[BACK]          [Blueprint]         [NEXT]

————————

From An Anthology of Italian Poems 13th-19th Century selected and translated by Lorna de’ Lucchi, Alfred A. Knopf, New York; 1922; pp. 4-9, 347.


[For purists, the Italian text of the poems follows the English translation.]



CIELO DAL CAMO, Early XIII Century

Notes and translation by Lorna de’ Lucchi

347

Biographical Note

CIELO DAL CAMO, a poet of the Sicilian court, who probably tried, as did the poets of Frederick’s Court, to avoid the crudest dialectal forms. His Contrasts resembles in its general lines the French Villanelles, and is perhaps the sole surviving representative of a group of similar poems.

Poem

5

CIELO DAL CAMO, Early XIII Century

Contrasto (fragment)

He

O LOVELY fragrant rose,     born on a summer’s day,
Thou dost both damozels    and dames with envy sway,
Out of this furnace flame,    Sweet, rescue me, I pray;
From thoughts of thee Madonna, I ne’er cease,
And day and night I am bereft of peace!


She

If I be thy desire,    foolish indeed art thou,
Easier it were by far    to strip of bark and bough
All forests in the world,    and sow the seas and plough,
Than to subdue my heart, for ere ’twas done
I would have shorn my hair off like a nun.


He

Before thy hair be shorn    in death let me lie low,
For solace and delight    forthwith from me would go.
Flower of the garden close,    whene’er I see thee blow
Soft balm of comfort soothes my hours anew;
Ah, if thy love were added thereunto!


She

It cannot be, though I    may change my mind one day.
If father, kith and kin    should chance hereby to stray,
Thy body in the swift    stream would be whirled away.
Therefore I counsel thee straightly to flee
By the good road that brought thee unto me!


He

If father, kith and kin    of thine passed by, I parry
They’d take for this my life    two thousand agostari;
Thy father would not strike    for all his wealth in Bari.
Long live the Emperor, unto God be praise!
Dost ponder well, Sweet, what thy lover says?

7

She

Then neither morn nor eve    thou willest I should rest;
I too have precious coins    piled high in a great chest;
Could’st thou give me for dower    the richest and the best,
Twice over Saladin’s vast hoard of gold,
I vow to-day this hand thou should’st not hold!


He

I’ve known full many a maid    and obstinate no doubt,
But man by flattery    may wheedle her about;
He presseth her so close    her strength must needs give out.
Love, bear in mind against a future day,
Man is the strongest and will have his way!


She

Art fain that I relent?    Nay, better ’twere to die
Or e‘er a modest maid    be scorned by such as I!
Last evening hitherwards    I saw thy footsteps fly:
This is my answer, flatterer, know withal
Such words from thee belike me not at all!


He

Alas, how many bonds    hast cast about my heart!
I weep remembering thee    in loneliness apart!
No lady in my life    was cherished as thou art,
Was half as well-beloved, O rose divine,
And I believe one day thou wilt be mine.


She

If it so came to pass,    down-fallen were my pride,
That to enhance thy fame    my beauty should abide!
Indeed I’d shave my head    before this could betide,
And to the shelter of a convent flee,
From thy unwelcome wooing to be free.

9

He

If thou to be a nun,    proud maid, didst flee away,
Thy convent I would find,    and where I was I’d stay;
To win so fair a boon    right gladly would I pay:
I’d be there at the dawn and twilight hour,
Until at last I had thee in my power.


She

Alas, most hapless maid,    destined to suffer wrong!
Dear Saviour Jesus Christ,    to Whom my hopes belong,
Silence this man, I pray,    he doth blaspheme too long!
Let him go seeking through the world so wide,
He’ll find a lovelier lady for his bride.


He

Calabria, Lombardy    and Tuscany all through,
Constantinople, Rome,    Pisa and Genoa too,
Babylon, Barbary,    I’ve searched and searched anew,
But found no woman lovely as thou art,
Dearest and sovereign lady of my heart.


She

Since thou dost love me so    I need no more repine,
Go ask me, love, of both    mother and father mine;
If they thereto agree    lay thou my hand in thine,
Then in the abbey take me soon to wife,
And I will do thy bidding all my life!






