[Julie Steiner]

from Orlando Furioso Canto X, stanzas 104-105, by Ludovico Ariosto (the Emilia-Romagna region of what is now Italy, 1474-1533)

The warrior Ruggiero, mounted on a winged horse, is doing battle with a sea-monster. The previous stanza has compared him to an eagle attacking a snake and keeping clear of the poisonous head.


VERSE TRANSLATION:

Ruggiero does the same: he strikes and spears
not where the teeth lie in a deadly row,
but aims instead between the monster’s ears.
Now on its back or tail he lands a blow,
and with each movement of the beast he veers
away accordingly, darts high, dives low,
but may as well be hitting adamant,
so rock-like is the brute’s integument.

Likewise in August the intrepid fly
makes war against the mastiff in the dust
(or in September, or indeed July
the month of wheat – the other’s full of must):
it bites him on the snout and stings his eye,
keeping nearby, but out of harm’s way – just.
The dog’s jaws make a futile snapping sound,
but fly too close and there’s a happy hound.


ORIGINAL ITALIAN:

Così Ruggier con l'asta e con la spada,
non dove era de' denti armato il muso,
ma vuol che 'l colpo tra l'orecchie cada,
or su le schene, or ne la coda giuso.
Se la fera si volta, ei muta strada,
ed a tempo giù cala, e poggia in suso:
ma come sempre giunga in un diaspro,
non può tagliar lo scoglio duro ed aspro.

Simil battaglia fa la mosca audace
contra il mastin nel polveroso agosto,
o nel mese dinanzi o nel seguace,
l'uno di spiche e l'altro pien di mosto:
negli occhi il punge e nel grifo mordace,
volagli intorno e gli sta sempre accosto;
e quel suonar fa spesso il dente asciutto:
ma un tratto che gli arrivi, appaga il tutto.


ENGLISH PROSE CRIB:

Ruggiero [does] thus with his spear and with his sword,
not where the muzzle was armed with teeth,
but he wants the blow to fall between the ears,
now on the back, now down towards the tail.
If the beast turns he changes position,
and at the appropriate moment dives down, and shoots upwards:
But always as if he were encountering jasper/chalcedony/agate,
he cannot cut the hard and rough rock[-like hide].

The bold fly makes a similar battle
against the mastiff in dusty August,
or in the month before or after,
the one full of wheat and the other of must [fermenting fruit]:
it stings his eyes and bites his snout,
it flies around him and stays always close;
and the dry tooth makes that sound often:
but as soon as the fly comes within reach, there’s full satisfaction.