Orlando Furioso Canto 1 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCDCDEE FGFGFGHH IJIJIJKK LMLMLMNN OCPCOCJJ MMQMQMLL MEMEMEMM CMCMCMCC M M MRR CMMMMMMSS CKMKMKMPP CCMCMCMCC CMMMMMMRR CMMMMMMTT MMMMMMMM UCUCUCVV MWMWMWMM C C CCC AKAKAKMM CVMSMSMMM CTMTMTM| CANTO | A |
| - | |
| ARGUMENT | B |
| Angelica whom pressing danger frights | C |
| Flies in disorder through the greenwood shade | D |
| Rinaldo's horse escapes he following fights | C |
| Ferrau the Spaniard in a forest glade | D |
| A second oath the haughty paynim plights | C |
| And keeps it better than the first he made | D |
| King Sacripant regains his long lost treasure | E |
| But good Rinaldo mars his promised pleasure | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| I | - |
| OF LOVES and LADIES KNIGHTS and ARMS I sing | F |
| Of COURTESIES and many a DARING FEAT | G |
| And from those ancient days my story bring | F |
| When Moors from Afric passed in hostile fleet | G |
| And ravaged France with Agramant their king | F |
| Flushed with his youthful rage and furious heat | G |
| Who on king Charles' the Roman emperor's head | H |
| Had vowed due vengeance for Troyano dead | H |
| - | |
| II | - |
| In the same strain of Roland will I tell | I |
| Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme | J |
| On whom strange madness and rank fury fell | I |
| A man esteemed so wise in former time | J |
| If she who to like cruel pass has well | I |
| Nigh brought my feeble wit which fain would climb | J |
| And hourly wastes my sense concede me skill | K |
| And strength my daring promise to fulfil | K |
| - | |
| III | - |
| Good seed of Hercules give ear and deign | L |
| Thou that this age's grace and splendour art | M |
| Hippolitus to smile upon his pain | L |
| Who tenders what he has with humble heart | M |
| For though all hope to quit the score were vain | L |
| My pen and pages may pay the debt in part | M |
| Then with no jealous eye my offering scan | N |
| Nor scorn my gifts who give thee all I can | N |
| - | |
| IV | - |
| And me amid the worthiest shalt thou hear | O |
| Whom I with fitting praise prepare to grace | C |
| Record the good Rogero valiant peer | P |
| The ancient root of thine illustrious race | C |
| Of him if thou wilt lend a willing ear | O |
| The worth and warlike feats I shall retrace | C |
| So thou thy graver cares some little time | J |
| Postponing lend thy leisure to my rhyme | J |
| - | |
| V | - |
| Roland who long the lady of Catay | M |
| Angelica had loved and with his brand | M |
| Raised countless trophies to that damsel gay | Q |
| In India Median and Tartarian land | M |
| Westward with her had measured back his way | Q |
| Where nigh the Pyrenees with many a band | M |
| Of Germany and France King Charlemagne | L |
| Had camped his faithful host upon the plain | L |
| - | |
| VI | - |
| To make King Agramant for penance smite | M |
| His cheek and rash Marsilius rue the hour | E |
| This when all trained with lance and sword to fight | M |
| He led from Africa to swell his power | E |
| That other when he pushed in fell despite | M |
| Against the realm of France Spain's martial flower | E |
| 'Twas thus Orlando came where Charles was tented | M |
| In evil hour and soon the deed repented | M |
| - | |
| VII | - |
| For here was seized his dame of peerless charms | C |
| How often human judgment wanders wide | M |
| Whom in long warfare he had kept from harms | C |
| From western climes to eastern shores her guide | M |
| In his own land 'mid friends and kindred arms | C |
| Now without contest severed from his side | M |
| Fearing the mischief kindled by her eyes | C |
| From him the prudent emperor reft the prize | C |
| - | |
| VIII | - |
| For bold Orlando and his cousin free | - |
| Rinaldo late contended for the maid | M |
| Enamored of that beauty rare since she | - |
| Alike the glowing breast of either swayed | M |
| But Charles who little liked such rivalry | - |
| And drew an omen thence of feebler aid | M |
| To abate the cause of quarrel seized the fair | R |
| And placed her in Bavarian Namus' care | R |
| - | |
| IX | C |
| Vowing with her the warrior to content | M |
| Who in that conflict on that fatal day | M |
| With his good hand most gainful succour lent | M |
| And slew most paynims in the martial fray | M |
| But counter to his hopes the battle went | M |
| And his thinned squadrons fled in disarray | M |
| Namus with other Christian captains taken | S |
| And his pavilion in the rout forsaken | S |
| - | |
| X | C |
| There lodged by Charles that gentle bonnibel | K |
| Ordained to be the valiant victor's meed | M |
