Orlando Furioso Canto 20 Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Ludovico Ariosto

Orlando Furioso Canto 20 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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ARGUMENT	A
Guido and his from that foul haunt retire	B
While all Astolpho chases with his horn	C
Who to all quarters of the town sets fire	D
Then roving singly round the world is borne	C
Marphisa for Gabrina's cause in ire	B
Puts upon young Zerbino scathe and scorn	C
And makes him guardian of Gabrina fell	E
From whom he first learns news of Isabel	E
	-
I	-
Great fears the women of antiquity	F
In arms and hallowed arts as well have done	G
And of their worthy works the memory	F
And lustre through this ample world has shone	H
Praised is Camilla with Harpalice	I
For the fair course which they in battle run	G
Corinna and Sappho famous for their lore	J
Shine two illustrious light to set no more	J
	-
II	-
Women have reached the pinnacle of glory	F
In every art by them professed well seen	K
And whosoever turns the leaf of story	F
Finds record of them neither dim nor mean	K
The evil influence will be transitory	F
If long deprived of such the world had been	L
And envious men and those that never knew	M
Their worth have haply hid their honours due	M
	-
III	-
To me it plainly seems in this our age	N
Of women such is the celebrity	F
That it may furnish matter to the page	N
Whence this dispersed to future years shall be	F
And you ye evil tongues which foully rage	N
Be tied to your eternal infamy	F
And women's praises so resplendent show	O
They shall by much Marphisa's worth outgo	O
	-
IV	-
To her returning yet again the dame	P
To him who showed to her such courteous lore	J
Refused not to disclose her martial name	P
Since he agreed to tell the style be bore	J
She quickly satisfied the warrior's claim	P
To learn his title she desired so sore	J
'I am Marphisa ' the virago cried	Q
All else was known as bruited far and wide	Q
	-
V	-
The other since 'twas his to speak begun	G
With longer preamble 'Amid your train	R
Sirs it is my belief that there is none	G
But has heard mention of my race and strain	R
Not Pontus Aethiopia Ind alone	H
With all their neighbouring realms but France and Spain	R
Wot well of Clermont from whose loins the knight	S
Issued who killed Almontes bold in fight	S
	-
VI	-
'And Chiareillo and Mambrino slew	M
And sacked the realm whose royal crown they wore	J
Come of this blood where Danube's waters through	M
Eight horns or ten to meet the Euxine pour	J
Me to the far renowned Duke Aymon who	M
Thither a stranger roved my mother bore	J
And 'tis a twelvemonth now since her in quest	T
Of my French kin I left with grief opprest	T
	-
VII	-
'But reached not France for southern tempest's spite	T
Impelled me hither lodged in royal bower	D
Ten months or more for miserable wight	T
I reckon every day and every hour	D
Guido the Savage I by name am hight	T
Ill known and scarcely proved in warlike stower	D
Here Argilon of Meliboea I	-
Slew with ten warriors in his company	-
	-
VIII	-
'Conqueror as well in other field confessed	T
Ten ladies are the partners of my bed	T
Selected at my choice who are the best	T
And fairest damsels in this kingdom bred	T
These I command as well as all the rest	T
Who of their female band have made me head	T
And so would make another who in fight	T
Like me ten opposites to death would smite '	-
	-
IX	I
Sir Guido is besought of them to say	I
Why there appear so few of the male race	I
And to declare if women there bear sway	I
O'er men as men o'er them in other place	I
He 'Since my fortune has been here to stay	I
I oftentimes have heard relate the case	I
And now according to the story told	T
Will since it pleases you the cause unfold	T
	-
X	I
'When after twenty years the Grecian host	T
Returned from Troy ten years hostility	-
The town endured ten weary years were tost	-
The Greeks detained by adverse winds at sea	-
They found their women had for comforts lost	-
And pangs of absence learned a remedy	-
And that they might not freeze alone in bed	-
Chosen young lovers in their husbands' stead	-
	-
XI	-
'With others' children filled the Grecian crew	M
Their houses found and by consent was past	-
A pardon to their women for they knew	M
