Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Read online

  I found this talisman in Camoens.

  And, if it be true that by virtue of his perfect affection and veneration for Homer, whom he loved as a second self, Chapman was enabled to reflect a something of the old Greek’s magic force and fire, I also may be permitted to hope that complete sympathy with my Poet will enable me to present the public with a copy not unworthy of Camoens’ immortal work.

  After all, to speak without undue modesty, my most cogent reason for printing this translation of my Master is, simply because I prefer it to all that have appeared.

  Others will think otherwise; and there is a Judge from whose sentence lies no present appeal. I have spared no labour on the work; I have satisfied myself if not Malebouche; and I repeat my motto: poco spero, nulla chiedo. If a concurrence of adverse trifles prevent my being appreciated now, the day will come, haply somewhat late, when men will praise what they now pass by.

  RICHARD FRANCIS BURTON.

  CAIRO, May 1, 1880.

  NOTE.

  CONTRARY to custom, I begin with my translation of the Poem, and end with what usually comes first, the Commentary. This Introduction, now converted to a postscript, is necessary for the full comprehension of an Epic upwards of three centuries old. But, believing in the “liberty of foot-notes,” I have appended a few, which will save many readers the mortification of consulting the conclusion.

  The following synopsis of THE LUSIADS shows the raison d’etre of my commentary: —

  The text of the Poem is immediately followed by the 79 estancias desprezadas, or stanzas, which, omitted by Camoens, were printed from manuscripts after his death.

  Of these 632 lines many were rejected for special reasons, and not a few deserve translation: they are here offered to the public for the first time.

  Thus my Commentary falls naturally into IV. Chapters.

  Chap. I. Biographical; with three Sections: 1. Essay on the Life of Camoens; 2. Camoens the Man; and, 3. Camoens the Poet.

  Chap. II. Bibliographical; with five Sections: 1. On translating The Lusiads; 2. English translators, with specimens; 3. Notices of English translators; 4. Minor partial and miscellaneous English translations; and, 5. The present version.

  Chap. III. Historical and Chronological; with four sections: 1. Portugal before the reign of D. Joam II.; 2. D.D. Joam III. and Manoel; 3. The reign of D. Joam III.; and, 4. The Annals of his Country till the death of Camoens.

  Chap. IV. Geographical; with four sections: 1. Preliminary; 2. The Voyage of Da Gama; 3.

  The Travels and Campaigns of Camoens in the nearer East; and, 4. In the further East. I make no apology for the length of this topographical essay; the subject has been much neglected by modern commentators.

  Chap. V. Annotative. I have here placed explicatory and philological details which illustrate the ten Cantos, concluding with three tables borrowed from various sources. No. I. Editions of the works of Camoens; 2. Tables of Translations of the works, especially The Lusiads; and, 3.

  Contents of The Lusiads, which may serve as an index of subjects.

  In conclusion, I have to thank MESSRS. WYMAN for the care and trouble they have taken in printing the Translation.TABBYWOOS

  TRIESTE, July 10, 1880.

  CANTO I.

  ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST CANTO.

  THE Portugueze navigate the Eastern Seas: The Gods hold their Council: Bacchus opposeth himself to this navigation: Venus and Mars favour the navigators: They arrive at Mozambique, the Governor whereof attempteth to destroy them: Encounter and first military Action of our People with the Gentiles: They weigh anchor; and, passing Quiloa, they ride in the roadstead of Mombasah.

  ANOTHER ARGUMENT.

  Fazem Concilio os deoses na alta Carte,

  Oppoem-se Baccho á Lusitana gente,

  Favorece-a Venus, e Mavorte,

  E em Mozambique lanca o ferreo dente:

  Depois de aqui mostrar sen braco forte,

  Destruindo, e matando juntamente,

  Torna as partes buscar da roxa Aurora,

  E chegando a Mombaca surge fora.

  CANTO I.

