Kitabı oku: «The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse», sayfa 35

CAP. VI

 
Befor king Latyn and hys consale in deid
Venulus schawis respons of Diomeid.
 

 
Abuf all this, lo, the ilk stound onon
Thyr messyngeris, all trist and wobegon,
Returnyt haymwart into thar maist neid
From the gret cite of schir Dyomed;
Reportand answer, that alhaill was lost
Thar lang travale and maist sumptuus cost;
Schortly, thai had doyn thar na thyng at docht,
The rych gyftis nor gold avalyt nocht,
For all thar large requestis and prayeris;
To help the Latyn pepill in thar weris
Behuffyt thame to seik other supple,
Or to mak paix with Troiane prynce Ene.
Herand thir wordis, this ald Latyn kyng
Falys all curage, with gret lamentyng:
For patently the Goddis wraik, hym thocht,
Schew that by fait Ene was thyddir brocht,
And manifest mycht of Goddis hym dyd sustene,
That schew the new gravys befor thar eyn.
Quharfor, a gret consale assemlys he,
And callys the cheif ledaris of hys menȝe,
Chargeand thai suld in hys palyce conveyn
Onto the riall chymmys. Tho bedeyn
Thai flok so fast that euery way was hyd.
Thys ancyent kyng dyd set hym dovn amyd
The cepturyt men, as first and pryncipall,
Bot no thyng semyng glaid of cheir at all.
Than the ambassat, that was returnyt agane
From Dyomedis cite Etholiane,
He bad do schaw the credens that thai brocht,
Per ordour haill thar answer, faland nocht.
Silens was maid, ilk man hys tong held than,
And Venulus, of thame the gretast man,
Begouth fortill obey the kyngis charge,
And schew hys credens planely thus at large:
O citeȝanys, we haue visseit Diomed,
And seyn thai strenthys by thame of Arge in deid
Vpbeldyt in the boundis of Italy;
The ways thiddir we haue met by and by,
And eschapyt all dangeris by the gait,
All thocht our journay was nocht fortunait.
We haue twichit that sammyn douchty hand
By quham of Troy distroyt was town and land:
Quhilk now as victor, in the feildis plane
Besyde the skyrtis of the mont Gargane,
Within boundis of Japigya fulȝe,
That now on days Apulȝe clepyng we,
Vprasyt hes the cite Argyripas,
Quham fra hys natyve pepill namyt he has.
Fra that we entryt war in hys presens,
And forto speik was geif ws audiens,
The gyftis and rewardys present we;
Our credens, our estait, and our cuntre,
Declaryt plane, and quha with wer ws socht,
And quhat occasioun had ws thidder brocht.
He hard ws weill, and on a frendly wys
Thus answer maid with wordis war and wys:
O fortunat folk, quhar Saturn regnyt swa,
Ȝhe ancyent pepill of Ausonya,
Quhat mysaventour and onkyndly heyt
Ȝou steris from ȝour lang rest and quyet,
Prouocand ȝou to movyng, rays, and steir,
Sa peralus, onkowth, and onthrifty wer?
For euery ane of ws that dyd offens
In Troys bundis with swerd and violens,
Or cruell handis set fortill invaid
Kyng Priamus, and of hys realm degraid;
(I leif ontald all thai that in the feld
By Troys wallys hes swelt vnder scheld,
Or that the flude of Symois by the town
Drownyt in stremys warpis vp and dovn;)
Our all the warld of ws hail the remanys
Beyn punyst fore with onrehersabill panys,
And sufferit hes all maner of turment:
Ful weill knawis my wordis, quhat I ment,
The sorofull constillatioun of Mynerve,
Quhilk causyt mony douchty man to sterve;
And on the costis of Euboica
The rokis beris witnes ȝit alssua,
And the montane Caphareus, God woit,
That vengeans tuke and wraik apon our floyt.
From that weirfar and cursyt chevalry
We cachyt ar to syndry costis, far by
Our natyve bundis and ald heritage.
