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Orlando Furioso

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Orlando Furioso O R L A N D O F U R I O S O TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE F R O M T H E I TAL I AN OF LU D OVI CO ARIOS T O WITH NOTES WILLIAM STEWART ROSE VO I I I L. V . LOND ON OH J N M URRAY ALBEMARLE- S TREET MD C C CXXX I £09 5 “ ”2 3 ORLANDO FURIOSO . CA N T O X L I I I TH E ORLANDO FURIOSO. CA N TO XL I I I . I . O E XE C RAB L E avarice ! O vile thirst Of sordid g old ! it doth not me astound S o as h u seizest soul mm e ily t o , i ersed In s n s n unso n ba e es , or With other tai t u d ; h a n s n am s But t at thy ch i hould bi d, id the wor t , And that thy talon should strike down and wound One that for loftiness of mi nd would be h all s . Wort y prai e, if he avoided thee II . h and sea and n us s Some eart heave above quare, ’ Kn u s s and s ow Nat re causes, work , propertie ; nn n n n What her begi i gs, What her e di gs are And soar till Heaven is open to their eyes : h no s a i aim no Yet ave te d er , better care, un n m n in d s St g by thy ve o , tha , sor id wi e, TO a : s n g ther treasure uch their si gle scope, h m and . T eir every co fort, their every hope O . T II E O R LA NDO FURIOSO . CANT X LI I I III . s him n in r Armie by are broke his p ide, An d gates of warlike towns in triumph pas t The forem ost he to breast the furious tide Of fearful battle ; to retire the last ; Yet ca nnot save himself from being stied h in a n s . Till deat , thy d rk du geon pri oned fast ’ Of others that would shine thou dimm s t the prai se m s . Who other studies, other arts would rai e IV . What shall of high and beauteous dames be said ? ’ Who (from their lovers wort h and charms secure) a n e Ag inst lo g servic , I behold, more staid, nl u More motio ess, than marble shafts, end re n m s Wh o s la The Avarice co e , so her pells hath id, I see them stoop di rectly to her lure. — ?—lml ovin in a Who could believe g , day ’ ' fall m s fall s m m n . They so e elder , o e o ster s prey V . Not without reason here I raise this cry — d me who can r m —nor so Rea , I ead yself m e wa ad awr I fro the b aten path y tre y , o Nor thus the matter of my song foreg . Not more to What is shown do I apply h v s n n a a e s . My ayi g , tha to wh t I to how now rn we to the n But retu paladi e , Who was a bout to tas te the e nchanted wi ne . AN C T O X LI I I TH E ORLA N D O FUR IOSO . 3 VI . a n n a m s F i would he thi k while, of who I peak, (As said) ere to his lips the vase he bore ; He thought then thus : When fi nding what we seek ’ s s s tis . Di please , thi folly to explore ’ ’ My wife s a woman ; every wom an s weak . n me h The let hold the fait I held before . has and n n m n n . Faith still brought, yet co te t e t bri gs From proof itself what better profit spri ngs ? VII . m h s sm l m u s Fro t i al good, ch evil I fore ee m n For te pti g God moves sometimes his disdai n. n not s s be I k ow if it wi e or fooli h , n m an n d am not n . But to k ow ore th ee s, I fai Now put away the enchanted cup from me n nor r n I either will, would, the goblet d ai ’ n mm n as m Which is with Heave s co a d uch at strife, ’ As Adam s deed who robbed th e tree of life . VIII . as our s s a e For ire who ta ted of th t tre , ’ And d s own n s Go word , by eati g, di obeyed, n m Fell i to sorrow fro felicity , ’ And was by misery evermore o erlaid ; n so all ul n and see The husba d , that wo d k ow Whatever by his wife is done and said s s m n s and n Pa se fro happi es to grief pai , Nor ever can uplift his head again . 6 n u: ORLANDO FUR IOSO . c a m o X LI I I . IX . h i in so Meanw ile the good R naldo say g , i s And pushing from h m elf the cup abhorred, Beheld of tears a plenteous fo untain flow ’ From the full eyes of that fai r mansion s lo rd ; v m e woe Who cried , now ha ing so ewhat calm d his , he u s Accursed be , pers aded by who e word, ! of n Alas I the fortu e made assay , Whereby my cherished wife was reft away ! X. en s n kn n Wherefore t years ago wa t thou ot ow , 80 that I counselled might have been of thee ? Before the sorrows and the grief begun, That have nigh quenched my eyes ; but raisedl be n o m n The curtai fr the sce e, that thou upon m m My pain mayst look , and ayst la ent with me ; An d I to thee of mine unheard - of woe r and i s The a gument very head w ll how . XI . was lefl r Above, a neighbou ing city, pent Within a limpid stream that forms a lake ; i c Po h . Wh h widens, and wherein uds a vent Their way the waters from Benacus take . was Built the city , when to ruin went Walls founded by the Agenorean snake of Here me gentle line my mother bore , of small e in . But m ans, humble home and poor CANTO X L I I I . T HE OR LA ND O FURI OSO . XII . ’ If n s not Who n Fortu e care I was , de ied m e n m a n To upo y birth a we lthy boo , Nature that want with graceful form supplied ; S o that in beauty rival had I none . ’ E namoured of m e in youth s early tide Erewhile was dame and damsel more th an one For I With beauty coupled wi nning ways ; Though it becomes not man himself to praise . I( III . g n sa e withi our city dwelled, a Wight, n in n a Beyo d belief, every scie ce gre t ’ Wh o n be s his s on o , whe clo ed eye Ph ebus light , m one un a s one s and Nu bered h dred ye r , core eight a l h e and out s A s vage ife led of ight, n m U til i pelled by love , the senior late ‘ B n t obtained a m n y di t of gif s atro fair, Who secretly to him a da ughter bare ; XIV. And n i n won to preve t the ch ld from bei g , As m n was erewhile the other, that for gai h as s a n Bartered her c tity, who e worth lo e ’ h a s am ns n a n Excels w t gold earth ple vei co t i , b e m a man n With her fro the w ys of is go e, And n s hi s where he spies the lo elie t place, train Of m n in n m n l de o s forces, encha t e t ski led, s m so s a s a and . Thi do e p ciou , f ir, rich , to build T HE O RLAN DO FURI OS O . CANTO X L I I I . XV . By ancient and chaste dames be there made rear a i e This d ughter, that in sovere gn b auty grew ; Nor suffered her to see or even hear A man m beside hi self ; and, for her view, — u Lest lights should lack, whereby her co rse to steep who The senior every modest lady, ’ n E er on u lawful love the barrier shut, I c . Made imn in picture, or in s ulpture cut XVI . who a Nor he alone those virtuous dames, , s ge so n And chaste, had adorned a tiquity, h W ose fame, preserved by the historic page , Is never doomed its dyi ng day to see But those as well that will in future age i Everywhere beaut fy fair Italy, Made fashion in their well - known form and mien u i n As eight that ro nd th s fount by thee are see .
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