Orlando Furioso Canto 16 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCBCDD BEFEFEF G BHIHIHIC BFJFJFJKK BLGLGLGMM BHNONHNPP BQPQPQPLL BOPOPOPPP BCKCKCKRR LIOIOIOLL LPPBPBPPP BPPPPPPPP BBPBPBPP BBBBBBBII POPOPOPBB POBOBOBBB PBOBOBOBB PBIBIBIOO POSOSOSBB BOTOTOTII BBCBCBCBB BUBVBUBPP BPBPP

ARGUMENTA
Gryphon finds traitorous Origilla nighB
Damascus city with Martano vileC
Slaughtered the Saracens and Christians lieB
By thousands and by thousands heaped this whileC
And if the Moor outside of Paris dieB
Within the Sarzan so destroys each pileC
Such slaughter deals that greater ill than thisD
Never before has been exprest I wissD
-
IB
Love's penalties are manifold and dreadE
Of which I have endured the greater partF
And to my cost in these so well am readE
That I can speak of them as 'twere my artF
Hence if I say or if I ever saidE
Did speech or living page my thoughts impartF
'One ill is grievous and another light '-
Yield me belief and deem my judgment rightG
-
IIB
I say I said and while I live will sayH
'He who is fettered by a worthy chainI
Though his desire his lady should gainsayH
And every way averse his suit disdainI
Though Love deprive him of all praised payH
After long time and trouble spent in vainI
He if his heart be placed well worthilyC
Needs not lament though he should waste and die '-
-
IIIB
Let him lament who plays a slavish partF
Whom two bright eyes and lovely tresses pleaseJ
Beneath which beauties lurks a wanton heartF
With little that is pure and much of leesJ
The wretch would fly but bears in him a dartF
Like wounded stag whichever way he fleesJ
Dares not confess yet cannot quench his flameK
And of himself and worthless love has shameK
-
IVB
The youthful Gryphon finds him in this caseL
Who sees the error which he cannot rightG
He sees how vilely he his heart does placeL
On faithless Origille his vain delightG
Yet evil use doth sovereign reason chaseL
And free will is subdued by appetiteG
Though a foul mind the lady's actions speakM
Her wheresoe'er she is must Gryphon seekM
-
VB
Resuming the fair history I sayH
Out of the city he in secret rodeN
Nor to his brother would his plan bewrayO
Who oft on him had vain reproof bestowedN
But to the left t'wards Ramah shaped his wayH
By the most level and most easy roadN
Him six days' journey to Damascus broughtP
Whence setting out anew he Antioch soughtP
-
VIB
He nigh Damascus met the lover whoQ
Perfidious Origilla's heart possestP
And matched in evil customs were the twoQ
Like stalk and flower for that in either's breastP
Was lodged a fickle heart the dame untrueQ
And he a traitor whom she loved the bestP
While both the lovers hid their nature baseL
To others' cost beneath a courteous faceL
-
VIIB
As I relate to you the cavalierO
Came on huge courser trapped with mickle prideP
With faithless Origille in gorgeous gearO
With gold embroidered and with azure dyedP
Two ready knaves who serve the warrior rearO
The knightly helm and buckler at his sideP
As one who with fair pomp and semblance wentP
Towards Damascus to a tournamentP
-
VIIIB
Damascus' king a splendid festivalC
Had in these days bid solemnly proclaimK
And with what pomp they could upon his callC
Thither in shining arms the champions cameK
At Gryphon's sight the harlot's spirits fallC
Who fears that he will work her scathe and shameK
And knows her lover has not force and breathR
To save her from Sir Gryphon threatening deathR
-
IXL
But like most cunning and audacious queanI
Although she quakes from head to foot with fearO
Her voice so strengthens and so shapes her mienI
That in her face no signs of dread appearO
Having already made her leman weenI
The trick devised she feigns a joyous cheerO
Towards Sir Gryphon goes and for long spaceL
Hangs on his neck fast locked in her embraceL
-
XL
She after suiting with much suavityP
The action to the word sore weeping criedP
'Dear lord is this the guerdon due to meB
For love and worship that I should abideP
Alone one live long year deprived of theeB
A second near and yet upon thy sideP
No grief and had I borne for thee to stayP