  THE feats of Arms, and famed heroick Host, 1

  from occidental Lusitanian strand,

  who o’er the waters ne’er by seaman crost,

  fared beyond the Taprobane-land,

  forceful in perils and in battle-post,

  with more than promised force of mortal hand;

  and in the regions of a distant race

  rear’d a new throne so haught in Pride of Place

  And, eke, the Kings of mem’ory grand and glorious, 2

  who hied them Holy Faith and Reign to spread,

  converting, conquering, and in lands notorious,

  Africk and Asia, devastation made;

  nor less the Lieges who by deeds memorious brake

  from the doom that binds the vulgar dead;

  my song would sound o’er Earth’s extremest part

  were mine the genius, mine the Poet’s art.

  Cease the sage Grecian, and the Man of Troy 3

  to vaunt long Voyage made in bygone day:

  Cease Alexander, Trajan cease to ‘joy

  the fame of victories that have pass’d away:

  The noble Lusian’s stouter breast sing I,

  whom Mars and Neptune dared not disobey:

  Cease all that antique Muse hath sung, for now

  a better Brav’ry rears its bolder brow.

  And you, my Tagian Nymphs, who have create 4

  in me new purpose with new genius firing;

  if’t was my joy whilere to celebrate

  your founts and stream my humble song inspiring;

  Oh! lend me here a noble strain elate,

  a style grandiloquent that flows untiring;

  so shall Apollo for your waves ordain ye

  in name and fame ne’er envy Hippokrene.

  Grant me sonorous accents, fire-abounding, 5

  now serves ne peasant’s pipe, ne rustick reed;

  but blast of trumpet, long and loud resounding,

  that ‘flameth heart and hue to fiery deed:

  Grant me high strains to suit their Gestes astounding,

  your Sons, who aided Mars in martial need;

  that o’er the world be sung the glorious song,

  if theme so lofty may to verse belong.

  And Thou! O goodly omen’d trust, all-dear 6

  to Lusitania’s olden liberty,

  whereon assured esperance we rear

  enforced to see our frail Christianity:

  Thou, O new terror to the Moorish spear,

  the fated marvel of our century,

  to govern worlds of men by God so given,

  that the world’s best be given to God and Heaven:

  Thou young, thou tender, ever-flourishing bough, 7

  true scion of tree by CHRIST beloved more,

  than aught that Occident did ever know,

  “Caesarian” or “Most Christian” styled before:

  Look on thy ‘scutcheon, and behold it show

  the present Vict’ory long past ages bore;

  Arms which He gave and made thine own to be

  by Him assumed on the fatal tree:

  Thou, mighty Sovran! o’er whose lofty reign 8

  the rising Sun rains earliest smile of light;

  sees it from middle firmamental plain;

  and sights it sinking on the breast of Night:

  Thou, whom we hope to hail the blight, the bane

  of the dishonour’d Ishmaelitish knight;

  and Orient Turk, and Gentoo-misbeliever

  that drinks the liquor of the Sacred River:

  Incline awhile, I pray, that majesty 9

  which in thy tender years I see thus ample,

  E’en now prefiguring full maturity

  that shall be shrin’d in Fame’s eternal temple:

  Those royal eyne that beam benignity

  bend on low earth: Behold a new ensample

  of
hero hearts with patriot pride inflamed,

  in number’d verses manifold proclaimed.

  Thou shalt see Love of Land that ne’er shall own 10

  lust of vile lucre; soaring towards th’ Eternal

  For’t is no light ambition to be known

  th’ acclaimed herald of my nest paternal.

  Hear; thou shalt see the great names greater grown

  of Vavasors who hail thee Lord Supernal:

  So shalt thou judge which were the higher station,

  King of the world or Lord of such a nation.