4

CIELO DAL CAMO, Prima metà de secolo XIII

Contrasto


Lui

ROSA fresca aulentissima,    c’ apar’ inver la state,
le donne ti disïano,    pulzelle e maritate:
trami d’este focora,    se t’este a bolontate;
per te non aio abento norte e dia
pensando pur di voi, Madonna mia.


Elle

Se di meve trabàgliti,    follìa lo ti fa fare,
lo mare potresti arompere    avanti e asemenare
l’ abere d’ esto secolo    tutto quanto assembrare:
avere me nom potería esto monno:
avanti li cavelli m’ aritonno.


Lui

Se li cavelli artònniti,    avanti foss’ io morto;
ca i’ sì mi pèderea    lo solazzo e lo diporto
Quando ci passo e véioti,    rosa fresca de l’ orto,
bono conforto donimi tutt’ ore;
poniamo che s’ aiunga il nostro amore.


Elle

Ch’el nostro amore aiungasi    non boglio m’ attalenti.
Se ci ti trova pàremo    cogli altri miei parenti,
guarda non t’ arigolgano    questi forti corenti.
Como ti seppe bona la venuta,
consiglio che ti guardi a la partuta.


Lui

Se i tuoi parenti trovanmi,    e che mi pozon fare?
Una difemsa mettoci    di dumilia agostari;
non mi tocàra pàdreto    per quanto avere ha ’m Bari.
Vivo lo ’mperadore, graz’ a Deo!
Intendi, bella, questo che ti dico eo?

6

Elle

Tu me no’ lasci vivere    nè sera nè maitino;
donna mi sono di perperi,    d’ auro massa amotino.
Se tanto aver donassemi    quanto ha lo Saladino,
e per aiunta quant’ ha lo Soldano,
tocare me nom poteria la mano.


Lui

Molte sono le femine    c’ hanno dura la testa,
e l’ uomo con parabole    l’ adimina e amonesta;
tanto intorno percazala    fin che l’ ha in sua podesta.
Femina d’ omo non si può tenere:
guardati, bella, pur de ripentere.


Elle

Ch’ eo me ne pentesse?    davanti foss’ io ancisa,
ca nulla bona femina    per me fosse riprisa.
Ersera ci passasti    corenno a la distisa:
a questi ti riposa, canzoneri:
le tue parole a me nom piaccion gueri.


Lui

Quante sono le schiantora    che m’ hai mise a lo core!
e solo pur penzannome    la dia quanno vo fore!
Femina d’ esto secolo    tanto non amai ancore
quant’ amo teve, rosa invidïata,
ben credo che mi fosti destinata.


Elle

Se distinata fosseti,    caderia de l’ altezze;
chè male messe forano    in teve mie bellezze,
se tutto adivenissemi,    tagliàrami le trezze,
e com’ sore m’ arenno a una magione,
avanti che m’ artocchin le persone.

8

Lui

Se tu con sore arenneti,    donna col viso cleri,
a lo mostero vennoci    e rennomi comfreri;
per tanta prova vencierti,    faràlo volonteri:
con teco stao la sera e o maitino,
besogn’ è ch’ io ti tenga al meo dimino.


Elle

Oimè tapina misera,    com’ao reo destinato!
Gieso Cristo l’ altissimo,    del toto m’ è airato,
conciepistimi ad abattare    in omo blestiemato!
Cierca la terra, ch’ este granne assai,
chiù bella donna di me troverai.


Lui

Ciercat’ aio Calabria,    Toscana e Lombardia,
Puglia, Costantinopoli,    Gienoa, Pisa, Soria,
la Magna e Babilonia,    e tutta Barbería:
donna non trovai tanto cortese,
per che sovrana di meve te prese.


Elle

Poi tanto trabagliastiti    fàcioti meo pregheri,
che tu vadi, adomandimi    a mia mare e a mon peri;
se dare mi ti degnano    menami a lo mosteri,
e sposami davanti dala iente,
e poi farò le tuo’ comannamente!





————————

[BACK]          [Blueprint]         [NEXT]

Valid CSS!