CIACCO DELL' ANGUILLAIA. XIIIth Century Lover O GEM so soft and rare, O dainty little fay, Thou dost more virtues wear than any tongue can say ; By loveliness in thee, by grace of God, O save, Thou canst not help but see The earth hath many a gem, Madonna, too severe I have no ship to steer, that I am, love, thy slave! the river and the sea, though some they please, pardie ! O friend, have I a place : and in another face. is thy reply I wot, a diver I am not : To search where thou hast told, therefore I cannot go, If aid thou dost withhold, Madonna If thou to death dost cleave Then I will not believe thy love will lay me low. because of this essay, that love o'er thee had sway: But should'st thou choose to pass before the year is through, If thou from death wouldst flee, thy thoughts are wildly cast, All thou on earth dost see must pass away at last : But if a god art born, I cannot run away; Since altars have thy scorn, respect the laws, I pray ! castella nè monete : Madonna, a me non piace GUITTONE D'AREZZO, 1230-1294 D ONNA del Cielo, glorïosa madre del buon Gesù, la cui sagrata morte, per liberarci dalle infernal porte, tolse l' error del primo nostro padre, risguarda Amor con saette aspre e quadre, a che strazio m' adduce ed a qual sorte. Madre pietosa, a noi cara consorte, ritraine dal seguir sue turbe e squadre. Infondi in me di quel divino amore che tira l'alme nostre al primo loco, sì ch' io disciolga l' amoroso nodo. Cotal rimedio ha questo aspro furore, tal acqua suole spegner questo foco, come d'asse si trae chiodo con chiodo. Lover adored in Christian lands, The altar I revere, I beg thee courteously, thou hast my life in fee! with sweet and humble art, I love thee from my heart : pleading so skilfully, what more would'st have of me? Thou castest pity's spell Neither for gold nor place, Madonna, do I care, of whom art well aware. this favour, only this, Thou art his own, and he knoweth my life is his. GUITTONE D'AREZZO, 1230-1294 O GLORIOUS Mother of sweet Jesus, by Whose sacred death, us from Hell's portals freeing, Wiped out the sin, O Lady of the sky, In which our primal father had his being, Ah, see Love with his arrows sharp and bold, COMPIUTA DONZELLA. Secolo XIII A LA stagion che il mondo foglia e fiora accresce gioia a tutt' i fin' amanti : vanno insieme a li giardini allora che gli augelletti fanno dolci canti : la franca gente tutta s' innamora, ed in servir ciascun traggesi innanti, ed ogni damigella in gioi' dimora, a me m' abbondan marrimenti e pianti. Chè lo mio padre m' ha messa in errore, e tenemi sovente in forte doglia : donar mi vole, a mia forza signore : ed io di ciò non ho disio nè voglia, e 'n gran tormento vivo tutte l' ore: però non mi rallegra fior nè foglia. RUSTICO DI FILIPPO, 1235-1295 Q UANDO Dio messer Messerino fece ch' uccello e bestia e uom ne soddisfece, ch' a ciascheduna natura s' appiglia : COMPIUTA DONZELLA. XIIIth Century HAT time the world doth put forth leaves and flowers WH They go awandering then through garden bowers Because my father doeth me great ill, RUSTICO DI FILIPPO, 1235-1295 HEN God created Messer Messerin' WH He thought He'd worked a miracle indeed, He seemed a crow when he began to sing, He'd nothing else to do and hence did plan |