I know not if I should have seen that dayP
-
XIB
'When I from Nicosia thee expectedP
When thou wast journeying to the plenar courtP
To cheer me left with fever sore infectedP
And in the dread of death I heard reportP
That thou wast gone to Syria and dejectedP
By that ill tiding suffered in such sortP
I all unable to pursue thy questP
Had nigh with this right hand transfixt my breastP
-
XIIB
'But fortune by her double bounty showsB
She guards me more than thou me to conveyP
She sent my brother here who with me goesB
My honour safe in his protecting stayP
And this encounter with thee now bestowsB
Which I above all other blessings weighP
And in good time for hadst thou longer stayedP
My lord I should have died of hope delayed '-
-
XIIIB
The wicked woman full of subtletyB
Worse than a fox in crafty hardihoodB
Pursues and so well shapes her historyB
She wholly throws the blame on Gryphon goodB
Makes him believe that other not to beB
Her kin alone but of her flesh and bloodB
Got by one father and so puts uponI
The knight that he less credits Luke and JohnI
-
XIVP
Nor he the fraud of her more false than fairO
Only forbore with just reproach to payP
Nor only did the threatened stranger spareO
Who was the lover of that lady gayP
But deemed to excuse himself sufficient wereO
Turning some portion of the blame awayP
And as the real brother she profestB
Unceasingly the lady's knight carestB
-
XVP
And to Damascus with the cavalierO
Returned who to Sir Gryphon made reportB
That Syria's wealthy king with sumptuous cheerO
Within that place would hold a splendid courtB
And who baptized or infidel appearO
There at his tourney of whatever sortB
Within the city and without assuresB
From wrong for all the time the feast enduresB
-
XVIP
Yet I of Origilla's treacheryB
Shall not so steadfastly pursue the loreO
Who famed not for one single perfidyB
Thousands and thousands had betrayed beforeO
But that I will return again to seeB
Two hundred thousand wretched men or moreO
Burnt by the raging wild fire where they spreadB
About the walls of Paris scathe and dreadB
-
XVIIP
I left you where king Agramant preparedB
To storm a gate and to the assault was goneI
This he had hoped to find without a guardB
And work elsewhere to bar the way was noneI
For there in person Charles kept watch and wardB
With many practised warriors every oneI
Two Angelines two Guidos AngelierO
Avino Avolio Otho and BerlinghierO
-
XVIIIP
One and the other host its worth beforeO
Charles and king Agramant desire to showS
Where praise where riches are they think in storeO
For those that do their duty on the foeS
But such were not the atchievements of the MoorO
As to repair the loss for to his woeS
Full many a Saracen the champaign prestB
Whose folly was a beacon to the restB
-
XIXB
The frequent darts a storm of hail appearO
Which from the city wall the Christians flingT
The deafening clamours put the heavens in fearO
Which from our part and from that other ringT
But Charles and Agramant must wait for hereO
I of the Mars of Africa will singT
King Rodomont that fierce and fearful manI
That through the middle of the city ranI
-
XXB
I know not sir if you the adventure dreadB
Of that so daring Moor to mind recallC
The leader who had left his people deadB
Between the second work and outer wallC
Upon those limbs the ravening fire so fedB
Was never sight more sad I told withalC
How vaulting o'er that hindrance at a boundB
He cleared the moat which girt the city roundB
-
XXIB
When he was known the thickening crowd amongU
By the strange arms he wore and scaly hideB
There where the aged sires and feebler throngV
Listened to each new tale on every sideB
Heaven high groan moan and lamentation rungU
And loud they beat their lifted palms and criedB
While those who had the strength to fly aloofP
Sought safety not from house or temple's roofP
-
XXIIB
But this the cruel sword concedes to fewP
So brandished by that Saracen robustB
And here with half a leg dissevered flewP
A foP

Ludovico Ariosto



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