Allegorical Poems

Poscia ch’Amor del tutto m’ha lasciato

 

Poscia ch’Amor del tutto m’ha lasciato,

non per mio grato,
ché stato non avea tanto gioioso,

ma però che pietoso

fu tanto del meo core,                                   5

che non sofferse d’ascoltar suo pianto;

i’ canterò così disamorato

contra ‘l peccato,

ch’è nato in noi, di chiamare a ritroso

tal ch’è vile e noioso                                    10

con nome di valore,

cioè di leggiadria, ch’è bella tanto

che fa degno di manto

imperial colui dov’ella regna:

ell’è verace insegna                                     15

la qual dimostra u’ la vertù dimora;

per ch’io son certo, se ben la difendo

nel dir com’io la ‘ntendo,

ch’Amor di sé mi farà grazia ancora.

 

Sono che per gittar via loro avere                  20

credon potere

capere là dove li boni stanno,

che dopo morte fanno

riparo ne la mente

a quei cotanti c’hanno canoscenza.              25

Ma lor messione a’ bon non pò piacere;

per che tenere

savere fora, e fuggiriano il danno,

che si aggiugne a lo ‘nganno

di loro e de la gente                                    30

c’hanno falso iudicio in lor sentenza.

Qual non dirà fallenza

divorar cibo ed a lussuria intendere?

ornarsi, come vendere

si dovesse al mercato di non saggi?             35

ché ’l saggio non pregia om per vestimenta,

ch’altrui sono ornamenta,

ma pregia il senno e li genti coraggi.

 

E altri son che, per esser ridenti,

d’intendimenti                                             40

correnti voglion esser iudicati

da quei che so’ ingannati

veggendo rider cosa

che lo ‘ntelletto cieco non la vede.

E’ parlan con vocaboli eccellenti;                  45

vanno spiacenti,
contenti che da lunga sian mirati;

non sono innamorati

mai di donna amorosa;

né parlamenti lor tengono scede;                  50

non moveriano il piede

per donneare a guisa di leggiadro,

ma come al furto il ladro,

così vanno a pigliar villan diletto;

e non però che ‘n donne è sì dispento           55

leggiadro portamento,

che paiono animal sanza intelletto.

 

Ancor che ciel con cielo in punto sia,

che leggiadria

disvia cotanto, e più che quant’io conto,        60

io, che le sono conto

merzè d’una gentile

che la mostrava in tutti gli atti sui,

non tacerò di lei, ché villania

far mi parria                                                65

si ria, ch’a’ suoi nemici sarei giunto:

perché da questo punto

con rima più sottile

tratterò il ver di lei, ma non so cui.

Eo giuro per colui                                        70

ch’Amor si chiama ed è pien di salute,

che sanza ovrar vertute

nessun pote acquistar verace loda:

dunque, se questa mia matera è bona,

come ciascun ragiona,                                 75

sarà vertù o con vertù s’annoda.

 

Non è pura vertù la disviata,

poi ch’è blasmata,

negata la ‘v’è più vertù richesta,

cioè in gente onesta                                    80

di vita spiritale

o in abito che di scïenza tiene.

Dunque, s’ell’è in cavalier lodata,

sarà mischiata,

causata di più cose; per che questa              85

conven che di sé vesta

l’un bene e l’altro male,

ma vertù pura in ciascuno sta bene.

Sollazzo è che convene

con esso Amore e l’opera perfetta:                90

da questo terzo retta

è vera leggiadria e in esser dura,

sì come il sole al cui esser s’adduce

lo calore e la luce

con la perfetta sua bella figura. 95

 

Al gran pianeto è tutta simigliante

che, dal levante

avante infino a tanto che s’asconde,

co li bei raggi infonde

vita e vertù qua giuso                                 100

ne la matera sì com’è disposta:

e questa, disdegnosa di cotante

persone, quante

sembiante portan d’omo, e non responde

il lor frutto a le fronde                                 105

per lo mal c’hanno in uso,

simili beni al cor gentile accosta;

ché ’n donar vita è tosta

co’ bei sembianti e co’ begli atti novi

ch’ognora par che trovi,                              110

e vertù per essemplo a chi lei piglia.

Oh falsi cavalier, malvagi e rei,

nemici di costei,

ch’al prenze de le stelle s’assimiglia!