  Hark; for with vauntings vain thou shalt not view 11

  phantastical, fictitious, lying deed

  of lieges lauded, as strange Muses do,

  seeking their fond and foolish pride to feed:

  Thine acts so forceful are, told simply true,

  all fabled, dreamy feats they far exceed;

  exceeding Rodomont, and Ruggiero vain,

  and Roland haply born of Poet’s brain.

  For these I give thee a Nuno, fierce in fight, 12

  who for his King and Country freely bled;

  an Egas and a Fuas; fain I might

  for them my lay with harp Homeric wed!

  For the twelve peerless Peers again I cite

  the Twelve of England by Magrigo led:

  Nay, more, I give thee Gama’s noble name,

  who for himself claims all Aeneas’ fame.

  And if in change for royal Charles of France, 13

  or rivalling Caesar’s mem’ories thou wouldst trow,

  the first Afonso see, whose conque’ring lance

  lays highest boast of stranger glories low:

  See him who left his realm th’ inheritance

  fair Safety, born of wars that crusht the foe:

  That other John, a knight no fear deter’d,

  the fourth and fifth Afonso, and the third.

  Nor shall they silent in my song remain, 14

  they who in regions there where Dawns arise,

  by Acts of Arms such glories toil’d to gain,

  where thine unvanquisht flag for ever flies,

  Pacheco, brave of braves; th’ Almeidas twain,

  whom Tagus mourns with ever-weeping eyes;

  dread Albuquerque, Castro stark and brave,

  with more, the victors of the very grave.

  But, singing these, of thee I may not sing, 15

  O King sublime! such theme I fain must fear.

  Take of thy reign the reins, so shall my King

  create a poesy new to mortal ear:

  E’en now the mighty burthen hear I ring

  (and speed its terrors over all the sphere!)

  of sing’ular prowess, War’s own prodigies,

  in Africk regions and on Orient seas.

  Casteth on thee the Moor eyne cold with fright, 16

  in whom his coming doom he views designed:

  The barb’rous Gentoo, sole to see thy sight

  yields to thy yoke the neck e’en now inclined;

  Tethys, of azure seas the sovran right,

  her realm, in dowry hath to thee resigned;

  and, by thy noble tender beauty won,

  would bribe and buy thee to become her son.

  In thee from high Olympick halls behold 17

  themselves, thy grandsires’ sprites;

  far-famed pair; this clad in Peacetide’s angel-robe of gold,

  that crimson-hued with paint of battle-glare:

  By thee they hope to see their tale twice told,

  their lofty memo’ries live again; and there,

  when Time thy years shall end, for thee they ‘sign

  a seat where soareth Fame’s eternal shrine.

  But, sithence antient Time slow minutes by 18

  ere ruled the Peoples who desire such boon;

  bend on my novel rashness favouring eye,

  that these my verses may become thine own:

  So shalt thou see thine Argonauts o’erfly

  you salty argent, when they see it shown

  thou seest their labours on the raging sea:

  Learn even now invok’d of man to be.

  They walked the water’s vasty breadth of blue, 19

  parting the restless billows on their way;

  fair favouring breezes breathed soft and true,

  the bellying canvas bulging in their play:

  The seas were sprent with foam of creamy hue,

  flashing where’er the Prows wide open lay

  the sacred spaces of that ocean-plain

  where Proteus’ cattle cleave his own domain:

  When they who hold Olympick luminous height, 20

  the Gods and Governors of our human race,

  convened in glorious conclave, all unite

  the coming course of Eastern things to trace:

  Treading the glassy dome of lovely light,

  along the Milky Way conjoint they pace,

  gather’d together at the Thunderer’s hest,

  and by old Atlas’ gentle grandson prest.

  They leave the reg’iment of the Firmaments seven, 21

  to them committed by his high command,

  his pow’r sublime whose thoughtful will hath given

  Order to skies, and angry seas, and land:

  Then instant gather in th’ assize of Heaven

  those who are throned on far Arcturus’ strand,

  and those that Auster rule, and Orient tides,

  where springs Aurora and clear Phoebus hides.