How ill they could endure so long a fast	-
But the adulterous issue as their due	M
To seek their fortunes on the world were cast	-
Because the husbands would not suffer more	J
The striplings should be nourished from their store	J
	-
XII	-
'Some are exposed and others underhand	-
Their kindly mothers shelter and maintain	R
While the adults in many a various band	-
Some here some there dispersed their living gain	R
Arms are the trade of some by some are scanned	-
Letters and arts another tills the plain	R
One serves in court by other guided go	O
The herd as pleases her who rules below	O
	-
XIII	-
'A boy departed with they youthful peers	-
Who was of cruel Clytemnestra born	C
Like lily fresh he numbered eighteen years	-
Or blooming rose new gathered from the thorn	C
He having armed a bark his pinnace steers	-
In search of plunder o'er the billows borne	C
With him a hundred other youths engage	N
Picked from all Greece and of their leader's age	N
	-
XIV	-
'The Cretans who had banished in that day	-
Idomeneus the tyrant of their land	-
And their new state to strengthen and upstay	-
Were gathering arms and levying martial band	-
Phalantus' service by their goodly pay	-
Purchased so hight the youth who sought that strand	-
And all those others that his fortune run	G
Who the Dictaean city garrison	G
	-
XV	-
'Amid the hundred cities of old Crete	-
Was the Dictaean the most rich and bright	-
Of fair and amorous dames the joyous seat	-
Joyous with festive sports from morn to night	-
And as her townsmen aye were wont to greet	-
The stranger with such hospitable rite	-
They welcomed these it little lacked but they	-
Granted them o'er their households sovereign sway	-
	-
XVI	-
'Youthful and passing fair were all the crew	M
The flower of Greece who bold Phalantus led	-
So that with those fair ladies at first view	M
Stealing their hearts full well the striplings sped	-
Since fair in deed as show they good and true	M
Lovers evinced themselves and bold in bed	-
And in few days to them so grateful proved	-
Above all dearest things they were beloved	-
	-
XVII	M
'After the war was ended on accord	-
For which were hired Phalantus and his train	R
And pay withdrawn nor longer by the sword	-
Was aught which the adventurous youth can gain	R
And they for this anew would go aboard	-
The unhappy Cretan women more complain	R
And fuller tears on this occasion shed	-
That if their fathers lay before them dead	-
	-
XVIII	M
'Long time and sorely all the striplings bold	-
Were each apart by them implored to stay	-
Who since the fleeting youths they cannot hold	-
Leave brother sire and son with these to stray	-
Of jewels and of weighty sums of gold	-
Spoiling their households ere they wend their way	-
For so well was the plot concealed no wight	-
Throughout all Crete was privy to their flight	-
	-
XIX	-
'So happy was the hour so fair the wind	-
When young Phalantus chose his time to flee	-
They many miles had left the isle behind	-
Ere Crete lamented her calamity	-
Next uninhabited by human kind	-
This shore received them wandering o'er the sea	-
'Twas here they settled with the plunder reft	-
And better weighed the issue of their theft	-
	-
XX	-
'With amorous pleasures teemed this place of rest	-
For ten days to that roving company	-
But as oft happens that in youthful breast	-
Abundance brings with it satiety	-
To quit their women with one wish possest	-
The band resolved to win their liberty	-
For never burden does so sore oppress	-
As woman when her love breeds weariness	-
	-
XXI	-
'They who are covetous of spoil and gain	R
And ill bested withal in stipend know	O
That better means are wanted to maintain	R
So many paramours than shaft and bow	U
And leaving thus alone the wretched train	R
Thence with their riches charged the adventurers go	O
For Puglia's pleasant land there founded near	V
The sea Tarentum's city as I hear	W
	-
XXII	-
'The women when they find themselves betrayed	-
Of lovers by whose faith they set most store	J
For many days remain so sore dismayed	-
That they seem lifeless statues on the shore	J
But seeing lamentations nothing aid	-
And fruitless are the many tears they pour	J
Begin to meditate amid their pains	-
What remedy for such an ill remain	R