the friends of the departed; and as there is no greater friendship than that of a good father for a good son, and of a good son for a good father; and as this lady was of the highest degree of goodness and her father (as is believed by many and is true) was good in a high degree; it is plain that this woman was full of very bitter grief. And as, according to the custom of the above-mentioned city, women foregather with women and men with men at such a mournful event, many women foregathered there, where this Beatrice was piteously weeping; so that, seeing some women returning from her house, I heard words about this most gracious lady and how she was bewailing. Among such words I heard them saying: "Really she cries so that whoever saw her would die of pity." Then these women went by, and I was left in such great sadness that some tears now and then bathed my face, on account of which I hid them by repeatedly placing

my hands over my eyes. And but for my wish to hear still further about her (for I was in a place through which passed the greater number of women who were leaving her), I would have retired as soon as my tears began to flow. Yet, still remaining in the same place, women kept passing

le quali andavano ragionando e dicendo tra loro queste parole: "Chi dee mai esser lieta di noi, che avemo udito parlare questa donna così pietosamente?" appresso costoro passarono altre, che veníano dicendo: "Questi che quivi è, piange nè più nè meno, come se l'avesse veduta come noi l' avemo." Altre poi diceano di me: "Vedi questo che non pare esso; tal è divenuto." E così passando queste donne, udii parole di lei e di me in questo modo che detto è. Ond' io poi pensando, proposi di dire parole, acciocchè degnamente avea cagione di dire, nelle quali io conchiudessi tutto ciò che udito avea da queste donne. però che volentieri le avrei domandate, se non mi fosse stata riprensione, presi materia di dire, come se io le avessi domandate, ed elle m'avessero risposto. E feci due sonetti; che nel primo domando in quel modo che voglia mi giunse di domandare; nell' altro dico la loro risposta, pigliando ciò ch' io udii da loro, siccome lo m'avessero detto rispondendo. E cominciai il primo: Voi, che portate; il secondo: Se'tu colui.

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close by me who went on talking and saying among themselves these words: "Who of us can ever be glad who have heard this lady speak so sorrowfully?" After these other women passed, who went on saying: "This man here is crying neither more nor less than if he had seen her, as we have.” Other women then said about me: "Look at this man, who no longer seems the same man, so changed he appears." And thus these women passing by, I heard words about her and about me just as I have said. So that, after thinking about it, there being such a worthy subject matter for speech, I decided to write words in which I would include everything that I had heard from these women. And as, had it not been reprehensible, I would willingly have interrogated them, I dealt with the subject as if I had questioned them and they had answered me. And I wrote two sonnets, in the first of which I ask in what way came to me the wish of addressing them; in the other I state their answer, taking what I heard from them as if it had been said by them in answer. And I began the first: "Ye, who;" the second: "Art thou then he."

Voi, che portate la sembianza umile,
Cogli occhi bassi mostrando dolore,
Onde venite, chè 'l vostro colore
Par divenuto di pietà simíle?

Vedeste voi nostra donna gentile
Bagnata il viso di pianto d'amore?
Ditelmi, donne, chè mel dice il core,
Perch' io vi veggio andar senz'atto vile.
E se venite da tanta pietate,
Piacciavi di ristar qui meco alquanto,
E checchè sia di lei, nol mi celate ;

Ch'io veggio gli occhi vostri c'hanno

pianto,

E veggiovi venir sì sfigurate,

Che 'l cor mi trema di vederne tanto.

Questo sonetto si divide in due parti. Nella prima chiamo e dimando queste donne se vengono da lei, dicendo loro ch' io il credo, perchè tornano quasi ingentilite. Nella seconda le prego che mi dicano di lei; è la seconda comincia quivi: E se venite.

Ye, who in lowlihood are wending by With gaze deject, your heavy mood to show,

Whence come ye? What hath paled your beauty's glow

To tints that well with wan Compassion vie?

Our gentle Lady chanced ye to espy, Her face embathed with floods of love and woe?

From her ye come, my heart affirmeth

So,

Divining by your mien's nobility.

If from such sight of sorrow ye have fled, With me, I pray you, for a while remain, And leave no truth concerning her unsaid; For when I mark your faces marred

with pain,

And think upon the tears your eyes have shed,

My heart within my bosom quakes amain.

This sonnet is divided into two parts. In the first I call and interrogate these women whether they come from her, telling them that I think so, since they return so dignified. In the second I entreat them to speak of her to me; and the second begins: "If from such sight."