Lo, Menelay, ane of the cheif barnage,
And Atrius son, yclepyt Atrydes,
To Protheus pillaris, bait Pyramydes,
Constrenyt is in exill forto wend;
Vlixes alsso, as full weill is kend,
Bewavyt is wyd quhar our all the see,
So that the Ciclopes of Ethna saw he.
Quhat suld I tell of Neoptolemus,
That other wys to name is hait Pyrrhus,
The hard myschans and tynsell of hys ryng?
Or quhou aganys Idomeneus the kyng
Hys kyndly Goddis and cuntre dyd rebell,
And hym gan of hys natyve realm expell?
Or quhou the Locrys, Aiax Oelyus ost,
Now doys inhabyt the waist Lybyan cost?
Sen he hym self the gret Agamemnon,
The kyng of Myce, and cheif ledar of on
Of all the Grekis ostis in batale,
Ha, schame to say! fowlely befell,
That by the handis of hys awyn wife
The first nycht in hys palyce lost hys lyfe.
And he that venquyst Asya lyis ded;
The sle adultrar occupiis hys sted.
The Goddis eik sa far did me invy,
That in my natyue land neuer sall I spy
My chaist spousage, lyke as befor hes bene,
Ne Calydon my realm of crymys cleyn.
And now alsso, a grisly thyng to se!
Ane selcouth monstre, lo, betyd hes me:
My ferys lost with plumys in the ayr
As thame best lykis ar fleand our al quhar,
Allace of my folkis the vengeabill wraik!
Transformyt in fowlys, wandris by the laik,
And of thar lamentabill and wofull sowndis
The large costis dynnys and redoundis.
Thir myschevys for my trespas and cryme,
I may traist, hes betyd me sen that tyme
That I, witles and so rakles, perfay,
The hevynly bodeis durst with swerd assay,
And with smert wond was our presumptuus
To violat the rycht hand of Venus.
Solist na mar, quod he, persuaid me nocht
That to so dangerus batellis I be brocht.
Eftir the bettyng down of Troys wallys,
With the Tewcranys, quhat chance that euir befallis,
I will na mair debatis mak nor weris;
Nor of our ald stryfe thir hyndir ȝheris,
That so myschews was and bad to se,
May I glaidly remember now, said he.
Tha giftis rych, and mony fair presandis,
Quhilkis ȝe to me hes brocht furth of ȝour landis,
Return and beir onto the Prynce Ene.
Contrar hys keyn dartis ellis stand haue we,
And hand for hand matchit hym in fycht:
Beleif me as expert, quhou stowt and wight
Is he owther in batale place or feld,
And how sternly he rasys vp hys scheild,
Or with quhou gret a thud in the melle
Ane lance towartis hys aduersar thrawys he.
Forthir, he said, I certify ȝou alsua,
That, gif the forsaid grond of Phrygia
Twa othir sik men fosterit had or bred,
The citeis all of Arge mycht sore haue dred,
And the offpryng of Dardan esely
Mycht in our realmys arryvit by and by,
So that Grece suld haue murnyt, euery tovn,
The fatis ald reuersit vp syd dovn.
Alhail the stop, resistans, and delay,
Mayd at Troy wallys, quhil the sege thar lay,
Was by the handis of Hector and Ene;
The Grekis conquyst lang tyme, trastis me,
By thame was styntit, apon sik maner
That it prolongit was quhil the tent ȝer.
Athir of thame in bonte and curage
Excelland war, and full of vassalage;
Athir of thame maist souerane and douchty
In dedis of armys, prowes, and chevalry:
Bot this Ene was first all owt expres
Of reuth, compassioun, and of gentilnes.
Tharfor all sammyn adionys ȝour rycht handis
In ferm allyance of concord, and sik bandis
Be ony wys se ȝhe optene, quod he;
For, gif thai start till armys in melle,
Be war with thame fortill debait, I red.
Maist nobill kyng of kyngis, in this sted
Hys answer hes thou hard, as I haue tald,
And twichand this gret batale quhat he wald.
 

CAP. VII

 
The kyng proponys with Enee to tak pes
Incontrar Turnus; tharto persuadis Drances.
