  Alone against ten thousand foes he strives,

  Yet dreadless, doubtless, careless seemed his face,

  Nor death, nor danger, but disgrace he fears,

  And still unconquered, though o'erset, appears.

  But mongst the rest upon his helmet gay

  With his broad sword Tancredi came and smote:

>   The Pagan knew the prince by his array,

  By his strong blows, his armor and his coat;

  For once they fought, and when night stayed that fray,

  New time they chose to end their combat hot,

  But Tancred failed, wherefore the Pagan knight

  Cried, "Tancred, com'st thou thus, thus late to fight?

  "Too late thou com'st, and not alone to war,

  But yet the fight I neither shun nor fear,

  Although from knighthood true thou errest far,

  Since like an engineer thou dost appear,

  That tower, that troop, thy shield and safety are,

  Strange kind of arms in single fight to bear;

  Yet shalt thou not escape, O conqueror strong

  Of ladies fair, sharp death, to avenge that wrong."

  Lord Tancred smiléd, with disdain and scorn,

  And answer thus, "To end our strife," quoth he,

  "Behold at last I come, and my return,

  Though late, perchance will be too soon for thee;

  For thou shalt wish, of hope and help forlorn,

  Some sea or mountain placed twixt thee and me,

  And well shalt know before we end this fray

  No fear of cowardice hath caused my stay.

  "But come aside, thou by whose prowess dies

  The monsters, knights and giants in all lands,

  The killer of weak women thee defies."

  This said, he turnéd to his fighting bands,

  And bids them all retire. "Forbear," he cries,

  "To strike this knight, on him let none lay hands;

  For mine he is, more than a common foe,

  By challenge new and promise old also."

  "Descend," the fierce Circassian gan reply,

  "Alone, or all this troop for succor take

  To deserts waste, or place frequented high,

  For vantage none I will the fight forsake:"

  Thus given and taken was the bold defy,

  And through the press, agreéd so, they brake,

  Their hatred made them one, and as they went,

  Each knight his foe did for despite defend:

  Great was his thirst of praise, great the desire

  That Tancred had the Pagan's blood to spill,

  Nor could that quench his wrath or calm his ire

  If other hand his foe should foil or kill.

  He saved him with his shield, and cried "Retire!"

  To all he met, "and do this knight none ill:"

  And thus defending against his friends his foe,