Orlando Furioso Canto 20 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDCBCEE FGFHIGJJ FKFKFLMM NFNFNFOO PJPJPJQQ GRGRHRSS MJMJMJTT TDTDTD TTTTTTT IIIIIIITT IT M M M JJ R R ROO C C CNN GG M M M M R R R M RORUROVW J J J R

ARGUMENTA
Guido and his from that foul haunt retireB
While all Astolpho chases with his hornC
Who to all quarters of the town sets fireD
Then roving singly round the world is borneC
Marphisa for Gabrina's cause in ireB
Puts upon young Zerbino scathe and scornC
And makes him guardian of Gabrina fellE
From whom he first learns news of IsabelE
-
I-
Great fears the women of antiquityF
In arms and hallowed arts as well have doneG
And of their worthy works the memoryF
And lustre through this ample world has shoneH
Praised is Camilla with HarpaliceI
For the fair course which they in battle runG
Corinna and Sappho famous for their loreJ
Shine two illustrious light to set no moreJ
-
II-
Women have reached the pinnacle of gloryF
In every art by them professed well seenK
And whosoever turns the leaf of storyF
Finds record of them neither dim nor meanK
The evil influence will be transitoryF
If long deprived of such the world had beenL
And envious men and those that never knewM
Their worth have haply hid their honours dueM
-
III-
To me it plainly seems in this our ageN
Of women such is the celebrityF
That it may furnish matter to the pageN
Whence this dispersed to future years shall beF
And you ye evil tongues which foully rageN
Be tied to your eternal infamyF
And women's praises so resplendent showO
They shall by much Marphisa's worth outgoO
-
IV-
To her returning yet again the dameP
To him who showed to her such courteous loreJ
Refused not to disclose her martial nameP
Since he agreed to tell the style be boreJ
She quickly satisfied the warrior's claimP
To learn his title she desired so soreJ
'I am Marphisa ' the virago criedQ
All else was known as bruited far and wideQ
-
V-
The other since 'twas his to speak begunG
With longer preamble 'Amid your trainR
Sirs it is my belief that there is noneG
But has heard mention of my race and strainR
Not Pontus Aethiopia Ind aloneH
With all their neighbouring realms but France and SpainR
Wot well of Clermont from whose loins the knightS
Issued who killed Almontes bold in fightS
-
VI-
'And Chiareillo and Mambrino slewM
And sacked the realm whose royal crown they woreJ
Come of this blood where Danube's waters throughM
Eight horns or ten to meet the Euxine pourJ
Me to the far renowned Duke Aymon whoM
Thither a stranger roved my mother boreJ
And 'tis a twelvemonth now since her in questT
Of my French kin I left with grief opprestT
-
VII-
'But reached not France for southern tempest's spiteT
Impelled me hither lodged in royal bowerD
Ten months or more for miserable wightT
I reckon every day and every hourD
Guido the Savage I by name am hightT
Ill known and scarcely proved in warlike stowerD
Here Argilon of Meliboea I-
Slew with ten warriors in his company-
-
VIII-
'Conqueror as well in other field confessedT
Ten ladies are the partners of my bedT
Selected at my choice who are the bestT
And fairest damsels in this kingdom bredT
These I command as well as all the restT
Who of their female band have made me headT
And so would make another who in fightT
Like me ten opposites to death would smite '-
-
IXI
Sir Guido is besought of them to sayI
Why there appear so few of the male raceI
And to declare if women there bear swayI
O'er men as men o'er them in other placeI
He 'Since my fortune has been here to stayI
I oftentimes have heard relate the caseI
And now according to the story toldT
Will since it pleases you the cause unfoldT
-
XI
'When after twenty years the Grecian hostT
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 crewM
Their houses found and by consent was past-
A pardon to their women for they knewM
How ill they could endure so long a fast-
But the adulterous issue as their dueM
To seek their fortunes on the world were cast-
Because the husbands would not suffer moreJ
The striplings should be nourished from their storeJ
-
XII-
'Some are exposed and others underhand-
Their kindly mothers shelter and maintainR
While the adults in many a various band-
Some here some there dispersed their living gainR
Arms are the trade of some by some are scanned-
Letters and arts another tills the plainR
One serves in court by other guided goO
The herd as pleases her who rules belowO
-
XIII-
'A boy departed with they youthful peers-
Who was of cruel Clytemnestra bornC
Like lily fresh he numbered eighteen years-
Or blooming rose new gathered from the thornC
He having armed a bark his pinnace steers-
In search of plunder o'er the billows borneC
With him a hundred other youths engageN
Picked from all Greece and of their leader's ageN
-
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 runG
Who the Dictaean city garrisonG
-
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 crewM
The flower of Greece who bold Phalantus led-
So that with those fair ladies at first viewM
Stealing their hearts full well the striplings sped-
Since fair in deed as show they good and trueM
Lovers evinced themselves and bold in bed-
And in few days to them so grateful proved-
Above all dearest things they were beloved-
-
XVIIM
'After the war was ended on accord-
For which were hired Phalantus and his trainR
And pay withdrawn nor longer by the sword-
Was aught which the adventurous youth can gainR
And they for this anew would go aboard-
The unhappy Cretan women more complainR
And fuller tears on this occasion shed-
That if their fathers lay before them dead-
-
XVIIIM
'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 gainR
And ill bested withal in stipend knowO
That better means are wanted to maintainR
So many paramours than shaft and bowU
And leaving thus alone the wretched trainR
Thence with their riches charged the adventurers goO
For Puglia's pleasant land there founded nearV
The sea Tarentum's city as I hearW
-
XXII-
'The women when they find themselves betrayed-
Of lovers by whose faith they set most storeJ
For many days remain so sore dismayed-
That they seem lifeless statues on the shoreJ
But seeing lamentations nothing aid-
And fruitless are the many tears they pourJ
Begin to meditate amid their pains-
What remedy for such an ill remainR

Ludovico Ariosto



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