BOOK I. (continued 2)
Herman Oelsner translation
Wild, close-confined and gloomy be his night, Never may he behold the longed-for day, Incessant and unending be his woe, Far, far away from bliss, and joy, and laughter, Ought he to be, wrapt in a living death, Whoso without sweet Love shall spend his life. Full though it be of joyousness, yet life Naught save the shade can be of briefest night, The veritable counterfeit of death, If during all the hours that fill the day It doth not silence every pang of woe, And gladly, gladly welcome Love's sweet laughter. Where liveth gentle Love, there liveth laughter, And where Love dieth, dieth too our life, Our choicest pleasure is transformed to woe, Into the darkness of eternal night Is changed the radiance of the peaceful day, Life without Love is naught but bitter death. Dangers wherein the issue is but death The lover doth not flee: rather with laughter He seeks his chance and longeth for the day, When he may offer up his treasured life— Until he shall behold the last calm night— Unto Love's flame, and unto Love's sweet woe. The woe that is of Love, we call not woe, Nor yet the death that Love bestoweth, death: Let none to Love's night give the name of night, Nor call Love's laughter by the name of laughter. His life alone can be accounted life, Our only merriment his joyous day. Oh blest, thrice-blest to me this happy day, Whereon I can restrain my bitter woe, Rejoicing that I have bestowed my life On her who can bestow or life or death! What will it be, what can I hope save laughter From that proud face that turns the sun to night? Love hath my cloudy night to cloudless day Transformed, to laughter my increasing woe, And my approaching death to length of life.
These were the verses, fair shepherdesses, which my Artidoro sang that day with wondrous grace and no less pleasure on the part of those that heard him. From them, and from the words he had spoken to me before, I took occasion to consider if by chance the sight of me had caused some new sensation of love in Artidoro's breast; and my suspicion did not turn out so vain, but that he himself justified it to me on our return to the village.'
Teolinda had reached this point in the tale of her love, when the shepherdesses heard a great uproar of shepherds shouting and dogs barking. This caused them to end the discourse they had begun, and to stop and observe through the branches what it was; in this way they saw a pack of hounds crossing a green plain on their right hand, in pursuit of a timid hare, that was coming with all speed to take shelter in the dense underwood. It was not long before the shepherdesses saw it coming to the same place where they were, and going straight to Galatea's side. There, overcome by the fatigue of its long course, and almost as it were safe from the peril nigh at hand, it sank down on the ground with such wearied breath, that it seemed on the point of breathing its last. The hounds pursued it by scent and track, until they came to where the shepherdesses were; but Galatea, taking the timid hare in her arms, checked the vengeful purpose of the eager hounds, for it seemed to her not to be right to fail to defend a creature that had sought her aid. Soon after there approached some shepherds, following the hounds and the hare; and amongst them came Galatea's father, out of respect for whom Florisa, Teolinda and she went out to meet him with due courtesy. He and the shepherds were filled with wonder at Teolinda's beauty, and desired to know who she was, for they saw clearly that she was a stranger. Galatea and Florisa were not a little annoyed at their approach, seeing that it had robbed them of the pleasure of learning the issue of Teolinda's love; and they asked her to be good enough not to leave their company for some days, if the accomplishment of her desires were not by chance hindered thereby.
'Nay, rather,' replied Teolinda, 'it suits me to remain a day or two on this bank, to see if they can be accomplished; and on this account, as also not to leave unfinished the story I have begun, I must do what you bid me.'
Galatea and Florisa embraced her, and offered her their friendship anew, and to serve her to the best of their power. Meanwhile Galatea's father and the other shepherds, having spread their cloaks on the margin of the clear stream, and drawn from their wallets some country fare, invited Galatea and her companions to eat with them. They accepted the invitation, and, sitting down forthwith, they sated their hunger, which was beginning to weary them as the day was already far spent. In the course of these doings, and of some stories the shepherds told to pass the time, the accustomed hour approached for returning to the village. Straightway Galatea and Florisa, returning to their flocks, collected them once more, and, in the company of fair Teolinda and the other shepherds, gradually made their way to the hamlet; and at the break of the hill where that morning they had happened on Elicio, they all heard the pipe of the unloving Lenio, a shepherd in whose breast love could never take up his abode; and thereat he lived in such joy and content, that in whatever converse or gathering of shepherds he found himself, his sole intent was to speak ill of love and lovers, and all his songs tended to this end. By reason of this strange disposition of his, he was known by all the shepherds in all those parts, and by some he was loathed, by others held in esteem. Galatea and those who came there stopped to listen, to see if Lenio was singing anything, as was his wont, and straightway they saw him give his pipe to a companion, and begin to sing what follows to its sound:
LENIO.
