| Fortus obeys, but his heart breaks, For he is all alone; Until an unexpected friend Moves him to soldier on. |
| 1. Sure as green shoots disrupt the soil in Spring And Autumn’s vegetation flames and dies, And Summer nights convulse with thundering And storms and winds assault the Winter skies, The cycles of the universe arise And fall, fall and arise, and never cease, Diminish never, and could not increase, But swirl around a pivot at the core Of everything, a silent heart of peace; We creatures in and of the rush and roar Participate as well in something less and something more. 2. There is a part of us forever still, A part of us forever satisfied, A part of us beyond the pull of will, Beyond laughter, beyond the tears we’ve cried; With loving indifference it puts aside All our past actions: both our guilt and fame; It hasn’t anything to do with pride, And has no way to understand our shame; It is a part of us we know, but cannot name. 3. The swirling tempest of the day-to-day Obscures awareness of this deathless self, And all the petty dramas that we play, Striving, straining with all our strength and stealt For what we misperceive as power and wealth, Just serve to plunge us deeper in the storm, Where we lose heart as we lose youth and health, While troubles and confusions round us swarm — And we are watched by our own silent, nameless form. 4. So we watch Fortus in his storm of tears, Stopped motionless at life’s stark borderline; The sun is sinking as the evening nears; The battle noises gradually decline From far across the field, giving a sign There will be no more fighting for today; Fortus can’t shake the thought that he will pine For Poverist from now on, come what may, And passing time won’t help the aching go away. 5. He hears approaching footfalls in the field That lies eastward before the city walls; Despite despair, his grief is forced to yield To feeble curiosity, which calls His eyes to see who it may be; She stalls Her movement when his searching eyes arise, And stands at middle distance; Late light falls A sheer curtain of amber from the skies, So all colors are changed, as if by magic dyes. 6. It is a woman Fortus turns to view: Straight, elegant in form, of stature slight; Resuming her approach, she passes through The evening light, herself a ray of light, Dressed in loose linens whose apparent white Has been transformed to glowing amber shade By evening’s subtle artist, as the bright Sky high above her slowly is remade In salmon tones, and ever bluer glows the glade. 7. This is a lonely fighter at the edge Of battle, (gently cries the lady when She finally reaches Fortus;) What strange pledge Brought you out of your city, among men Whose every purpose, every regimen Is aimed at conquering your Elven folk? Replies Fortus: You have but asked again A question that one moment past I spoke Myself; I’m forced to answer — it’s a pledge I broke. 8. A phantom Merlin turned me from my queen, With mad illusions no one could believe; But now I credit none of what I’ve seen; Weighed down with shame, I wander here to grieve; Aching for one my grief cannot retrieve; She gave her life for mine, to my disgrace; So brief the time that moved me to conceive Affection for her nothing can displace — My heart is haunted by her brave and cheerful face. 9. Tell me, how did you meet? the lady asks. We fell in like the rain falls on the earth, (He answers,) in the middle of the tasks I’ve yet to finish; When she brought her mirth And gusto to my sullen heart, the birth Of something wonderful took place in me; I did not understand what it was worth Until the sudden, sad calamity Of losing her and everything so violently. 10. Fortus, do you know me? inquires the maid. He lifts his eyes to look at her, for he Has spoken until now as if afraid, His face downcast; He cannot help but see In her some vague familiarity. Perhaps it is the light, (half whispering He says,) or sorrow fooling memory, But you look like . . . There’s not another thing To say — he’s stopped short in a rush of reckoning. 11. She leans to touch him gently on his cheek, And says: Now you must stand to hear my news, And look at me the whole time that I speak. He rises, though his heart would fain refuse, And leave him down to grieve if it could choose; It takes all of his courage to arise, And anything, but anything he views Rather than look into the lady’s eyes, Which seems a dreadful task. The patient lady cries: 12. Now Fortus, please look up, please look at me! He finds the will to look into her face. He’s staggered, shocked, exclaims: How can this be? Moments ago and not far from this place The lance of Britomart took every trace Of you away from me — yet you exist? Can I believe my eyes in such a case? What do I really see? The world’s a-twist With mad illusions; How can you be Poverist? 