Читать книгу Orlando Furioso - Lodovico Ariosto - Страница 20

XCV

The cruel and inhospitable crew

To the voracious beast the dame expose

Upon the sea-beat shore, as bare to view

As nature did at first her work compose.

Not even a veil she had, to shade the hue

Of the white lily and vermillion rose,

Which mingled in her lovely members meet,

Proof to December-snow and July-heat.

XCVI

Her would Rogero have some statue deemed

Of alabaster made, or marble rare,

Which to the rugged rock so fastened seemed

By the industrious sculptor's cunning care,

But that he saw distinct a tear which streamed

Amid fresh-opening rose and lily fair,

Stand on her budding paps beneath in dew,

And that her golden hair dishevelled flew.

XCVII

And as he fastened his on her fair eyes,

His Bradamant he called to mind again.

Pity and love within his bosom rise

At once, and ill he can from tears refrain:

And in soft tone he to the damsel cries,

(When he has checked his flying courser's rein)

"O lady, worthy but that chain to wear,

With which Love's faithful servants fettered are,

XCVIII

"And most unworthy this or other ill,

What wretch has had the cruelty to wound

And gall those snowy hands with livid stain,

Thus painfully with griding fetters bound?"

At this she cannot choose but show like grain,

Of crimson spreading on an ivory ground;

Knowing those secret beauties are espied,

Which, howsoever lovely, shame would hide;

XCIX

And gladly with her hands her face would hood,

Were they not fastened to the rugged stone:

But with her tears (for this at least she could)

Bedewed it, and essayed to hold it down.

Sobbing some while the lovely damsel stood;

Then loosed her tongue and spake in feeble tone;

But ended not; arrested in mid-word,

By a loud noise which in the sea was heard.

C

Lo! and behold! the unmeasured-beast appears,

Half surging and half hidden, in such sort

As sped by roaring wind long carack steers

From north or south, towards her destined port.

So the sea monster to his food repairs:

And now the interval between is short.

Half dead the lady is through fear endured,

Ill by that other's comfort reassured.

CI

Rogero overhand, not in the rest

Carries his lance, and beats, with downright blow,

The monstrous orc. What this resembled best,

But a huge, writhing mass, I do not know;

Which wore no form of animal exprest,

Save in the head, with eyes and teeth of sow.

His forehead, 'twixt the eyes, Rogero smites,

But as on steel or rock the weapon lights.

CII

When he perceives the first of no avail,

The knight returns to deal a better blow;

The orc, who sees the shifting shadow sail

Of those huge pinions on the sea below,

In furious heat, deserts his sure regale

On shore, to follow that deceitful show:

And rolls and reels behind it, as it fleets.

Rogero drops, and oft the stroke repeats.

CIII

As eagle, that amid her downward flight,

Surveys amid the grass a snake unrolled,

Or where she smoothes upon a sunny height,

Her ruffled plumage, and her scales of gold,

Assails it not where prompt with poisonous bite

To hiss and creep; but with securer hold

Gripes it behind, and either pinion clangs,

Lest it should turn and wound her with its fangs;

CIV

So the fell orc Rogero does not smite

With lance or faulchion where the tushes grow,

But aims that 'twixt the ears his blow may light;

Now on the spine, or now on tail below.

And still in time descends or soars upright,

And shifts his course, to cheat the veering foe:

But as if beating on a jasper block,

Can never cleave the hard and rugged rock.

CV

With suchlike warfare is the mastiff vext

By the bold fly in August's time of dust,

Or in the month before or in the next,

This full of yellow spikes and that of must;

For ever by the circling plague perplext,

Whose sting into his eyes or snout is thrust:

And oft the dog's dry teeth are heard to fall;

But reaching once the foe, he pays for all.

CVI

With his huge tail the troubled waves so sore

The monster beats, that they ascend heaven-high;

And the knight knows not if he swim, or soar

Upon his feathered courser in mid sky;

And oft were fain to find himself ashore:

For, if long time the spray so thickly fly,

He fears it so will bathe his hippogryph,

That he shall vainly covet gourd or skiff.

CVII

He then new counsel took, and 'twas the best,

With other arms the monster to pursue;

And lifting from his shield the covering vest,

To dazzle with the light his blasted view.

Landward towards the rock-chained maid he pressed,

And on her little finger, lest a new

Mischance should follow, slipt the ring, which brought

The enchantment of the magic shield to nought.

CVIII

I say the ring, which Bradamant, to free

Rogero, from Brunello's hand had rent,

And which, to snatch him from Alcina, she

Had next to India by Melissa sent.

Melissa (as before was said by me),

In aid of many used the instrument;

And to Rogero this again had born;

By whom 'twas ever on his finger worn.

CIX

He gave it now Angelica; for he

Feared lest the buckler's light should be impaired,

And willed as well those beauteous eyes should be

Defended, which had him already snared.

Pressing beneath his paunch full half the sea,

Now to the shore the monstrous whale repaired:

Firm stood Rogero, and the veil undone,

Appeared to give the sky another sun.

CX

He in the monster's eyes the radiance throws,

Which works as it was wont in other time.

As trout or grayling to the bottom goes

In stream, which mountaineer disturbs with lime;

So the enchanted buckler overthrows

The orc, reversed among the foam and slime.

Rogero here and there the beast astound

Still beats, but cannot find the way to wound.

CXI

This while the lady begs him not to bray

Longer the monster's rugged scale in vain.

"For heaven's sake turn and loose me" (did she say,

Still weeping) "ere the orc awake again.

Bear me with thee, and drown me in mid-way.

Let me not this foul monster's food remain."

By her just plaint Rogero moved, forebore,

Untied the maid, and raised her from the shore.

CXII

Upon the beach the courser plants his feet,

And goaded by the rowel, towers in air,

And gallops with Rogero in mid seat,

While on the croup behind him sate the fair;

Who of his banquet so the monster cheat;

For him too delicate and dainty fare.

Rogero turns and with thick kisses plies

The lady's snowy breast and sparkling eyes.

CXIII

He kept no more the way, as he before

Proposed, for compassing the whole of Spain:

But stopt his courser on the neighbouring shore

Where lesser Britain runs into the main.

Upon the bank there rose an oakwood hoar,

Where Philomel for ever seemed to plain;

I' the middle was a meadow with a fountain,

And, at each end, a solitary mountain.

CXIV

'Twas here the wishful knight first checked the rein,

And dropping in the meadow, made his steed

Furl, yet not shut so close, his wings again,

As he had spread them wide for better speed.

Down lights Rogero, and forbears with pain

From other leap; but this his arms impede:

His arms impede; a bar to his desire,

And he must doff them would he slake the fire.

CXV

Now here, now there, confused by different throng,

Rogero did his shining arms undo:

Never the task appeared to him so long;

For where he loosed one knot, he fastened two.

But, sir, too long continued is this song,

And haply may as well have wearied you;

So that I shall delay to other time,

When it may better please, my tedious rhyme.