An idle careless thought that wanders free, A foolish vaunting fancy of the mind, A something that no being hath nor kind, Nor yet foundation, nursed by memory, A grief that takes the name of jollity, An empty hope that passes on the wind, A tangled night where none the day may find, A straying of the soul that will not see. These are the very roots wherefrom, I swear, This old chimera fabled hath its birth, Which beareth o'er the world the name of Love. The soul that thus on Love doth set its care, Deserveth to be banished from the earth, And win no shelter in the heavens above.
At the time that Lenio was singing what you have heard, Elicio and Erastro had already come up with their flocks in the company of the hapless Lisandro; and Elicio, thinking that Lenio's tongue in speaking ill of love went beyond what was right, wished clearly to show him his error, and, adopting the very theme of the verses he had sung, at the moment Galatea, Florisa, Teolinda and the other shepherds came up, to the sound of Erastro's pipe he began to sing in this wise:
ELICIO.
Whosoever keepeth Love, In his breast a prisoner close, Hurl him down from heaven above, Give him not on earth repose. Love a virtue is unending, Virtues many more attaining, Semblance after semblance gaining, To the primal cause ascending. Whosoever from such love, Shall be banished by his woes; Hurl him down from heaven above, Grant him not on earth repose. A fair form, a lovely face, Though but mortal, doomed to fade, Are but copies, where portrayed We may see the heavenly grace. Grace on earth who doth not love, Nor to it allegiance owes, Shall be hurled from heaven above, Nor on earth shall find repose. Love, when taken quite apart, And untainted with alloy, Filleth all the world with joy, Even as Apollo's dart, Whoso hath mistrust of Love, Love that hides its blessing close, Shall not win to heaven above, But in deepest earth repose. For a thousand joys a debtor, Each of us to Love is seen, For 'tis Love that turns, I ween, Bad to good, and good to better. He who lets his fancies rove, E'en a hair's breadth from Love's woes, Shall not win to heaven above, Nor on earth find sure repose. Love indeed is infinite, If but honour be its stay; But the love that dies away Is not love, but appetite. Whoso shall the veil of love Raise not, but his heart shall close, Slay him, lightning from above! Earth, permit him not repose!
The shepherds given to love felt no small pleasure at seeing how well Elicio defended his view: but the loveless Lenio did not on this account cease to remain firm in his opinion; nay, rather, he sought anew to resume his song and to show in what he sang how ineffectual Elicio's reasonings were to darken the bright truth which, following his judgment, he upheld. But Galatea's father, who was called Aurelio the venerable, said to him:
'Don't weary yourself for the present, discreet Lenio, in seeking to show us in your song what you feel in your heart, for the road from here to the village is short, and it seems to me more time is needed than you think to defend yourself against the many who hold a view contrary to yours. Keep your reasonings for a more convenient spot, for some day you and Elicio with other shepherds will be together at the spring of slates or the stream of palms, where, with greater ease and comfort, you may be able to discuss and make clear your different opinions.'
'The opinion Elicio holds is mere opinion,' replied Lenio, 'but mine is absolute knowledge, and proved, which, sooner or later, forced me to uphold it, seeing that it carried truth with it; but, as you say, there will not fail a time more fitting for this end.'
'This will I arrange,' answered Elicio, 'for it grieves me that so fine an intellect as yours, friend Lenio, should lack what might improve it and enhance it, like the pure and true love whose enemy you show yourself.'
'You are deceived, Elicio,' replied Lenio, 'if you think by specious words and sophisms to make me change principles I would not hold it manly to change.'