 

 
Scars had the messyngeris thir wordis said,
Quhen all the Latynys, trublyt, full onglaid,
Fra hand to hand quhispyris fast and roundis,
On diuers wys demyng with murmour soundis:
Lyke as the swyft watir stremys cleir
Sum tyme rowtand men on far may heir,
Quhar it is stoppit with thir stanys round,
That of the ryveris brute and brokkyn sound,
Brystand on skelleis our thir demmyt lynnys,
The bankis endlang all the fludis dynnys.
Bot eftir that thar mudis mesyt wer,
Thar waverand wordis stanchit and sik beir,
With reuerens first blyssand the Goddis mycht,
The kyng thus carpys from hys trone on hycht:
O Latyn pepill, forsuyth I wald al gait,
And so had beyn far bettir, weill I wait,
Full lang or now avisyt had we be
Twychand the common weill and materis hie;
And not at sik a poynt, apon this wys,
Our consale to assembill and to avys,
Quhen that our fays and aduersaris ar bown
Forto bysege the wallys of our town.
O citeȝanys, we move and ledis at hand
Ane wer inoportune, quhilk is onganand,
Aganys folkis of Goddis clan discend,
That beyn invincybill, and weill can defend
So that na bargane may thame irk nor tyre;
Nor thocht thai venquyst war, baith man and syre,
May thai desist, ne withdraw the melle.
Gif ony hope or confidens had we
In chevalry of the Etholianys,
Quhilkis in Napillis with Dyomed remanys,
And for thir men of armys thidder send,
Do all sik traste away, and ȝou defend:
Lat euery man in his awyn self haue hope.
But quhou febill sik traste is ȝe may grope,
And eik befor ȝour eyn cleir may ȝe se
In quhou gret perrell and proplexite
All other materis lyis now or standis;
All sic thyngis bene braid amang ȝour handis.
I will accus nor argu now na wight.
All haill the fors or strenth mycht be in sycht
Exercyt was, I wait; sen all the flour
And pyssans of this realm dyd stryve in stour.
Now so it is that I will breifly end,
And in schort wordis mak onto ȝou kend
The dowtsum purpos in my mynd remanys;
Attendans geif, and harkis all at anys.
I haue, besyde Tyber the Tuscane flude,
Ane ald feld onprofitabill and rude,
Far strekand west to the bundis quhar remanys
The Scicyll pepill, quhilkis clepit ar Sycanys:
The folk Auruncane and of Rutuly
This grand sawys full onthriftely,
With scharp plewis and steill sokkis seir
Thai hard hillys hyrstis forto eyr,
And on thir wild holtis harsk alsso
In faynt pastur doith thar bestis go.
All that cuntre and band of hillis hie,
Sa full of rochis pynnakillis, as we se,
Lat it be geif for amyte and concord
To the Troianys, and Eneas thar lord;
Syne offer thame equale trety condyng,
And, as our perys, do call thame in this ryng;
All sammyn lat thame dwell heir by and by,
Gif thai haue sik desyre to Italy,
Do lat thame beld thar cite wallys squar.
Bot gif so be that thai lyst ellis quhar
To othir costis or pepill forto wend,
Thar dwellyng place for ay to apprehend,
And possibill be that of our boundis thai
May so depart, and from thens wend away;
Twys ten schippis lat ws beld agane
Of strang tymmyr and treis Italyane,
And gif thai wald compleit ma in this land,
The stuf lyis all reddy by the strand:
Of thar schippis the numbir and maner
Lat thame command, and we sal furnys heir
The irne graith, the warkmen, and the wrychtis,
And all that to the schippis langis of rychtis.
And forthir eik it lykis me, quod he,
To ber my wordis to this prynce Ene,
And to conferm our frendschip and our pes,
Ane hundreth gay ambassatouris, but les,
Of gretast blude of the Latyn menȝe,
And in thar handis reke furth the peaceable tre;
And bair hym giftis and rewardis large,
Of gold and evoir mony sovm and charge,
The char or sete accordyng for the ryng,
Our rob ryall, ensenȝeys of a kyng.
Avys heiron amangis ȝou for the best,
And help to bryng our febill weill to rest.