| Before the event had sprung into her sell | K |
| And from the combat turned in time of need | M |
| Presaging wisely Fortune would rebel | K |
| That fatal day against the Christian creed | M |
| And entering a thick wood discovered near | P |
| In a close path a horseless cavalier | P |
| - | |
| XI | C |
| With shield upon his arm in knightly wise | C |
| Belted and mailed his helmet on his head | M |
| The knight more lightly through the forest hies | C |
| Than half clothed churl to win the cloth of red | M |
| But not from cruel snake more swiftly flies | C |
| The timid shepherdess with startled tread | M |
| Than poor Angelica the bridle turns | C |
| When she the approaching knight on foot discerns | C |
| - | |
| XII | C |
| This was that Paladin good Aymon's seed | M |
| Who Mount Albano had in his command | M |
| And late Baiardo lost his gallant steed | M |
| Escaped by strange adventure from his hand | M |
| As soon as seen the maid who rode at speed | M |
| The warrior knew and while yet distant scanned | M |
| The angelic features and the gentle air | R |
| Which long had held him fast in Cupid's snare | R |
| - | |
| XIII | C |
| The affrighted damsel turns her palfrey round | M |
| And shakes the floating bridle in the wind | M |
| Nor in her panic seeks to choose her ground | M |
| Nor open grove prefers to thicket blind | M |
| But reckless pale and trembling and astound | M |
| Leaves to her horse the devious way to find | M |
| He up and down the forest bore the dame | T |
| Till to a sylvan river's bank he came | T |
| - | |
| XIV | - |
| Here stood the fierce Ferrau in grisly plight | M |
| Begrimed with dust and bathed with sweat and blood | M |
| Who lately had withdrawn him from the fight | M |
| To rest and drink at that refreshing flood | M |
| But there had tarried in his own despite | M |
| Since bending from the bank in hasty mood | M |
| He dropped his helmet in the crystal tide | M |
| And vainly to regain the treasure tried | M |
| - | |
| XV | - |
| Thither at speed she drives and evermore | U |
| In her wild panic utters fearful cries | C |
| And at the voice upleaping on the shore | U |
| The Saracen her lovely visage spies | C |
| And pale as is her cheek and troubled sore | U |
| Arriving quickly to the warrior's eyes | C |
| Though many days no news of her had shown | V |
| The beautiful Angelica is known | V |
| - | |
| XVI | - |
| Courteous and haply gifted with a breast | M |
| As warm as either of the cousins two | W |
| As bold as if his brows in steel were dressed | M |
| The succour which she sought he lent and drew | W |
| His faulchion and against Rinaldo pressed | M |
| Who saw with little fear the champion true | W |
| Not only each to each was known by sight | M |
| But each had proved in arms his foeman's might | M |
| - | |
| XVII | - |
| Thus as they are on foot the warriors vie | - |
| In cruel strife and blade to blade oppose | C |
| No marvel plate or brittle mail should fly | - |
| When anvils had not stood the deafening blows | C |
| It now behoves the palfrey swift to ply | - |
| His feet for while the knights in combat close | C |
| Him vexed to utmost speed with goading spurs | C |
| By waste or wood the frighted damsel stirs | C |
| - | |
| XVIII | - |
| After the two had struggled long to throw | A |
| Each other in the strife and vainly still | K |
| Since neither valiant warrior was below | A |
| His opposite in force and knightly skill | K |
| The first to parley with his Spanish foe | A |
| Was the good master of Albano's hill | K |
| As one within whose raging breast was pent | M |
| A reckless fire which struggled for a vent | M |
| - | |
| XIX | C |
| Thou think'st he said to injure me alone | V |
| But know thou wilt thyself as much molest | M |
| For if we fight because yon rising sun | S |
| This raging heat has kindled in thy breast | M |
| What were thy gain and what the guerdon won | S |
| Though I should yield my life or stoop my crest | M |
| If she shall never be thy glorious meed | M |
| Who flies while vainly we in battle bleed | M |
| - | |
| XX | C |
| Then how much better since our stake's the same | T |
| Thou loving like myself should'st mount and stay | M |
| To wait this battle's end the lovely dame | T |
| Before she fly yet further on her way | M |
| The lady taken we repeat our claim | T |
| With naked faulchion to t | M |
Ludovico Ariosto
(1)
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About Orlando Furioso Canto 1
Orlando Furioso Canto 1 is a poem by Ludovico Ariosto. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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