Jersusalem Delivered

by Torquato Tasso

  Twentieth Book

  THE ARGUMENT

  The Pagan host arrives, and cruel fight

  Makes with the Christians and their faithful power;

  The Soldan longs in field to prove his might,

  With the old king quits the besiegéd tower;

  Yet both are slain, and in eternal night

  A famous hand gives each his fatal hour;

  Rinald appeased Armida; first the field

  The Christians win, then praise to God they yield

  THE sun called up the world from idle sleep,

  And of the day ten hours were gone and past

  When the bold troop that had the tower to keep

  Espied a sudden mist, that overcast

  The earth with mirksome clouds and darkness deep,

  And saw it was the Egyptian camp at last

  Which raised the dust, for hills and valleys broad

  That host did overspread and overload.

  Therewith a merry shout and joyful cry

  The Pagans reared from their besiegéd hold;

  The cranes from Thrace with such a rumor fly,

  His hoary frost and snow when Hyems old

  Pours down, and fast to warmer regions hie,

  From the sharp winds, fierce storms and tempests cold;

  And quick, and ready this new hope and aid,

  Their hands to shoot, their tongues to threaten made.

  From whence their ire, their wrath and hardy threat

  Proceeds, the French well knew, and plain espied,

  For from the walls and ports the army great

  They saw; her strength, her number, pomp, and pride,

  Swelled their breasts with valor's noble heat;

  Battle and fight they wished, "Arm, arm!" they cried;

  The youth to give the sign of fight all prayed

  Their Duke, and were displeased because delayed

  Till morning next, for he refused to fight;

  Their haste and heat he bridled, but not brake,

  Nor yet with sudden fray or skirmish light

  Of these new foes would he vain trial make.

  "After so many wars," he says, "good right

  It is, that one day's rest at least you take,"

  For thus in his vain foes he cherish would

  The hope which in their strength they have and hold.

  To see Aurora's gentle beam appear,

  The soldiers arméd, prest and ready lay,

  The skies were never half so fair and clear

  As in the breaking of that blesséd day,

  The merry morning smiled, and seemed to wear

  Upon her silver crown sun's golden ray,

  And without cloud heaven his redoubled light

  Bent down to see this field, this fray, this fight.

  When first he saw the daybreak show and shine,

  Godfrey his host in good array brought out,

  And to besiege the tyrant Aladine

  Raymond he left, and all the faithful rout

  That from the towns was come of Palestine

  To serve and succor their deliverer stout,

  And with them left a hardy troop beside

  Of Gascoigns strong, in arms well proved, oft tried.

  Such was Godfredo's countenance, such his cheer,

  That from his eye sure conquest flames and streams,

  Heaven's gracious favors in his looks appear,

  And great and goodly more than erst he seems;

  His face and forehead full of noblesse were,

  And on his cheek smiléd youth's purple beams,

  And in his gait, his grace, his acts, his eyes,

  Somewhat, far more than mortal, lives and lies.

  He had not marchéd far ere he espied

  Of his proud foes the mighty host draw nigh;

  A hill at first he took and fortified

  At his left hand which stood his army by,

  Broad in the front behind more strait uptied

  His army ready stood the fight to try,

  And to the middle ward well armed he brings

  His footmen strong, his horsemen served for wings.

  To the left wing, spread underneath the bent

  Of the steep hill that saved their flank and side,

  The Roberts twain, two leaders good, he sent;

  His brother had the middle ward to guide;

  To the right wing himself in person went

  Down, where the plain was dangerous, broad and wide,

  And where his foes with their great numbers would

  Perchance environ round his squadrons bold.

  There all his Lorrainers and men of might,

  All his best armed he placed, and chosen bands,

  And with those horse some footmen arméd light,

  That archers were, used to that service, stands;

  The adventurers then, in battle and in fight

  Well tried, a squadron famous through all lands,

  On the right hand he set, somedeal aside,

  Rinaldo was their leader, lord and guide.

  To whom the Duke, "In thee our hope is laid

  Of victory, thou must the conquest gain,

  Behind this mighty wing, so far displayed,

  Thou with thy noble squadron close remain;

  And when the Pagans would our backs invade,

  Assail them then, and make their onset vain;

  For if I guess aright, they have in mind

  To compass us, and charge our troops behind."

  Then through his host, that took so large a scope,

  He rode, and viewed them all, both horse and foot;

  His face was bare, his helm unclosed and ope,

  Lightened his eyes, his looks bright fire shot out;

  He cheers the fearful, comforts them that hope,

  And to the bold recounts his boasting stout,

  And to the valiant his adventures hard,

  These bids he look for praise, those for reward.

  At last he stayed where of his squadrons bold

  And noblest troops assembled was best part;

  There from a rising bank his will he told,

  And all that heard his speech thereat took heart:

  And as the mountain snow from mountains cold

  Runs down in streams with eloquence and art,

  So from his lips his words and speeches fell,

  Shrill, speedy, pleasant, sweet, and placéd well.

