Warr'd on by cranes: though all the giant brood
Of Phlegra with the heroic race were join'd
That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each side
Mix'd with auxiliar Gods; and what resounds
In fable and romance, of Uther's son
Begirt with British and Armoric knights;
And all who since, baptiz'd or infidel,
Jousted in Aspramont, or Montalban,
Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond,
Or whom Biserta sent from Afric's shore,
When Charlemain with all his peerage fell
By Fontarabia.
Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ'd
Their dread Commander: he, above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent,
Stood like a tower; his form had yet not lost
All her original brightness; nor appear'd
Less than Archangel ruin'd, and the excess
Of glory obscur'd as when the sun, new risen,
Looks through the horizontal misty air
Shorn of his beams: or from behind the moon,
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes monarchs. Darken'd so, yet shone
Above them all the Archangel: but his face
Deep scars of thunder had intrench'd; and care
Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows
Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride
Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast
Signs of remorse and passion, to behold.
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather,
Contro le grù; benchè i giganti tutti
Di Flegra uniti gisser con gli eroi
Che in Tebe e Iliòn pugnar da entrambi i lati
Misti a bellanti numi; e quanto suona
In favole o romanzi; il prode. Arturo
Cinto da inglesi armorici campioni;
E tutti quei che battezzati o infidi
Giostraro in Aspramonte o in Montalbano,
In Damasco o in Marocco o in Trebisonda
O cui mandò Biserta dalla Libia,
Allorchè Carlo Magno co' suoi prodi
In Fontarabbia cadde.
Così verso elli è poco, eppur inchinano
Al lor temuto duce: Ei sovra gli altri
In forma e in atto alteramente eccelso
Qual torre sta; da lui non anco è raso
Tutto il natio splendor; nè men si pare
Che un Arcangel distrutto, e un offuscato
Fulgor di gloria: quale il sol mò nato
Per l'äer guarda orizzontal nebbioso.
Monco di raggi; o quale in fosca eclissi
Dietro a luna, crepuscoli nefasti
Getta nei popoli, e terror di casi
Ne' trepidi monarchi. Si oscurato
Ancor splendea su tutti: Ma sua faccia
Del tuon solcavan cicatrici immani
E cura gli sedea su guancia smorta,
Ma sotto il ciglio impavido coraggio
E orgoglio ulzion spirante: l'occhio ardeva
Crudel, pur segni di rimorso e ambascia
Mettea in mirar i soci di sua colpa,
(Far other once beheld in bliss) condemn'd
For ever now to have their lot in pain:
Millions of Spirits for his fault amerc'd
Of Heaven, and from eternal splendours flung
For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood,
Their glory wither'd.
Hath scath'd the forest oaks, or mountain pines, With singed top their stately growth, though bare, Stands on the blasted heath.
To speak; whereat, their doubled ranks they bend
From wing to wing, and half enclose him round
With all his peers: attention held them mute.
Thrice he assay'd, and thrice, in spite of scorn,
Tears, such as Angels weep, burst forth at last
Words, interwove with sighs, found out their way.
O myriads of immortal Spirits! O Powers
Matchless, but with the Almighty, and that strife
Was not inglorious, though the event was dire,
As this place testifies, and this dire change,
Hateful to utter; but what power of mind,
Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth
Of knowledge past or present, could have fear'd.
How such united force of Gods, how such
As stood like these, could over know repulse?
For who can yet believe, though after loss,
That all these puissant legions, whose exile
Hath emptied Heaven, shall fail to re-ascend
Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat?
For me be witness all the host of Heaven,
If counsels different, or danger shunn'd
O me' seguaci, (visti un di beati)
Ora dannati eternamente a pene.
Spirti infiniti per suo fallo avulsi
Dal cielo, e pel suo ribellar cacciati
Da luce eterna, pur gli stanno fidi
Vedovi di lor gloria.
Scoppiò su querce annose od ardui pini,
Con cime arsicce stan lor tronchi alteri
E nudi sopra il giogo adusto.
Ora a parlar; perchè il doppio ordin piegano
Ei da ala ad ala, e in mezzo cerchio accolgonlo
Con tutti i grandi suoi, e attenti ammutano.
Tentò ei tre volte, e per rossor tre volte
Come angel suol proruppe in pianto; alfine
Voci miste a sospir la via s'apriro.
» Miriadi d'immortai spirti! o Posse
Solo equande all' eccelso, e questa lotta
Non fu ingloriosa, benchè in crudo evento,
Come tal loco il prova e questa orrenda
A dir mutazion; ma quale spirto
Valente in presagir, nell' alta scienza
Di passato o presente, avria temuto
Che tal di Dei compatta forza, e tantam
Qual è cotesta, toccheria sconfitta ?
Chi creder che così potenti squadre
Pur vinte, che esulando il ciel vuotaro
Non debban suso in lor virtù riascendere
E racquistar i seggi lor natii?
Del ciel m'è testimon l'oste universa
Se mio variar consiglio o evader rischio.
By me, have lost our hopes. But he, who reigns
Monarch in Heaven, till then as one secure
Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute,
Consent or custom: and his regal state
Put forth at full, but still his strength conceal'd,
Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall.
Henceforth his might we know, and know our own:
So as not either to provoke, or dread
New war, provok'd: our better part remains
To work in close design, by fraud or guile,
What force effected not; that he no less
At length from us may find, who overcomes
By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife
There went a fame in Heaven that he ere long
Intended to create, and therein plant
A generation whom his choice regard
Should favour equal to the sons of Heaven:
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
Our first eruption; thither or elsewhere;
For this infernal pit shall never hold
Celestial Spirits in bondage, nor the abyss
Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts
Full counsel must mature; Peace is despair'd;
For who can think submission? War then, War,
Open or understood, must be resolv'd. »
He spake and to confirm his words, out-flew Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs Of mighty cherubim; the sudden blaze
Far round illumin'd Hell: highly they rag'd
Against the Highest, and fierce with grasped arms Clash'd on their sounding shields the din of war,
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