Commentary Par XXIII 9

For the medieval alba (a love-song, lamenting the coming of dawn, sung to one's beloved after a night of lovemaking), see Saville (Savi.1972.1).  And see Picone (Pico.1994.2), pp. 211-13, for the relevance also of the religious alba.  Picone points out that in Dante's scene the dawn is a welcome presence, betiding the renewal of affection rather than the sad time of necessary separation for lovers.