Orlando Furioso Canto 17 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAA BCBCBCAA ADADADEE FAFAFAAA A A D G DHH A A A AA AA A A AI I I JJ A K K KAA AL M A NN M M MAA F OAOAAA ABA APP A A A A F F FAA A A A A A A QARGUMENT | A |
Charles goes with his against King Rodomont | A |
Gryphon in Norandino's tournament | A |
Does mighty deeds Martano turns his front | A |
Showing how recreant is his natural bent | A |
And next on Gryphon to bring down affront | A |
Stole from the knight the arms in which he went | A |
Hence by the kindly monarch much esteemed | A |
And Gryphon scorned whom he Martano deemed | A |
- | |
I | - |
God outraged by our rank iniquity | A |
Whenever crimes have past remission's bound | A |
That mercy may with justice mingled be | A |
Has monstrous and destructive tyrants crowned | A |
And gifted them with force and subtlety | A |
A sinful world to punish and confound | A |
Marius and Sylla to this end were nursed | A |
Rome with two Neros and a Caius cursed | A |
- | |
II | - |
Domitian and the latter Antonine | B |
And lifted from the lowest rabble's lees | C |
To imperial place and puissance Maximine | B |
Hence Thebes to cruel Creon bent her knees | C |
Mezentius ruled the subject Agiline | B |
Fattening his fields with blood To pests like these | C |
Our Italy was given in later day | A |
To Lombard Goth and Hun a bleeding prey | A |
- | |
III | - |
What shall I of fierce Attila what say | A |
Of wicked Ezzeline and hundreds more | D |
Whom because men still trod the crooked way | A |
God sent them for their pain and torment sore | D |
Of this ourselves have made a clear assay | A |
As well as those who lived in days of yore | D |
Consigned to ravening wolves ordained to keep | E |
Us his ill nurturing and unuseful sheep | E |
- | |
IV | - |
Who as if having more than served to fill | F |
Their hungry maw invite from foreign wood | A |
Beyond the mountain wolves of greedier will | F |
With them to be partakers of their food | A |
The bones which Thrasymene and Trebbia fill | F |
And Cannae seem but few to what are strewed | A |
On fattened field and bank where on their way | A |
Adda and Mella Ronco and Tarro stray | A |
- | |
V | - |
Now God permits that we should feel the spite | A |
Of people who are haply worse than we | - |
For errors multiplied and infinite | A |
And foul and pestilent iniquity | - |
The time will come we may such ill requite | - |
Upon their shores if we shall better be | - |
And their transgressions ever prove above | - |
The long endurance of AETERNAL LOVE | - |
- | |
VI | - |
The Christian people then God's placid front | - |
Must have disturbed with their excesses sore | D |
Since them with slaughter rape and rapine hunt | - |
Through all their quarters plundering Turk and Moor | G |
But the unsparing rage of Rodomont | - |
Proves worse than all the ills endured before | D |
I said that Charlemagne had made repair | H |
In search of him towards the city square | H |
- | |
VII | - |
Charles by the way his people's butchery | - |
Beholds burnt palaces and ruined fanes | A |
And sees large portion of the city lie | - |
In unexampled wreck 'Ye coward trains | A |
Whither in heartless panic would ye fly | - |
Will none his loss contemplate what remains | A |
To you what place of refuge say is left | - |
If this from you so shamefully be reft | - |
- | |
VIII | - |
'Then shall one man alone a prisoned foe | - |
Who cannot scale the walls which round him spread | - |
Unscathed unquestioned from your city go | - |
When all are by his vengeful arm laid dead ' | - |
Thus Charlemagne whose veins with anger glow | - |
And shame too strong to brook in fury said | - |
And to the spacious square made good his way | A |
Where he beheld the foe his people slay | A |
- | |
IX | A |
Thither large portion of the populace | A |
Climbing the palace roof had made resort | - |
For strongly walled and furnished was the place | A |
With ammunition for their long support | - |
Rodomont mad with pride had in his chace | A |
Of the scared burghers singly cleared the court | - |
He with one daring hand which scorned the world | - |
Brandished the sword his other wildfire hurled | - |
- | |
X | A |
And smote and thundered 'mid a fearful shower | I |
At the sublime and royal house's gate | - |
To their life's peril crumbling roof and tower | I |
Is tost by them that on the summit wait | - |
Nor any fears to ruin hall or bower | I |
But wood and stone endure one common fate | - |
And marbled column slab and gilded beam | J |