Ane Drances tho vpstud, and speke began:
The quhilk Drances was the self man
That, as we said haue laitly heir tofor,
Was rycht molest to Turnus euermor,
Quham the renovn of Turnus and glory
Prikkyt full sor with lurkand hyd envy;
Of moblis rych and plentuus was he,
And maste expert in speche and wordis sle,
Bot of his handis into batale sted
Full cald of curage, dolf as ony led,
And into consalys gevyng he was hald
A man nocht indegest, bot wys and cald;
Bot ane seditioun or a brek to make
Sa masterfull, tharin was nane hys mayk:
The nobill kynrent of hys moderis syde
Maid hym full gret of blude, and full of pryde;
Hys fader was oncertane and onknaw.
And vp he startis in this ilk thraw,
With thir wordis Turnus to ourcharge,
Aggregyng on hym wrath and malyce large:
O douchty kyng, thou axis consale, said he,
Of that mater quhilk, as semys me,
Is nother dyrk nor dowtsum, bot full cleir,
That mysteris not our avicis beyn heir.
The pepill haill grantis that thai wait
Quhat forton schawys, and in quhat estait
Our materis standis; bot thai ar arch to schaw,
Quhispirand amangis thame, thai stand sik aw.
Bot caus hym geif thame liberte to speke,
Do way his bost, at thar breth may outbreke;
I meyn of hym, by quhais onhappy werd,
And fraward thewys, now ded on the erd
Samony cheif chiftanys and dukis lyis:
Forsuyth, I sall say furth all myne avys,
All thocht with brag and bost, or wapynnys, he
Me doith await, and mannans forto de:
For by hys dedis may we se expres
Thys cite haly plungit in distres,
Quhillys that he has maid hym to assay
The Troianys strenth, and stall sa sone away,
Havand assurans to withdraw and fle,
And into armys dois bost the hevynnys hie.
Bot, O thou all thar best and riall kyng,
To all thir gyftis ekis bot a thyng;
Onto thir presandis, and wys wordis seir,
That to Troianys thou has byd say and beir,
Ekis a gift, and lat neuer demyt be
The bustuusness of ony may dant the,
Bot that thi douchter, O thou fader gude,
Onto ȝon worthy prynce of gentill blude
Be gevyn, tobe thy son in law, I wys,
As he that worthy sik a wedlok is;
And knyt vp paix, but mor disseuerans,
With that eternall band of allyans.
And gif sa gret raddour or dreid haue we
Within our myndis or our breistis, quod he,
That, for Turnus, we dar nocht do sik thyng;
Than lat ws for the weilfar of this ryng
Beseik hym tharfor, and with haill entent
Require hym at he wald grant hys consent,
So that the kyng, at hys fre volunte,
Mycht oys and do hys proper dewyte,
And, for the weill publik of this land,
Desyre that he na wys tharto ganestand.
O Turnus, hed and causar verraly
Of thir myschevis gret in Italy,
Quharto sa feill sys in playn perrellis now
Thir sylly wrachit citeȝanys warpis thou?
Nane hoip of weilfar haue we in this wer:
For paix halely we all the requer,
Togiddyr with Lavinia the schene may,
Quhilk is the pand or plege, this dar I say,
Of paix tobe kepit inviolate.
And I forsuyth, quhilk, as be thy consait,
Thou fenys thyne evill willar forto be,
And for the common weill, sa mot I thee,
So forto cum I refus nocht, gud broder,
Bot lo me heir, now formest of all other
Humylly the besekyng: I requer,
Haue mercy, lord, of thyne awyn frendis deir,
Lat be thy stowt mynd, go thy way but lak,
With ane mair strang rebute and dryve abak.
Ded corpsis bet down enew haue we seyn,
Our large feldis and boundis all betweyn
Left desolate and waist of induelleris.
Bot gif thy fame and gret renown the steris,
Gyf in thy breist sa hie curage and mycht
Thou has consauyt, thynkand the sa wight,
And gif that on sik wys this hald ryall
Suldbe thy dowry and rych gyft dotall
Thou berys in hart, and is to the sa deir;
Do vndyrtake this thyng, and end the weir:
Addres thy body baldly, and not spayr
Forto recontyr alone thyne aduersar,
To that entent, that Turnus all hys lyfe
May weld the kyngis douchter to hys wyfe;
So that we, dolf of curage as the led,
Be not doun strowit in the feildis ded,
In cumpaneis onberyit or bewalyt.