13. This is as much a mystery to me, She says; My happiness and disbelief Are tussling like two children; Am I she You name? I am and I am not; So brief The time we had, yet such a careless thief Was death that lost me to whatever force Has brought me here — a force greater than grief We made together; Nothing blocks its course; The short time I was gone, I think I glimpsed its source. 14. For I was nowhere, I was everywhere, Saw everything and nothing in a glance; My name was gone, and so was all my care, And nothing had a name, a circumstance Of no concern; Then waking from the trance, Or deep dream, that other reality, I found myself walking toward you; The lance Did not end me, it seems; How can it be? I do not know; Perhaps I’m here to set you free. 15. For death and grief had stopped you in your tracks, Is that not so? He answers, Yes, that’s true. And now, how stands your heart? It lacks For nothing as long as I believe in you; But even though you’re here, clearly in view, A vision, or a comforting delusion, I cannot tell; I can’t even construe My own existence from this day’s confusion; Oh, how I long to know that you are real, and no illusion. 16. I feel the same, she murmurs; Dream on dream, I have been tumbling like a wind tossed cloud, Transformed from rain into a vapor stream, At once alone, at once pressed in a crowd; Between the two of us there is allowed A strange connection through this ebb and flow; You make me happy and you make me proud To be myself, and that is all I know; I feel its truth, but how it’s true I cannot show. 17. She reaches to him, and he takes her hand. I know, he says, this is no phantom touch. And then they find each other’s arms and stand There in the dusk. He says: This is as much Of magic as I need; Illusions such As this I will accept without a qualm. She smiles at him: Here’s truth that we can clutch In an embrace, a sweet and simple balm For our heartaches, and in this storm, a sheltering calm. 18. So Fortus, (she steps back from him,) now what Do you propose to do? He looks away To think. The time has come, he says, to shut The door on all my doubts; There is a ray Of constant light I’ll follow as this day Sinks into night — the light we bring to view; I’ll follow that; Though I can’t wish away Uncertainty, it cannot shake my faith in you; Yes, now I am quite certain what I ought to do. 19. But listen, Poverist replies to him, How will you know I am who I appear To be, and not some trumpery, some wizard’s whim Sent by the Archimago, shaped to steer You from your path? I’ll help you persevere In this mad war, however it turns out; I’ll find some way to aid you, never fear, Though I don’t know how this will come about, Nor how you’ll know you are with me without a doubt. 20. As if responding to those words, the rose Leaps straightaway out of the soldier’s hand To Poverist, setting alight her clothes And flesh and hair, so Fortus cannot stand Near her — she’s changed into a fiery brand; He’s forced away, recoiling from the flame; Feeling she has again slipped from his hand, His heart begins to sink with grief and shame, Until he hears her cheerful voice call out his name. 21. Fortus, look here! I’m fine; I’m safe, she calls; (Engulfed in flames, she’s perfectly unharmed;) If your pathway by some misfortune falls Under the influence of one who’s charmed Your eyes but left your mind somehow alarmed, Then you must put the creature to this test; The rose will see the devil is disarmed, Preserve your life as you pursue your quest; Leave it to me to make sure that your path is blessed. 22. Go now! The words of Merlin keep in mind; Be guided by the flower’s constant light, Which I return to you; By day you’ll find Invisibly I’ll keep you in my sight; For now I’ll take a place upon the night And will persist, though all the heavens move. Then she ascends, a streaming meteorite, Til she is but a winking point above; Clearly he hears her whisper: Now press on, my love! 23. As Fortus’ eyes follow her sparkling path, His heartbeat hammers hard against his chest, Sounding the meeting’s only aftermath, For all around, as if they were impressed With wonder, sounds of nature are suppressed; The one sound is the pounding of his heart – A martial drumming, summoning his best – Though many mysteries obscure his part, By this good drum, he knows the time has come to start. 24. So by the light of his blood-kindled rose, Beneath the eyes of his star-streaming love, Across the fields Fortus the soldier goes Not knowing how the hands of time might move, Or what triumph or what disaster prove To be his destiny; Northeasterly He wends his way through darkened field and grove; Where snakes and Elven soldiers fought that day; (Now turn we back in time, their story to assay.) finis canto v |
| Glorianna Table of Contents |
| The Cantos |
| Appendices |