Читать книгу Orlando Furioso - Lodovico Ariosto - Страница 22

ARGUMENT

Orlando, full of rage, pursues a knight

Who bears by force his lady-love away,

And comes where old Atlantes, by his sleight

Had raised a dome, Rogero there to stay.

Here too Rogero comes; where getting sight

Of his lost love, the County strives in fray

With fierce Ferrau, and, after slaughter fell

Amid the paynim host, finds Isabel.

I

Ceres, when from the Idaean dame in haste

Returning to the lonely valley, where

Enceladus the Aetnaean mountain placed

On his bolt-smitten flanks, is doomed to bear,

Her girl she found not, on that pathless waste,

By her late quitted, having rent her hair,

And marked cheeks, eyes, and breast, with livid signs,

At the end of her lament tore up two pines,

II

And lit at Vulcan's fire the double brand,

And gave them virtue never to be spent;

And, afterwards, with one in either hand,

Drawn by two dragons, in her chariot went,

Searching the forest, hill, and level land,

Field, valley, running stream, or water pent,

The land and sea; and having searched the shell

Of earth above, descended into hell.

III

Had Roland of Eleusis' deity

The sovereign power possessed no less than will,

He for Angelica had land and sea

Ransacked, and wood and field, and pool and rill,

Heaven, and Oblivion's bottom: but since he

Had not, his pressing purpose to fulfil,

Her dragon and her car, the unwearied knight

Pursued the missing maid as best he might.

IV

Through France he sought her, and will seek her through

The realms of Italy and of Almayn,

And thence through the Castiles, both old and new,

So passing into Libya out of Spain.

While bold Orlando has this plan in view,

He hears, or thinks he hears, a voice complain:

He forward spurs, and sees on mighty steed

A warrior trot before him on the mead;

V

Who in his arms a captive damsel bears,

Sore grieving, and across the pommel laid;

She weeps and struggles, and the semblance wears

Of cruel woe, and ever calls for aid

Upon Anglantes' prince; and now appears

To him, as he surveys the youthful maid,

She, for whom, night and day, with ceaseless pain,

Inside and out, he France had searched in vain.

VI

I say not is, but that she to the sight

Seems the Angelica he loves so dear.

He who is lady-love and goddess' flight

Beholds, borne off in such afflicted cheer,

Impelled by fury foul, and angry spite,

Calls back with horrid voice the cavalier;

Calls back the cavalier, and threats in vain,

And Brigliadoro drives with flowing rein.

VII

That felon stops not, nor to him replies,

On his great gain intent, his glorious prey;

And with such swiftness through the greenwood hies,

Wind would not overtake him on his way.

The one pursues while him the other flies,

And with lament resounds the thicket gray.

They issue in a spacious mead, on which

Appears a lofty mansion, rare and rich.

VIII

Of various marbles, wrought with subtle care,

Is the proud palace. He who fast in hold

Bears off upon his arm the damsel fair,

Sore pricking, enters at a gate of gold.

Nor Brigliador is far behind the pair,

Backed by Orlando, angry knight and bold.

Entering, around Orlando turns his eyes,

Yet neither cavalier nor damsel spies.

IX

He suddenly dismounts, and thundering fares

Through the inmost palace, seeking still his foe,

And here and there in restless rage repairs,

Till he has seen each bower, each galleried row;

With the same purpose he ascends the stairs,

Having first vainly searched each room below.

Nor spends less labour, on his task intent,

Above, than he beneath had vainly spent.

X

Here beds are seen adorned with silk and gold;

Nor of partition aught is spied or wall:

For these, and floor beneath, throughout that hold,

Are hid by curtains and by carpets all.

Now here, now there, returns Orlando bold,

Nor yet can glad his eyes, in bower or hall,

With the appearance of the royal maid,

Or the foul thief by whom she was conveyed.

XI

This while, as here and there in fruitless pain

He moves, oppressed with thought and trouble sore,

Gradasso, Brandimart, and him of Spain,

Ferrau, he finds, with Sacripant and more;

Who ever toiling, like himself, in vain

Above, that building, and beneath explore,

And as they wander, curse with one accord

The malice of the castle's viewless lord.