Bot thou, that has in feild sa feil assalyt,
Gyf ony strenth thou has or hardyment,
Or marciall prowes steryng thyne entent
For thy cuntre; aganyst the, for hys rycht,
Behald thy fa prouocand the to fyght,
Ȝondir all reddy to mak hys party gude:
Delay no mor, bot manfully go to it.
 

CAP. VIII

 
Turnus, at Drances speche commovit sair,
Rycht subtelly allegis the contrar.
 

 
The fers mude of Turnus, this bald syre,
At sik sawys kyndillyt hait as fyre;
Sychand rycht sor deip in hys breist onon,
Thir wordis pronuncis with a petuus grone:
Drances, said he, forsuyth euer hes thou beyn
Large and to mekill of spech, as weil is seyn
Now, quhen the batale desyris wark at hand:
The consale syttand, first thou doys vpstand.
Bot not with wordis suld the cowrt be fillyt,
Set thou be gret tharin, and ful evill willyt,
With haltand wordis fleand from the heir,
Quhen thou assouerit art of al danger,
So lang as that our strenthy wallys gude
Our ennemys debarrit doith exclude,
Or quhil the fowceis of our forteres
Rynnys not our of bludy spait, I ges.
Tharfor trump vp, blaw forth thyne eloquens,
As thou was wont to do, mak thy defens:
Bot than thou may, Drances, be myne avice,
Me to reproch of feir and cowardyce,
Quhen that thi rycht hand into batale sted
Sa mony hepis of Troianys hes laid ded,
And quhen thou takynnyt hes so worthely
With syng tropheall the feildis, as haue I.
Full eith it is fortill assay, and se
Quhat may our sprety fors in the melle;
And, as full weill is knawyn to ws eik,
Our fais beyn not far from hens to seik,
Bot plant about the wallis of our town:
Aganyst thame go mak ws reddy bown.
Quhy duellys thou and tareis thus al day?
Quhidder gif thy marcial dedis, as thai war ay,
Into thy wyndy clattrand tung salbe,
And in tha cowart feit, euir wont to fle?
Says thou I was repulsyt and dryve away?
O maist onworthy wight, quha can that say?
Or me justly reprochyng of syk lak,
That I rebutyt was or dung abak,
By me quhen thou behald mycht Tyber flude
Boldyn and ryn on spait with Troian blude,
And all the famyll of Evander kyng
Brocht onto grond alhail and his ofspryng;
And the Archadis, confundyt and ourset,
With mony ma in armys I doun bet?
The grysly Bytias, and Pandarus his brother,
Thai ar expert gif I fled one or other,
And eik thai thousand sawlys on a day
As victor I to hell send hyne away,
Quhen that I was inclusyt at distres
Amyd myne ennemys wallis and forteres.
Thou says, in weir na hoip is of weilfare:
O wytles wyght! pronunce that, and declare
Sik chance betyd ȝon Dardan capitane,
And spa sik thyng onto thy dedis ilkane.
And forthir eik, sen thou art mad becum,
Ces not forto perturbill all and sum,
And with thy felloun raddour thame to fley;
The febill myghtis of ȝon pepill sey,
Into batale twys venquyst schamefully,
Spare not fortill extoll and magnyfy;
And, be the contrar, the pissans of Latyn kyng
Do set at nocht, bot lychtly, and down thryng.
Now the nobill Myrmydon capitanys
Quakis in armys for feir of the Troianys,
And now Tedeus son Diomedes
Agast is, and Larissyane Achilles:
And Aufidus, the swyft flowand ryver,
Rynnys contyrmont frawart the sey for feir.
And quhill alsso this ilk schrewit wight,
That is controvar of mony wykkyt slycht,
Fenȝeis hym sleyt or abasyt tobe,
That he dar not chide furth incontrar me,
Than with hys dreid and sle controvit feir
My cryme aggregis he on hys maner.