  "My hardy host, you conquerors of the East,

  You scourge wherewith Christ whips his heathen fone,

  Of victory behold the latest feast,

  See the last day for which you wished alone;

  Not without cause the Saracens most and least

  Our gracious Lord hath gathered here in one,

  For all your foes and his assembled are,

  That one day's fight may end seven years of war.

  "This fight shall bring us many victories,

  The danger none, the labor will be small,

  Let not the number of your enemies

  Dismay your hearts, grant fear no place at all;

  For strife and discord through their army flies,

  Their bands ill ranked themselves entangle shall,

  And few of them to strike or fight shall come,

  For some want strength, some heart, some elbow-room.

  "This host, with whom you must encounter now,

  Are men half naked, without strength or skill,

  From idleness, or following the plough,

  Late presséd forth to war against their will,

  Their swords are blunt, shields thin, soon piercéd through,

  Their banners shake, their bearers shrink, for ill

  Their leaders heard, obeyed, or followed be,

  Their loss, their flight, their death I will foresee.

  "Their captain clad in purple, armed in gold,

  That seems so fierce, so hardy, stout and strong,


  The Moors or weak Arabians vanquish could,

  Yet can he not resist your valors long.

  What can he do, though wise, though sage, though bold,

  In that confusion, trouble, thrust and throng?

  Ill known he is, and worse he knows his host,

  Strange lords ill feared are, ill obeyed of most.

  "But I am captain of this chosen crew,

  With whom I oft have conquered, triumphed oft,

  Your lands and lineages long since I knew,

  Each knight obeys my rule, mild, easy, soft,

  I know each sword, each dart, each shaft I view,

  Although the quarrel fly in skies aloft,

  Whether the same of Ireland be, or France,

  And from what bow it comes, what hand perchance.

  "I ask an easy and a usual thing,

  As you have oft, this day, so win the field,

  Let zeal and honor be your virtue's sting,

  Your lives, my fame, Christ's faith defend and shield,

  To earth these Pagans slain and wounded bring,

  Tread on their necks, make them all die or yield,—

  What need I more exhort you? from your eyes

  I see how victory, how conquest flies."

  Upon the captain, when his speech was done,

  It seemed a lamp and golden light down came,

  As from night's azure mantle oft doth run

  Or fall, a sliding star, or shining flame;

  But from the bosom of the burning sun

  Proceeded this, and garland-wise the same

  Godfredo's noble head encompassed round,

  And, as some thought, foreshowed he should be crowned.

  Perchance, if man's proud thought or saucy tongue

  Have leave to judge or guess at heavenly things,

  This was the angel which had kept him long,

  That now came down, and hid him with his wings.

  While thus the Duke bespeaks his armies strong,

  And every troop and band in order brings.

  Lord Emiren his host disposéd well,

  And with bold words whet on their courage fell;

  The man brought forth his army great with speed,

  In order good, his foes at hand he spied,

  Like the new moon his host two horns did spreed,

  In midst the foot, the horse were on each side,

  The right wing kept he for himself to lead,

  Great Altamore received the left to guide,

  The middle ward led Muleasses proud,

  And in that battle fair Armida stood.

  On the right quarter stood the Indian grim,

  With Tisipherne and all the king's own band;

  But when the left wing spread her squadrons trim

  O'er the large plain, did Altamoro stand,

  With African and Persian kings with him,

  And two that came from Meroë's hot sand,

  And all his crossbows and his slings he placed,

  Where room best served to shoot, to throw, to cast.

  Thus Emiren his host put in array,

  And rode from band to band, from rank to rank,

  His truchmen now, and now himself, doth say,

  What spoil his folk shall gain, what praise, what thank.

  To him that feared, "Look up, ours is the day,"

  He says, "Vile fear to bold hearts never sank,

  How dareth one against an hundred fight?

  Our cry, our shade, will put them all to flight."

  But to the bold, "Go, hardy knight," he says,

  "His prey out of this lion's paws go tear:"

  To some before his thoughts the shape he lays,

  And makes therein the image true appear,

  How his sad country him entreats and prays,

  His house, his loving wife, and children dear:

  "Suppose," quoth he, "thy country doth beseech

  And pray thee thus, suppose this is her speech.

  "Defend my laws, uphold my temples brave,

  My blood from washing of my streets withhold,

  From ravishing my virgins keep, and save

  Thine ancestors' dead bones and ashes cold!

  To thee thy fathers dear and parents grave

  Show their uncovered heads, white, hoary, old,

  To thee thy wife—her breasts with tears o'erspread—

  Thy sons, their cradles, shows, thy marriage bed."

  To all the rest, "You for her honor's sake

  Whom Asia makes her champions, by your might

  Upon these thieves, weak, feeble, few, must take

  A sharp revenge, yet just, deserved and right."

