He who showed himself proud and arrogant Quel che di tutto il bel ricco Oriente
He who showed himself proud and arrogant
throughout Asia to the Great Darius,
determined to conquer both for himself and
his people, took more than one wild risk;

There is also he who made the Rhone, Rhine,
Britain and Spain subject to the Empire,
who although wiser and more powerful
than others knew more than one deep sorrow;

but you, invincible Charles, whom Heaven,
chose to show the world how God's powerful
radiance is great throughout history,

your presence has driven the great enemy
to flight, and buried in oblivion and
in shame Barbarosa's preening deeds.

Quel che di tutto il bel ricco orïente
e del gran Dario andò superbo e latero
se vincer volse a più d'un rischio fero
se stesso pose, e la sua ardita gente,

e fu più d'una volta anco dolente
quel che soggetto al glorïoso impero
fece 'l Rodano, il Ren, Tamesi, e Ibero,
se ben più d'altri fu saggio e possente.

Ma voi, che 'l Cielo, invitto Carlo, ha tolto
per vero esempi in far palese al mondo
quanto le forze sue sono e son state

con la presenza sola in fuga volto
il gran nemico avete, e posto al fondo
quante glorie fur mai degne e pregiate.

Sources:

Rizzardi 7:7; Chiapetti 7:9; 1995 Bullock 47:110-111. For Key see A Note on the Italian texts

Comments:

According to Rizzardi (p 82, nVI), this is another poem which turns up in a 16th century manuscript attributed to Colonna (along with Quella felice stella, e in ciel fatale," and "Vincere i cor più saggi e i re più alteri"). This misattribution (from Arrivabene) leads others to translate it as if by Colonna: McAuliffe 196; Courten 55. On the battle of Tunis, July 21, 1535. To Charles V. Gloss: First line "he" is Alexander the Great; fifth line is Julius Caesar. For variants, a paraphrase and further commentary and annotation see 1995 Bullock pp. 110-1n. See also Cantin le ninfe co' soavi accenti (The nymphs sing with such sweet accents), Mira 'l gran Carlo con pietoso affetto (Dear God look upon our great Emperor), and La dové più con le sue lucid'onde (There where the Mella's transparent waters).
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