 

Dona e riceve l’om cui questa vole,             115

mai non sen dole;

né ‘l sole per donar luce a le stelle, 

né per prender da elle

nel suo effetto aiuto;

ma l’uno e l’altro in ciò diletto tragge.          120

Già non s’induce a ira per parole,

ma quelle sole

ricole che son bone, e sue novelle

sono leggiadre e belle;

per sé caro è tenuto                                  125

e disiato da persone sagge,

ché de l’altre selvagge

cotanto laude quanto biasmo prezza;

per nessuna grandezza

monta in orgoglio, ma quando gl’incontra    130

che sua franchezza li conven mostrare,

quivi si fa laudare.

Color che vivon fanno tutti contra.

Since Love Has Parted Company with Me

 

Since Love has parted company with me—

to no delight

of mine, as never had I known such bliss,

but only for the fact

he pitied so my heart                                               5

he could not bear its crying any more—

I, out of love, will now my song begin

about the sin

that inly dwells, and loudly welcomes back

the vilest thing on earth—                                      10

the one whose name is worth

or charm, a thing so fair it makes the soul,

in which he reigns, most worthy

of both a throne and an imperial cloak;

it is the faultless sign                                             15

that tells and points the way to virtue’s home.

If I defend it just as well as I

conceived of it within,

Love, I am sure, will pardon me again.

 

I know of men who give their wealth away,               20

and thus believe

they can be where the Blessed Spirits stay,

who after death find refuge

within the intellects

of those alone who have true knowledge. Yet           25

their mission does not please those goodly souls,

for to possess

would mean to know, and they would thus escape

punishment, which is added

to the deception of                                                 30

themselves and those who wrongly heeded them.

Who would not call it madness

only to live for food, and follow lust,

or to adorn oneself

as if for sale on markets of mere fools?                   35

A wise man does not judge you by your suit—

for others, ornament—

but values wisdom and courageous souls.

 

And other men exist who, prone to laughter,

want to be judged                                                  40

indeed most modern by all those who are

so utterly deceived

that they can only laugh

at something their blind minds can never see.

The words they choose are truly excellent;              45

sadly they walk,

quite eager to be noticed from afar;

they’re not in love

with any loving woman;

in all their conversations they tell jokes;                  50

they’d never move their feet

in any way you’d call effeminate,

and yet, like noiseless thieves,

they go to steal vulgarity of bliss:

therefore, in women too, is charm of grace               55

wasted and wholly spent,

if they resemble beasts devoid of intellect.

 

Though heaven seem to fight with heaven so,

that every grace

is farther from its center than I say,                         60

I, who have known it well—

thanks to a gentle one

who in her actions used to show it all—

will speak of her: the contrary would seem

so great a sin                                                        65

to me, I, too, would be one of her foes:

so, from this moment hence,

with a more subtle rhyme

I’ll tell the truth about her (but to whom?).

Hereby by him I swear,                                          70

whose name is Love, and who can fully save,

that with no worthy deeds
no one can earn a truly lasting praise:

so, if the matter of my song is good,

as everybody says,                                               75

then, if not virtue, it is virtue’s friend.

 

What is off center is no more pure virtue,

for it is blamed

and there denied where virtue’s wanted most,

that is, by honest men                                          80

of inner life or those

who wear the cloak of science every day.

Therefore, if it is lauded in a knight,

it is a blend

of many things that makes it, insofar                      85

as it must share its dress

both with the good and ill,

whereas pure virtue prospers best in both.

Delight alone fares well

with Love himself and with the perfect work;            90

it is this third sustains

true grace and pleasantness, and makes them live:

likewise, for its existence, the bright sun

is granted heat and light

together with a perfect loveliness.                           95

 

Fully this thing is like the mighty planet

that, from the east

onward, until the time it hides away,

spreads with its beauteous rays

power and life below                                            100

into the matter that was firstly made;

and this, disdainful of as many persons

as on this earth

have human features, does not bear as many

fruits as the numbered leaves,                              105

to punish their abuse.

Compare such goods now with a gentle heart:

it gives a sudden life

through loveliness of face and actions new—

which never are extinct—                                     110

and worth to those who her example follow.

O false, and wicked, and most guilty knights,

enemies of that grace

resembling the high prince of every star!

 

The man who chooses it, gives and receives          115

with no regret,

just as the sun gives every star its light

and takes from each of them

strength for its own effect

in an outpour of mutual delight.                             120

Words do not lead him ever into wrath,

for he selects
those that are good, and every tale he tells

is beautiful and dear;

for what he truly is                                               125

is he esteemed and welcomed by the wise,

as savages cannot

either by praise or blame attract his thought;

and for no summit does

he soar to pride: but when he someone meets,      130

eager to know his whole sincerity,

he lets himself be praised.

But living mortals do the opposite.

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