Os Lusiadas (The Lusiads), vol. 1 of 2 by Luís de Camões
QR code
"Os Lusiadas (The Lusiads), vol. 1 of 2" by Luís de Camões is an epic poem written in the late 16th century. It celebrates Portugal’s Age of Discovery by following Vasco da Gama and his sailors on their voyage to India while Olympian gods—Jupiter, Venus, Bacchus, and Mars—shape events, fusing myth with maritime adventure. The work exalts national valor, navigation, and empire as a providential mission. The opening of the volume first
presents Isabel Burton’s editor’s preface, casting Richard F. Burton’s translation as a long, devout, and literal labor, followed by the translator’s own preface praising the poet, explaining his traveler’s perspective, and outlining the planned commentary. Canto I then begins with an invocation and a dedication to a young monarch before Jupiter convenes the gods: Bacchus opposes the Portuguese, Venus and Mars support them, and the scene shifts to Vasco da Gama’s fleet near Mozambique, where false hospitality hides a plot. Venus and her sea nymphs avert the ambush, Gama prays, and the divine realm promises aid. In Canto II, Venus appeals to Jupiter, who prophesies future Eastern triumphs; Mercury warns Gama in a dream to flee Mombasa, the fleet captures a small vessel, and they proceed to Melinde, where the king receives them hospitably and exchanges gifts. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Camões, Luís de, 1524?-1580 |
|---|---|
| Editor | Burton, Isabel, Lady, 1831-1896 |
| Translator | Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890 |
| Title | Os Lusiadas (The Lusiads), vol. 1 of 2 |
| Original Publication | London: Wyman and Sons, 1880. |
| Credits | Hendrik Kaiber and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Subject | Epic poetry, Portuguese -- Translations into English |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 77660 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-77660-6 |
| Release Date | Jan 9, 2026 |
| Last Update | Feb 1, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 556 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!