XII

All in pursuit of the offender speed,

And upon him some charge of robbery lay:

One knight complains that he has stolen his steed,

One that he has purloined his lady gay.

Other accuses him of other deed:

And thus within the enchanted cage they stay,

Nor can depart; while in the palace pent,

Many have weeks and months together spent.

XIII

Roland, when he round that strange dome had paced

Four times or six, still vainly seeking, said

Within himself, at last, "I here might waste

My time and trouble, still in vain delayed,

While haply her the robber whom I chased

Has far away, through other gate conveyed."

So thinking, from the house he issued out

Into the mead which girt the dome about.

XIV

While Roland wanders round the sylvan Hall,

Still holding close his visage to the ground,

To see if recent print or trace withal

Can, right or left, upon the turf be found,

He from a neighbouring window hears a call,

And looks, and thinks he hears that voice's sound,

And thinks he sees the visage by which he

Was so estranged from what he wont to be.

XV

He thinks he hears Angelica, and she

"Help, help!" entreating cries, and weeping sore,

"More than for life and soul, alas! of thee

Protection for my honour I implore.

Then shall it in my Roland's presence be

Ravished by this foul robber? Oh! before

Me to such miserable fate you leave,

Let me from your own hand my death receive!"

XVI

These words repeated once, and yet again,

Made Roland through each chamber, far and near,

Return with passion, and with utmost pain;

But tempered with high hope. Sometimes the peer

Stopt in his search and heard a voice complain,

Which seemed to be Angelica's: if here

The restless warrior stand, it sounds from there,

And calls for help he knows not whence nor where,

XVII

Returning to Rogero, left, I said,

When through a gloomy path, upon his steed,

Following the giant and the dame who fled,

He from the wood had issued on the mead;

I say that he arrived where Roland dread

Arrived before him, if I rightly read.

The giant through the golden portal passed,

Rogero close behind, who followed fast.

XVIII

As soon as he his foot has lifted o'er

The threshold, he through court and gallery spies;

Nor sees the giant or the lady more,

And vainly glances here and there his eyes.

He up and down returns with labour sore,

Yet not for that his longing satisfies;

Nor can imagine where the felon thief

Has hid himself and dame in space so brief.

XIX

After four times or five he so had wound

Above, below, through bower and gallery fair,

He yet returned, and, having nothing found,

Searched even to the space beneath the stair.

At length, in hope they in the woodlands round

Might be, he sallied; but the voice, which there

Roland recalled, did him no less recall,

And made as well return within the Hall.

XX

One voice, one shape, which to Anglantes' peer

Seemed his Angelica, beseeching aid.

Seemed to Rogero Dordogne's lady dear.

Who him a truant to himself had made:

If with Gradasso, or with other near

He spake, of those who through the palace strayed.

To all of them the vision, seen apart,

Seemed that which each had singly most at heart.

XXI

This was a new and unwonted spell,

Which the renowned Atlantes had composed,

That in this toil, this pleasing pain, might dwell

So long Rogero, by these walls enclosed,

From him should pass away the influence fell,

—Influence which him to early death exposed.

Though vain his magic tower of steel, and vain

Alcina's art, Atlantes plots again.

XXII

Not only he, but others who stood high

For valour, and in France had greatest fame,

That by their hands Rogero might not die,

Brought here by old Atlantes' magic came:

While these in the enchanted mansion lie,

That food be wanting not to knight or dame,

He has supplied the dome throughout so well,

That all the inmates there in plenty dwell.

XXIII

But to Angelica return we, who

Now of that ring so wondrous repossessed,

(Which, in her mouth, concealed the maid from view,

Preserved from spell when it the finger pressed,)

Was in the mountain-cavern guided to

Whatever needed, viands, mare, and vest,

And had conceived the project to pursue

Her way to her fair Indian realm anew.

XXIV

King Sacripant, or Roland, willingly

The damsel would have taken for her guide;

Not that, propitious to their wishes, she

(Averse from both) inclined to either side;

But, since her eastern journey was to be

Through town and city, scattered far and wide,

She needed company, and ill had found

More trusty guides than these for such a round.

XXV

Now this, now that she sought with fruitless care,

Before she lit on either warrior's trace,

By city or by farm, now here, now there,

In forest now, and now in other place.