By sire and grandsire held in high esteem | J |
- | |
XI | A |
Rodomont stands before the portal bright | - |
With steel his head and bust secured in mail | K |
Like to a serpent issued into light | - |
Having cast off his slough diseased and stale | K |
Who more than ever joying in his might | - |
Renewed in youth and proud of polished scale | K |
Darts his three tongues fire flashing from his eyes | A |
While every frighted beast before him flies | A |
- | |
XII | A |
Nor bulwark stone nor arbalest nor bow | L |
Nor what upon the paynim smote beside | - |
Sufficed to arrest the sanguinary foe | - |
Who broke and hewed and shook that portal wide | - |
And in his fury let such day light through | M |
'Twas easy to espy and might be spied | - |
In visages o'ercast in death like sort | - |
That full of people was the palace court | - |
- | |
XIII | A |
Through those fair chambers echoed shouts of dread | - |
And feminine lament from dame distrest | - |
And grieving through the house pale women fled | - |
Who wept afflicted sore and beat their breast | - |
And hugged the door post and the genial bed | - |
Too soon to be by stranger lords possest | - |
The matter in this state of peril hung | N |
When thither came the king his peers among | N |
- | |
XIV | - |
Charles turned him round to these of vigorous hand | - |
Whom he had found in former peril true | M |
'Are you not those that erst with me did stand | - |
'Gainst Agolant in Aspramont In you | M |
Is vigour now so spent he said the band | - |
Who him Troyano and Almontes slew | M |
With hundreds more that you now fear to face | A |
One of that very blood that very race | A |
- | |
XV | - |
'Why should I now in contest with the foe | - |
Less strength in you behold than them Your might | - |
Upon this hound pursued the monarch show | - |
This hound who preys on man A generous sprite | - |
The thought of death approach he fast or slow | - |
So that he dies but well holds cheap and light | - |
But where you are I doubt my fortune ill | F |
For by your succour have I conquered still ' | - |
- | |
XVI | - |
This said he spurred his courser couched his spear | O |
And charged the paynim nor of life less free | A |
Sir Ogier joined the king in his career | O |
Namus and Oliver and with the three | A |
Avino Avolio Otho and Berlinghier | A |
For one without the rest I never see | A |
And on the bosom flanks and on the front | - |
All smote together at King Rodomont | - |
- | |
XVII | - |
But let us sir for love of Heaven forego | - |
Of anger and of death the noisome lore | A |
And be it deemed that I have said enow | B |
For this while of that Saracen not more | A |
Cruel than strong 'tis time in trace to go | - |
Of Gryphon left with Origille before | A |
Damascus' gate and him who with her came | P |
The adulterer not the brother of the dame | P |
- | |
XVIII | - |
Of all the cities under eastern skies | A |
Most wealthy populous and fairly dight | - |
'Tis said Damascus is which distant lies | A |
From Salem seven days' journey its fair site | - |
A fertile plain abundant fruits supplies | A |
Winter and summer sojourn of delight | - |
Shading the city from the dawning day | - |
A mountain intercepts its early ray | - |
- | |
XIX | A |
Two crystal streams the wealthy city scower | - |
Whose currents parted into many a rill | F |
Infinite gardens never bare of flower | - |
Or stript of leaf with grateful murmur fill | F |
'Tis said the perfumed waters are of power | - |
So plenteously they swell to turn a mill | F |
And that whoever wander through the streets | A |
Scent issuing from each home a cloud of sweets | A |
- | |
XX | A |
Then the high street gay signs of triumph wore | - |
Covered with showy cloths of different dye | - |
Which deck the walls while sylvan leaves in store | - |
And scented herbs upon the pavement lie | - |
Adorned is every window every door | - |
With carpeting and finest drapery | - |
But more with ladies fair and richly drest | - |
In costly jewels and in gorgeous vest | - |
- | |
XXI | A |
Within the city gates in frolic sport | - |
Many are seen to ply the festive dance | A |
And here the burghers of the better sort | - |
Upon their gay and well trapt coursers prance | A |
A fairer show remains the sumptuous court | - |
Of barons bold and vassals who advance | A |
Garnished with what could be procured of ore | - |
And pearl from Ind and Erythraean shore | - |
- | |
XXII | A |
Forward Sir Gryphon pricked with his array | - |
Surveying | Q |
Ludovico Ariosto
(1)
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