And if thou be ashamed
That I adore,
O let me not be blamed
But love therefore,
Because 'gainst him avails nor might-nor measure.

I

FOUND a shepherdess in forest glade
Lovelier, methought, than any star to see ;

Her rippled tresses wore a golden hue,
Her eyes were bright with love, her cheeks flushed deep
As roses are ; the while she tended sheep,
Her feet were bare and sprinkled o'er with dew;
She sang as maids in love are wont to do,
Adorned with every grace she seemed to be.

I greeted her forthwith in Love's own name
And asked her if she chanced in company ;
She answered gently that alone she came
Awandering through the wood, and thus spake she :
“Know thou that when the birds sing merrily
'Tis then this heart of mine doth crave a lover!”

Thereon, since she had told me of her plight
And I could hear the birds sing merrily,
Unto myself I said : “Now is the season
With this sweet shepherdess of joy to reason !”
Then did I crave her favour, if to kiss
And to embrace she reckoned not amiss.

She took me by the hand in tender way
And said that she had given her heart to me ;
She led me underneath a verdant spray,
Where flowers of every colour I could see;
So fond, so blithe was everything anigh
I thought the god of love himself stood by.

VETE 'n vo' li fiori e la verdura

ciò che luce ed è bello a vedere ; risplende più che 'l sol vostra figura ; chi vo' non vede ma' non pò valere. In questo mondo non ha creatura si piena di bieltà nè di piacere : e chi d'amor si teme, l' assicura vostro bel viso, e non pò più temere.

Le donne che vi fanno compagnia assa' mi piaccion per lo vostro onore, ed i' le prego, per lor cortesia che qual più puote più vi faccia onore, ed aggia cara vostra segnoria, perchè di tutte sete la migliore.

CECCO ANGIOLIERI. Secolo XIII, seconda metà

S

'i' fosse foco, ardere' il mondo;

s'i' fosse vento, lo tempesterei ; s'i' fosse acqua, io l'anegherei ; s'i' fosse dio, mandereil en profondo; s'i' fosse papa, sare' alor giocondo, chè tutt' i cristiani imbrigherei ; s'i' fosse 'mperator, sa' che farei ? a tutti mozarei lo capo a tondo.

S'i' fosse morte, andarei da mio padre ; s'i' fosse vita, fugirei da lui; similmente faria di mi' madre. S'i' fosse Cecco com' i' sono e fui, torei le donne giovani e legiadre, e vecchie e laide lasserei altrui.

o, I divine in thee flowers, verdant sprays,

;

Thy face is clearer than the sun's own rays,
Who sees thee not may well bemoan his plight !
There is no being upon earth below
So rich as thou in loveliness and grace :
Who feareth love, from fear doth straightly go
When he hath been consoled by thy sweet face.

The maids who tarry in thy company
For thy dear sake are pleasing in my sight,
And I would beg them of their courtesy
To honour thee each one with all her might
And 'neath thy sway contentedly to fall,
Because thou art the mistress of them all.

CECCO ANGIOLIERI. Late XIIIth Century

I

FI were fire, I'd burn the world ; if wind,

Around about it furiously I'd blow; If water, drowning it would suit my mind; If God, then I'd dispatch it straight below; If I were pope, I'd have a bit of fun By setting Christians one against another; If emp'ror, well, what think ye I'd have done? All heads chopped off, and so an end to bother !

I would go seek my father were I death;
But were I life from him I'd flee away ;
And I'd behave the same towards my

mother ;
If Cecco, as I am and draw my breath,
I'd choose such ladies as are young and gay,
Leaving the old and ugly to another.

LAPO GIANNI. Secolo XIII, seconda metà

Q

UESTA rosa novella,
che fa piacer sua gaia giovanezza,

mostra che gentilezza,
amor, sia nata per virtù di quella.

S'i' fossi sufficiente di raccontar sua maraviglia nova, diria come natura l' ha adornata ; ma io non son possente di saper allegar verace prova : dillo tu, Amor, che serà me' laudata. Ben dico una fiata levando gli occhi per mirarla fiso, presemi 'l dolce riso e li occhi suoi lucenti come stella.

Allor bassai li mei per lo tuo raggio che mi giunse al core entro in quel punto ch' io la riguardai. Tu dicesti : “ Costei mi piace signoreggi 'l tuo valore, e servo alla tua vita le sarai.” Ond' io ringrazio assai, dolce signor, la tua somma grandezza, ch' i' vivo in allegrezza, pensando a cui mia alma hai fatt' ancella.

Ballata giovincella, dirai a quella ch' ha bionda la trezza, ch' Amor, per la sua altezza, m'ha comandato i' sia servente d'ella.

LAPO GIANNI. Late XIIIth Century

TH

HIS tender rose,

Whose merry-hearted youth is framed to please,
O Love, with ease
Proveth how from her virtue sweetness flows.

Had I but power
To laud her virgin wonder, I would show
How Nature decked her in all wond'rous ways ;
But I've no dower
Of wisdom whence truth may be proven, so
Speak thou, O Love, and worthier her praise.
But how to gaze
On her I once did turn my eyes, the grace
Of her sweet face
And starry eyes beholding, I will tell.

Then I lowered mine,
Because this heart was pierced with radiancy
In the same moment I beheld her face.
“O'er will of thine,"
Didst say, “this Lady shall have seignory
And thou shalt be her slave a whole life's space.”
Thanks for this grace,
To thee, omnipotent, sweet lord, I give
And gaily live,
Thinking of her my soul doth serve so well.

Go, little song,
And unto her of the gold curls draw nigh,
Saying almighty Love hath willed that I
To her belong.