  Thus many words in several tong es he spake,

  And all his sundry nations to sharp fight

  Encouragéd, but now the dukes had done

  Their speeches all, the hosts together run.

  It was a great, a strange and wondrous sight,

  When front to front those noble armies met,

  How every troop, how in each troop each knight

  Stood prest to move, to fight, and praise to get,

  Loose in the wind wavéd their ensigns light,

  Trembled the plumes that on their crests were set;

  Their arms, impresses, colors, gold and stone,

  Against the sunbeams smiled, flamed, sparkled, shone.

  Of dry topped oaks they seemed two forests thick,

  So did each host with spears and pikes abound,

  Bent were their bows, in rests their lances stick,

  Their hands shook swords, their slings held cobbles round:

  Each steed to run was ready, prest and quick,

  At his commander's spur, his hand, his sound,

  He chafes, he stamps, careers, and turns about,

  He foams, snorts, neighs, and fire and smoke breathes out.

  Horror itself in that fair fight seemed fair,

  And pleasure flew amid sad dread and fear;

  The trumpets shrill, that thundered in the air,

  Were music mild and sweet to every ear:

  The faithful camp, though less, yet seemed more rare

  In that strange noise, more warlike, shrill and clear,

  In notes more sweet, the Pagan trumpets jar,

  These sung, their armors shined, these glistered far.

  The Christian trumpets give the deadly call,

  The Pagans answer, and the fight accept;

  The godly Frenchmen on their knees down fall

  To pray, and kissed the earth, and then up leapt

  To fight, the land between was vanished all,

  In combat close each host to other stepped;

  For now the wings had skirmish hot begun,

  And with their battles forth the footmen run.

  But who was first of all the Christian train,

  That gave the onset first, first won renown?

  Gildippes thou wert she, for by thee slain

  The King of Orms, Hircano, tumbled down,

  The man's breastbone thou clov'st and rent in twain,

  So Heaven with honor would thee bless and crown,

  Pierced through he fell, and falling hard withal

  His foe praised for her strength and for his fall.

  Her lance thus broke, the hardy dame forth drew

  With her strong hand a fine and trenchant blade,

  And against the Persians fierce and bold she flew,

  And in their troop wide streets and lanes she made,

  Even in the girdling-stead divided new

  In pieces twain, Zopire on earth she laid;

  And then Alarco's head she swept off clean,

  Which like a football tumbled on the green.

  A blow felled Artaxerxes, with a thrust

  Was Argeus slain, the first lay in a trance,

  Ismael's left hand cut off fell in the dust,

  For on his wrist her sword fell down by chance:

  The hand let go the bridle
where it lust,

  The blow upon the courser's ears did glance,

  Who felt the reins at large, and with the stroke

  Half mad, the ranks disordered, troubled, broke.

  All these, and many mo, by time forgot,

  She slew and wounded, when against her came

  The angry Persians all, cast on a knot,

  For on her person would they purchase fame:

  But her dear spouse and husband wanted not

  In so great need, to aid the noble dame;

  Thus joined, the haps of war unhurt they prove,

  Their strength was double, double was their love.

  The noble lovers use well might you see,

  A wondrous guise, till then unseen, unheard,

  To save themselves forgot both he and she,

  Each other's life did keep, defend, and guard;

  The strokes that against her lord dischargéd be,

  The dame had care to bear, to break, to ward,

  His shield kept off the blows bent on his dear,

  Which, if need be, his naked head should bear.

  So each saved other, each for other's wrong

  Would vengeance take, but not revenge their own:

  The valiant Soldan Artabano strong

  Of Boecan Isle, by her was overthrown,

  And by his hand, the bodies dead among,

  Alvante, that durst his mistress wound, fell down,

  And she between the eyes hit Arimont,

  Who hurt her lord, and cleft in twain his front.

  But Altamore who had that wing to lead

  Far greater slaughter on the Christians made;

  For where he turned his sword, or twined his steed,

  He slew, or man and beast on earth down laid,

  Happy was he that was at first struck dead,

  That fell not down on live, for whom his blade

  Had speared, the same cast in the dusty street

  His horse tore with his teeth, bruised with his feet.

  By this brave Persian's valor, killed and slain

  Were strong Brunello and Ardonia great;

  The first his head and helm had cleft in twain,

  The last in stranger-wise he did intreat,

  For through his heart he pierced, and through the vein

  Where laughter hath his fountain and his seat,

  So that, a dreadful thing, believed uneath,

  He laughed for pain, and laughed himself to death.

  Nor these alone with that accurséd knife,

  Of this sweet light and breath deprivéd lie;

  But with that cruel weapon lost their life

  Gentonio, Guascar, Rosimond, and Guy;

  Who knows how many in that fatal strife

  He slew? what knights his courser fierce made die?

  The names and countries of the people slain

  Who tells? their wounds and deaths who can explain?