Jerusalem Delivered

Description

Jerusalem Delivered, also known as La Gerusalemme liberata, is an epic poem written by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso. It was first published in 1581 and tells the story, albeit largely mythified, of the First Crusade which took place in the late 11th century. The poem is divided into twenty cantos and is written in ottava rima, a form of poetry consisting of eight-line stanzas with a specific rhyme scheme. The plot has almost no historical accuracy to the actual crusades, and instead focuses more on romantic sub-plots involving fictional characters such as Sofronia, a Christian maid; her lover, Olindo; warrior-maiden Clorinda; Tancredi, the Christian knight; the witch Armida; and the man she falls in love with, the hero Rinaldo. The work was an instant success and became one of the most popular and influential poems of the Renaissance period, with famous scenes from it, being depicted in paintings by artists such as Eugene Delacroix and Giovanni Battista. It has also been adapted many times into operas. This edition, translated by Edward Fairfax, is considered as one of the best English verse translations.

Part of Anne Haight's List of Banned Books.

This book has 126,949 words, 375 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1581. This translation by Edward Fairfax was first published in 1600.

Production notes: This ebook of Jerusalem Delivered was published by Global Grey on the 4th March 2023. The artwork used for the cover is 'Rinaldo and Armida' by Gaspar de Crayer.