  Reposed there the Sire sublime and digne, 22

  vibrates whose hand the fierce Vulcanian ray,

  on seat of starry splendour crystalline,

  grand in his lofty gest of sovran sway:

  Respired from his brow such air divine,

  that to divine could change dull human clay;

  bearing the crown and sceptre rutilant,

  of clearer stone than clearest diamant.

  On sparkling seats, with marquetry inlaid 23

  of gold and pearl-work, sat in lower state

  the minor Godheads, marshall’d and array’d,

  e’en as demanded reason, rank, and rate:

  Highest the seniors of most honour’d grade;

  lower adown the lower Deities sate:

  When thus high Jove the deathless throng addrest

  with awful accents, dealing gravest best: —

  “Immortal Peoples of the starlit Pole, 24

  whose seats adorn this constellated sphere;

  if the stout Race of valour-breathing soul

  from Lusus springing still to thought be dear,

  Your high Intelligences lief unroll

  the writ of mighty Fate: her will is clear,

  this Deed to cold Oblivion’s shade shall doom

  the fame of Persia, ‘Assyria, Greece, and Rome.

  “To them’t was erst, and well you wot it, given, 25

  albeit a Pow’r so single, simple, small,

  to see the doughty Moor from ‘trenchments driven

  where gentle Tagus feeds and floods the vale:

  Then with the dreadful Spaniard have they striven,

  by boon of Heav’n serene ne’er known to fail;

  and urged their fortune’s ever-glorious claim

  to victor-trophies hung in fane of Fame.

  “Godheads! I leave that antique fame unsaid, 26

  reft from the race of Romulus their foes;

  when, by their warrior Viriatus led,

  so high in Roman wars their names arose:

  Eke leave I mem’ries which to merited

  Honour obliged when for chief they chose

  that perfect Captain, erst a peregrine foe,

  who feign’d a Daemon in his milk-white Doe.

  “Now well you see how steel’d their souls to steer 27

  a fragile barque through dubious wat’ery way,

  by paths unused, and holding nought in fear

  Notus and Afer’s
force, wax bolder they:

  How whilom ev’ry region left arear,

  where suns or shorten or draw long the day,

  on wings of stubborn will these men be borne

  to sight the cradles of the nascent Morn.

  “Promised them Fate’s eternal covenant, 28

  whose high commandments none shall dare despise,

  for years full many they shall rule th’ extent

  of seas that see the ruddy suns arise.

  On wavy wastes hard winter have they spent;

  o’erworked they come by travailing emprize;

  ‘t were meet we show them, thus it seemeth me,

  the fair new region which they fain would see.

  “And as their valour, so you trow, defied 29

  on aspe’rous voyage cruel harm and sore,

  so many changing skies their manhood tried,

  such climes where storm-winds blow and billows roar;

  my sov’ereign mandate’t is, be theirs to ride

  in friendly haven, on the Blackmoor shore;

  whence shall the weary Fleet, with ev’ery need

  garnisht, once more her long-drawn voyage speed.”

  Thus hearing Jupiter’s decree pronounced, 30

  each God responsive spoke, in order due,

  contrasting judgment one and all announced

  giving and taking various divers view.

  But Father Bacchus then and there renounced,

  homage to Jove’s command, who right well knew

  his deeds on Orient-lond would leave no trace,

  were furthe’rance granted to the Lusian race.

  The Fatal Sisters he had heard declare, 31

  how from Hispanian bounds a hero-band

  should span the pathless deep, and nought should

  spare

  wherever Doris batheth Indian strand:

  Should with new victories eve’ry deed out-dare

  done or by his or other stranger hand:

  Profound he sorrows lest he lose the glory,

  the name still celebrate in the Nyssan story.

  He sees, while Indus he of yore hath tamed, 32

  Fortune or favouring chance had aye denied

  to hear him India’s conqueror acclaimed