Luís Vaz de Camões (1572)

As armas e os barões assinalados,
Que da ocidental praia Lusitana,
Por mares nunca de antes navegados,
Passaram ainda além da Taprobana,
Em perigos e guerras esforçados,
Mais do que prometia a força humana,
E entre gente remota edificaram
Novo Reino, que tanto sublimaram;

E também as memórias gloriosas
Daqueles Reis, que foram dilatando
A Fé, o Império, e as terras viciosas
De África e de Ásia andaram devastando;
E aqueles, que por obras valerosas
Se vão da lei da morte libertando;
Cantando espalharei por toda parte,
Se a tanto me ajudar o engenho e arte.

Richard Fanshawe (1655)

Armes, and the Men above the vulgar File,
Who from the Western Lusitanian shore
Past ev’n beyond the Trapobanian-Isle,
Through Seas which never Ship had sayld before;
Who (brave in action, patient in long Toyle,
Beyond what strength of humane nature bore.)
‘Mongst Nations, under other Stars, acquir’d
A modern Scepter which to Heaven aspir’d:

Likewise those Kings of glorious memory,
Who sow’d and propagated where they past
The Faith with the new Empire (making dry
The Breasts of Asia, and laying waste
Black Africk’s vitious Glebe); And Those who by
Their deeds at home left not their names defac’t,
My Song shall spread where ever there are Men,
If Wit and Art will so much guide my Pen.

William Julius Mickle (1776)

Arms and the Heroes, who from Lisbon’s shore,
Thro’ seas where sail was never spread before,
Beyond where Ceylon lifts her spicy breast,
And waves her woods above the wat’ry waste,
With prowess more than human forc’d their way
To the fair kingdoms of the rising day:
What wars they wag’d, what seas, what dangers pass’d,
What glorious empire crown’d their toils at last,
Vent’rous I sing, on soaring pinions borne,
And all my country’s wars the song adorn;
What kings, what heroes of my native land
Thunder’d on Asia’s and on Afric’s strand:
Illustrious shades, who levell’d in the dust
The idol-temples and the shrines of lust:
And where, erewhile, foul demons were rever’d,
To Holy Faith unnumber’d altars rear’d:
Illustrious names, with deathless laurels crown’d,
While time rolls on in every clime renown’d!

Thomas Moore Musgrave (1826)

Arms, and the heroes of illustrious fame,
Who, from the western Lusitanian shore,
Remote, unnavigated seas explor’d,
Far beyond Taprobana’s distant isle,
And, ‘midst the perils of advent’rous war,
With more than human constancy endur’d,
In eastern climes a mighty empire rais’d
And aggrandiz’d by great and glorious deeds:
The great achievements of their martial kings,
Who spread the Christian Faith where’er their arms
Prevaild, in Asia, and in Africa,
Idolatrous and superstitious rites
Extirpating; and those, too, whose exploits
From death’s oblivion their names redeem’d:
These let me sing, and wide extend their fame,
If to such themes my Muse may dare aspire.

Edward Quillinan (1853)

Arms, and the men heroic of the West,
Who from their native Lusitanian shore,
By seas till then unnavigated prest
Evën beyond Taprobanè, and more
Than seem’d of human force the hardest test,
Through wars and perils resolutely bore,
Raised a new empire in a distant clime,
And crown’d it with a glory all sublime.

These, and the kings of memory dear to fame,
Who, widening out dominion, spread the Faith,
Afflicted Afric as a chastening flame,
And Asia, rank with the idolater’s breath
And many a warrior who redeem’d his name
By deeds of prowess from the law of death
These shall my song proclaim in every part,
If Genius aid me, and melodious Art.

Thomas Mitchell (1854)

Arms, and the Barons signally renowned
Who from the western Lusitanian shore,
Far beyond Taprobane a passage found
By seas none ever sailed across before:
In perils great, fierce wars on unknown ground,
Meeting all adverse human strength with more:
To found midst people of a different sky,
A new realm that raised their names so high;

Likewise those Kings whose memorable deeds
Gloriously spread our holy faith and nation,
And to the wicked lands of sinful creeds
In Africa and Asia, devastation;
And those achieving by their valour’s meeds
From the dread law of death their liberation;
Singing I will proclaim, both far and wide,
If art and genius be not me denied.

John James Aubertin (1878)

Arms and the beroes signalised in fame,
Who from the western Lusitanian shore
Beyond e’en Taprobana sailing came
O’er seas that ne’er had traversed been before,
Dauntless in wars and dangers without name,
Achieving all of human force and more,
And midst a race remote in distant clime
New kingdom raised to future so sublime;

And all the glorious memories that grace
Those Kings who sallied forth to propagate
The Faith, the empire; and the countries base,
Asian and African, did devastate;
And those who hold by valorous deeds such place
That from death’s law their names they liberate,
Through all the world in song will I rehearse,
If art and genius so inspire my verse.

Robert Ffrench Duff (1880)

The arms I sing and that most glorious band
Of heroes far renowned, who did of yore
Embark on Lusitania’s western strand
For seas where fleets had never sailed before,
And boldly passed beyond the balmy shore
Of Taprobana: neither storm nor fight
Can stop their course; above them all they soar
Triumphant, and by superhuman might
They raise their native realm unto its proudest height.

Immortal glories these! nor less the fame
Of Lusitanian kings, whose guiding thought
Inspired their zealous efforts to proclaim
Their holy faith to pagans, and who sought
To bring the wild and savage tribes to naught
In Africa and Asia: men of heart
Undaunted, who undying glory bought
By scorning death. Such deeds, in every part
My Muse shall spread around, if genius aid my art.

Richard Francis Burton (1880)

The feats of Arms, and famed heroick Host,
from occidental Lusitanian strand,
who d’er the waters ne’er by seaman crost,
fared beyoud the Taprobáne-land,
forceful in perils and in battle-post,
with more than promised force of mortal hard;
and in the regions of a distant race
rear’d a new throne so haught in Pride of Place:

And, eke, the Kings of memory grand and glorious,
who hied them Holy Faith and Reign to spread,
converting, conquering, and in lands notorious,
Africk and Asia, devastation made;
nor less the Lieges who by deeds memorious
brake from the doom that binds the vulgar dead;
my song would sound o’er Farth’s extremest part
were mine the genius, mine the Poet’s art.

Leonard Bacon (1950)

Arms, and those matchless chiefs who from the shore
Of Western Lusitania began
To track the oceans none had sailed before,
Yet past Tapróbané’s far limit ran,
And daring every danger, every war,
With courage that excelled the powers of Man,
Amid remotest nations caused to rise
Young empire which they carried to the skies;

So, too, good memory of those kings who went
Afar, religion and our rule to spread;
And who, through either hateful continent,
Afric or Asia, like destruction sped;
And theirs, whose valiant acts magnificent
Saved them from the dominion of the dead,
My song shall sow through the world’s every part,
So help me this my genius and my art.

Landeg White (1997)

Arms are my theme, and those matchless heroes
Who from Portugal’s far western shores
By oceans where none had ventured
Voyaged to Taprobana and beyond,
Enduring hazards and assaults
Such as drew on more than human prowess
Among far distant peoples, to proclaim
A New Age and win undying fame;

Kings likewise of glorious memory
Who magnified Christ and Empire,
Bringing ruin on the degenerate
Lands of Africa and Asia;
And others whose immortal deeds
Have conquered death’s oblivion
These words will go whereever there are men
If art and invention steer my pen.