Fortune, at length, where caged with Roland are

Ferrau and Sacripant, directs her chase;

Rogero, with Gradasso fierce, and more,

Noosed with strange witcheries by Atlantes hoar.

XXVI

She enters, hidden from the enchanter's eyes,

And by the ring concealed, examines all;

And Roland there, and Sacripant espies,

Intent to seek her vainly through the Hall;

And with her image cheating both, descries

Atlantes old. The damsel doubts withal

Which of the two to take, and long revolves

This in her doubtful thought, nor well resolves.

XXVII

She knows not which with her will best accord,

The Count Orlando or Circassia's knight.

As of most powers, her would Rogero ward

In passage perilous, with better might.

But should she make the peer her guide, her lord,

She knew not if her champion she could slight,

If him she would depress with altered cheer,

Or into France send back the cavalier:

XXVIII

But Sacripant at pleasure could depose,

Though him she had uplifted to the sky.

Hence him alone she for her escort chose,

And feigned to trust in his fidelity.

The ring she from her mouth withdraws, and shows

Her face, unveiled to the Circassian's eye:

She thought to him alone; but fierce Ferrau

And Roland came upon the maid, and saw.

XXIX

Ferrau and Roland came upon the maid;

For one and the other champion equally

Within the palace and without it strayed

In quest of her, who was their deity.

And now, no longer by the enchantment stayed,

Each ran alike towards the dame, for she

Had placed the ring upon her hand anew,

Which old Atlantes' every scheme o'erthrew.

XXX

Helm on the head and corselet on the breast

Of both the knights, of whom I sing, was tied;

By night or day, since they into this rest

Had entered, never doffed and laid aside:

For such to wear were easy as a vest,

To these, so wont the burden to abide.

As well was armed, except with iron masque,

Ferrau, who wore not, nor would wear, a casque.

XXXI

Till he had that erst wrested by the peer,

Orlando, from the brother of Troyane;

For so had sworn the Spanish cavalier,

What time he Argalia's helm in vain

Sought in the brook; yet though the count was near,

Has not stretched forth his hand the prize to gain.

For so it was, that neither of the pair

Could recognise the other knight while there.

XXXII

Upon the enchanted dome lay such a spell,

That they from one another were concealed;

They doffed not, night nor day, the corselet's shell,

Not sword, nor even put aside the shield.

Saddled, with bridle hanging at the sell,

Their steeds were feeding, ready for the field,

Within a chamber, near the palace door,

With straw and barley heaped in plenteous store.

XXXIII

Nor might nor mean in old Atlantes lies

To stop the knights from mounting, who repair

To their good steeds, to chase the bright black eyes,

The fair vermillion cheeks and golden hair

Of the sweet damsel, who before them flies,

And goads to better speed her panting mare;

Ill pleased the three assembled to discern,

Though haply she had taken each in turn.

XXXIV

And when these from the magic palace she

Had ticed so far, that she no more supposed

The warriors to the wicked fallacy

Of the malign enchanter were exposed,

The ring, which more than once from misery

Had rescued her, she 'twixt her lips enclosed,

Hence from their sight she vanished in a thought,

And left them wondering there, like men distraught.

XXXV

Although she first the scheme had entertained

Roland or Sacripant to have released,

To guide her thither, where her father reigned,

King Galaphron, who ruled i' the farthest East,

The aid of both she suddenly disdained,

And in an instant from her project ceased;

And deemed, without more debt to count or king,

In place of either knight sufficed the ring.

XXXVI

In haste, they through the forest, here and there,

So scorned of her, still gaze with stupid face;

Like questing hound which loses sight of hare

Or fox, of whom he late pursued the trace,

Into close thicket, ditch, or narrow lair,

Escaping from the keen pursuer's chase.

Meantime their ways the wanton Indian queen

Observes, and at their wonder laughs unseen.

XXXVII

In the mid wood, where they the maid did lose,

Was but a single pathway, left or right;

Which they believed the damsel could not choose

But follow, when she vanished from their sight.

Ferrau halts not, and Roland fast pursues,

Nor Sacripant less plies the rowels bright.

Angelica, this while, retrains her steed,

And follows the three warriors with less speed.