Desist, Drances, be not abasyt, I pray,
For thou sal neuer los, schortly I the say,
By my wapyn nor this rycht hand of myne,
Sik ane pevych and catyve saule as thyne:
Nay; lat it duell with the, as best may gane,
Within that wrachit corps, and thar remane.
Now, O thou gret fader and prynce souerane,
To the and thy consale I turn agane.
Gyf thou list no thyng trasting nor affy
Into our armys nor our chevalry;
Gyf that we be of help all desolate,
And hail at vnder into this last debait,
Distroyt for ay, and na help may mak,
For that our ost was anys drevyn abak,
And forton hes na return ne regres;
Lat ws beseik for paix at sik distres,
Mak hym request to rew apon our harmys,
And reke hym furth our ryght hand bair of armys.
Quhoubeit, O! wald God, in this extreme neid
That ony thyng of curage or manheid
Remanyt, as was wont with ws tobe:
Abuse the laif thame worthy thinkis me,
Maist fortunat in fatys marcyall,
And excellent in hie curage our all,
Quhilk wilfully, as that thame selvyn wald,
At thai ne suldyn sik myscheif behald,
Fell ded to grond by fatale happy werd,
And with thar mowth anys bait the erd.
Bot gif we haue ryches and moblys seir,
And nevir assayt ȝit fresch ȝong power,
And, in our helpyng, of Italianys
Citeis and pepillys habundis and remanys;
Or gif that also to the Troiane syde,
With effusioun of blude and wondis wyde,
This victory betyd is; trastis me,
Thai haue als feill ded corpsis as haue we:
Gyf this tempestuus trake of the batale
On baith the halfis is all owt equale,
Quhy failȝe we so schaymfully our mycht
Into the first entre of the fycht?
Quhy quakis thus our membris vp and dovn,
Befor the bludy blast and trumpis sovn?
For tyme, feill sys, and eik the variant chance
Of our onstabill lyfe hung in ballance,
Reducit hes full mony onlykly thyng
To bettir fyne than was thar begynnyng;
And fortoun interchangabill with blenkis quent
Full mony ane dissauyt hes and schent,
Syne eftir in a thraw, this weill I wait,
Restoryt thame agane to thar ferm stait.
I put the cace, set the Etholianys,
With Dyomed and the pepill Arpanys,
Lyst not cum in our helpyng nor suple;
Ȝit than the bald Mesapus weill wylbe,
And the happy Tolumnyus alsso,
With all tha other dukis mony mo
That fra so feill pepillys beyn hydder sent:
And na litill renown, be myne entent,
Followys the chosyn folkis of Italy,
Nor thame that duellis in Lawrent feildis heirby.
Haue we not eik the stalwart Camylla,
Of the famyll and kynrent of Volsca,
Ledand thir armyt ostis and stern feildis,
In byrnyst plait arrayt and schynand scheldis?
Bot gyf the Troiane pepill, euery ane,
Desyris me to feght in feild allane,
Gif that be plesand onto the, schir kyng,
And I sa far, eftir Drances menyng,
Gaynstandis the common weill; into that cace,
That schame sal nevir betyd me in na place:
For victory me hatis not, dar I say,
Nor lyst syk wys withdraw thir handis twa,
That I refus suld to assay ony thyng
Quhilk mycht sa gret beleif of weil inbryng.
With stowt curage agane hym wend I will,
Thocht he in prowes pas the gret Achill,
Or set in cace sik armour he weris as he,
Wrocht by the handis of God Vulcanus sle.
To ȝou, and kyng Latyn my fader in law,
I Turnus heir, quham full weill ȝe knaw
No thyng behynd, nor tobe reput les,
To nane of all our eldris in prowes,
This saul and life, the quhilk sa weil I lufe,
Doith promys and awowis for ȝour behufe.
Thai say, allone me challancis Ene;
And I beseik gret God he challance me:
Ne byd I not that Drances deir aby
Ocht with hys deth, quhar that apposit am I;
Nor, quhidder this turn to Goddis wrethfull wraik,
Or hardyment and honour, we ondertake,
Na thing at all tharof salbe his part;
The chans is myne, I will it not astart.