'It is as wrong,' said Elicio, 'to persist in wrong, as it is good to persevere in good, and I have always heard my elders say it is the part of the wise to take counsel.'
'I do not deny that,' answered Lenio, 'whenever I see that my judgment is not correct; but so long as experience and reason do not show me the contrary to what they have shown me hitherto, I believe that my opinion is as true as yours is false.'
'If the heretics of love were to be punished,' said Erastro at this point, 'I would begin from this moment, friend Lenio, to cut wood wherewith to burn you for the greatest heretic and enemy that love has.'
'And even though I saw naught of love, save that you, Erastro, follow it, and are of the band of lovers,' replied Lenio, 'that alone would suffice to make me renounce it with a hundred thousand tongues, if a hundred thousand I had.'
'Do you think then, Lenio,' answered Erastro, 'that I am not fit to be a lover?'
'Nay,' replied Lenio, 'I think that men of your disposition and understanding are fitted to be among love's servants; for he who is lame falls to the ground at the slightest stumble, and he who has little wisdom, wants but little time to lose it all; and as for those who follow the banner of this your valorous captain, I for my part hold that they are not the wisest in the world; and if they have been, they ceased to be it, the moment they fell in love.'
Great was the displeasure Erastro felt at what Lenio said, and thus he answered him:
'I think, Lenio, your insane reasonings deserve another punishment than words; but I hope that some day you will pay for what you have just said, without being aided by what you might say in your defence.'
'If I knew of you, Erastro,' answered Lenio, 'that you were as brave as you are fond, your threats would not fail to fill me with dread: but, as I know you are as backward in the one, as in the other you are to the fore, they cause laughter in me rather than terror.'
Here Erastro lost all patience, and if it had not been for Lisandro and Elicio, who placed themselves between, he had replied to Lenio with his fists; for by this time his tongue, confused with rage, could scarce perform its office. Great was the pleasure all felt at the sprightly quarrel of the shepherds, and more at the rage and displeasure Erastro displayed; for it was necessary that Galatea's father should make peace between Lenio and him, though Erastro, if it had not been for fear of losing the respect of his lady's father, would in no way have made it. As soon as the matter was ended, all with rejoicing went their way to the village, and whilst they were going, the fair Florisa, to the sound of Galatea's pipe, sang this sonnet:
FLORISA.
With increase may my tender lambs be crowned Amidst the grassy mead or forest's fold: Throughout the summer's heat or winter's cold May herbage green and cooling streams abound. May I through all my days and nights be found Wrapt but in dreamings of a shepherd's life; In no wise yielding to Love's petty strife, Nor may his childish acts have power to wound. Here one Love's countless blessings doth proclaim, Love's fruitless cares another maketh known. I cannot say if both be brought to shame, Nor yet to whom to give the victor's crown. This much I know: that many Love by name May call, yet few are chosen for his own.
Short indeed was the road to the shepherds, beguiled and entertained by the charming voice of Florisa, who ceased not her song till they were quite near the village and the huts of Elicio and Erastro, who stopped there with Lisandro, first taking leave of the venerable Aurelio, Galatea, and Florisa, who went with Teolinda to the village, the remaining shepherds going each to where he had his hut. That same night the hapless Lisandro asked leave of Elicio to return to his country or to where he might, in harmony with his desire, finish the little of life that, as he thought, remained to him. Elicio with all the arguments he could urge on him, and with the endless offers of true friendship he made him, could by no means prevail on him to remain in his company even for a few days; and so the luckless shepherd, embracing Elicio with many tears and sighs, took leave of him, promising to inform him of his condition wherever he might be. Elicio, having accompanied him half a league from his hut, again embraced him closely; and making again fresh offers, they parted, Elicio being in great grief for what Lisandro suffered. And so he returned to his hut to spend the greater part of the night in amorous fancies and to await the coming day that he might enjoy the happiness the sight of Galatea caused him. And she, when she reached her village, desiring to learn the issue of Teolinda's love, arranged so that Florisa, Teolinda and she might be alone that night; and finding the opportunity she desired, the love-sick shepherdess continued her story as will be seen in the second book.