The Rosicrucians

CANTO I.

He sets off, and the shouts embolden his daring.
Circling, he climbs toward the heavens;
Swift and proud, he reaches, he overtakes
The ambitious flight of the enemy,
Attacks him at last, while in the clouds
His lucky escape was vanishing from sight.
Despite his strength, for the valorous falcon
Skill is necessary in this combat.
Struck twenty times by a vigorous heel A poetic reference to the falcon's "stoop" or the strike of its talons,
The fishing bird original: "l'oiseau pécheur"; referring to the heron mentioned on the previous page descends back toward the earth.
If he has lost the sanctuary of the reeds,
He can still plunge into the waters.
Constantly struck, and directing his flight,
His flight finally plunges toward the wave.
But the falcon's skill forestalls him,
And above the waves his talon holds him back.
Victorious then, he climbs again, he pauses,
And for a moment motionless in the air,
His fixed eyes proudly ask
If he should keep or yield his conquest.
The sweet flute A signal from the falconer to the bird to return or release announces the pardon:
The noble bird immediately releases his prey,