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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!
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