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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. 28-32, 348.
[For purists, the Italian text of the poems follows the English translation.]
GUIDO GUINIZELLI, 1240-1476
Notes and translation by Lorna de’ Lucchi
348
Biographical Note
GUIDO GUINIZELLI (Guido di Guinizello di Magnano), born at Bologna; became a judge in his native city, and in 1270 podesta at Castelfranco; learned in law and well-read in philosophy, he was exiled as a Ghibelline in 1274; the father of the “dolce stil nuovo,” called by Dante “il saggio”; in him we first find science wedded to art — he began by imitating the Provençal poets, then substituted a philosophical conception of love for the feudal service of knight to lady on which the poetry of the Langue d’Oc was based. His influence on the love poetry of his day was immense.
Poems
29
GUIDO GUINIZELLI, 1240-1476
Sonetto
IN verity I’d sing my lady’s praise,
With rose and lily-flower her face compare:
Like to the morning star her beauty’s rays,
Like to a saint in heaven, ah, wond’rous fair!
Green shades are like her and the breeze as well,
All hues, all blossoms, flushed and pale, beside
Silver and gold and rare stones’ lustrous spell;
Even Love himself in her is glorified.
She goes her way so gentle and so sweet,
Pride falls in whomsoever she doth meet,
Worthless the heart which scorneth such delight!
Ungentle folk may not endure her sight,
And a still greater virtue I aver:
No man thinks ill hath he but looked on her.
31
Canzone
WITHIN the gentle heart abideth Love,
As doth a bird within green forest glade,
Neither before the gentle heart was Love,
Nor Love ere gentle heart by Nature made.
Created was the sun,
And lo, his radiance everywhere held sway,
Nor was before the sun;
Love doth unto all gentleness aspire,
And in the self-same way
Doth clarity unto clear flame of fire.
Love’s fire is kindled in the gentle heart,
As virtue is within the precious stone;
From out the star no glory doth depart
Until made gentle by the sun alone.
When the sun hath drawn forth
By his own strength all that which is not meet,
The star doth prove its worth.
Thus to the heart, by Nature fashioned so
Gentle and pure and sweet,
The love of woman like a star doth go.
The reason Love in gentle heart doth stay
Is why the fire unto the torch-head flies,
Burning as he doth fancy, bright and gay,
And were too proud to do so otherwise.
But Nature’s cruel scheme
Contrasteth Love as water, flame; as heat,
Quelled by the cooling stream.
In gentle heart doth Love his bower divine,
Since like with like must meet,
Thus diamonds in the iron of the mine.
Upon the mire the sun sheds his bright rays,
That is still vile, nor doth the sun turn cold:
“Gentle am I by birth,” the proud man says.
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He, mire, and the sun, gentleness, I hold.
Let no man think that he
May be possessed of gentleness, although
He boast a king’s degree,
Unless a gentle heart be found in him:
The water is aglow
With stars, and yet the heavens have not grown dim.
God the Creator in heaven’s mind of grace
Shines brighter than before our eyes the sun;
There it is given to see Him face to face,
Whence in their beauty the skies, serving one
Just God, to Him do turn
And the blest end of primal love fulfil.
Thus the truth which doth burn
In my sweet Lady’s eyes she should make clear,
Of her own gentle will,
To him who in her service tarries near.
My Lady, God will say: “Didst thou not fear,”
(When my soul standeth yonder in His sight:)
“To pass the heavens and seek Me even here,
Vain love pursuing with My image dight?
To Me doth praise belong
And to the Queen of Heaven, who from her sphere
Of glory endeth wrong.”
Then I could plead: “Thy angels up above,
O Lord, like her appear;
I did not sin in giving her my love.”
28
GUIDO GUINIZELLI, 1240-1476
Sonetto
VOGLIO del ver la mia donna laudare,
et assembrargli la rosa e lo giglio:
come la stella Diana splende e pare,
e ciò ch’ è lassù bello, a lei somiglio.
Verde rivera a lei rassembro e l’ a’ re,
tutti colori e fior, giallo e vermiglio,
oro e argento e ricche gio’ preclare;
medesmo Amor per lei raffina miglio.
Passa per via sì adorna e sì gentile,
ch’ abassa orgoglio a cui dona salute:
e fal di nostro fè se non la crede.
E non le può appressar om che sia vile:
ancor ve ne dirò magior virtute:
null’ om può mal pensar fin che la vede.
30
Canzone
AL cor gentil ripara sempre amore,
com’ a la selva augello in la verdura,
nè fe’ amore avanti gentil core,
nè gentil core avanti amor natura;
ch’ adesso che fue il sole
sì tosto lo splendore fue lucente,
nè fue avanti il sole;
e prende amor in gentilezza loco
cosi propïamente
come clarore in clarità di foco.
Foco d’ amore in gentil cor s’ apprende,
come vertute in pietra prezïosa;
chè da la stella valor non discende
avanti ’l sol la faccia gentil cosa.
Poi che n’ ha tratto fuore
per sua forza lo sol ciò che li è vile,
la stella ’i dà valore:
così lo cor, ch’ è fatto da natura
schietto, puro e gentile,
donna, a guisa di stella, lo inamora.
Amor per tal ragion sta in cor gentile
per qual lo foco in cima del doppiero
splende a lo suo diletto, chiar, sottile:
non lì staria altrimenti, tant’ è fero.
Però prava natura
rincontra amor como fa l’ acqua ’l foco,
caldo per la freddura:
amor in gentil cor prende rivera
per suo consimil loco
com’ adamas del ferro in la minera.
Fere lo sole il fango tutto ’l giorno,
vile riman, ne ’l sol perde calore:
dice om altier: “Gentil per schiatta torno”;
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lui sembro ’l fango, e ’l sol gentil valore.
Chè non de’ dare om fè
che gentilezza sia for di coraggio
in degnità di re:
se da vertute non ha gentil core,
com’ aigua porta raggio,
e ’l ciel riten le stelle e lo splendore.
Splende in l’ intelligenza de lo cielo
Deo creator più ch’ ai nostri occhi il sole;
quella l’ intende; i’ s’ afaita lo cielo.
Lo ciel, vogliando, a lui ubidir tôle,
e ’n sè qui ha il primo amore
del giusto Deo, beato compimento.
Così adovra al core
la bella donna, po’ che ’n gli occhi splende
de l’ om gentile, talento
che mai de lei ubidir non si disprende.
Donna, Deo mi dirà: “Che presumisti?”
(stando l’ anima mia a lui davanti:)
“lo ciel passasti e fino a me venisti,
e desti in vano amor me per sembianti,
ch’ a me convien la laude
e a la reina del reame degno,
per cui cessa ogni fraude.”
Dir li potrò: “Tenne d’ angel sembianza
che fosse del tuo regno:
non mi fu fallo s’ eo le posi amanza.”
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