[.................]
Franchez[z]a sì s'è de l'oste partita,
E Amor sì·ll' à ben incaricato
Che·lli dica a la madre ogne su' stato,
Com' egli è a gran rischio de la vita,
E che sua forza è molto infiebolita:
Ch'ella faccia che per lei si' aiutato.
Allor Franchez[z]a sì à cavalcato,
E dritto a Ceceron sì se n'è ita,
Credendo che vi fosse la dïessa:
Ma el[l]' er' ita in bosco per cacciare,
Sì che Franchez[z]a n'andò dritt' a essa.
Sott' una quercia la trovò ombreare:
Quella sì tosto in ginoc[c]hie s'è messa,
E dolzemente l'eb[b]e a salutare.
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[*]
Sincerity left the army of the barons,
and Love gave her instructions
to tell his mother all about his current state--
how his life is in great danger,
and how his strength is greatly diminished--
and to do what she can to help him.
Then Sincerity rode off
and went straight to Mount Cecerone,
believing that the goddess would be there;
but she had gone into the woods to hunt;
and so Sincerity went directly to her.
She found her resting in the shade of an oak tree.
Sincerity quickly kneeled before her
and greeted her courteously.
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[.................]
«Molte salute, madonna, v'aporto
Dal vostro figlio: e' priegavi per Dio
Che 'l socor[r]iate, od egli è in punto rio,
Ché Gelosia gli fa troppo gran torto;
Ch'e' nonn-à guar ched e' fu quasi morto
'N una battaglia, nella qual fu' io.
Ancor si par ben nel visag[g]io mio,
Che molto mi vi fu strett' ed atorto».
Allor Venusso fu molto crucciata,
E disse ben che·lla fortez[z]a fia
Molto tosto per lei tutta 'mbraciata;
Ed a malgrado ancor di Gelosia
Ella serà per terra rovesciata:
No·lle varrà già guardia che vi sia.
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[*]
"My Lady, I bring you many greetings
from your son, who begs you, in the name of God,
that you help him, or else he is in serious trouble,
because Jealousy is giving him many problems.
A short while ago he was almost killed
in a battle, in which I too took part.
My face still clearly shows
that I was in the thick of battle."
Then Venus became enraged
and said that very soon
she will set the fortress on fire;
and despite the efforts of Jealousy,
the fortress will be destroyed:
no guard whatsoever will be able to save it.
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[.................]
Venusso sì montò sus' un ronzino
Corsiere, ch'era buon da cacciagione,
E con sua gente n'andò a Cicerone:
Sì comanda che sia prest' al matino
Il carro süo, ch'era d'oro fino.
Imantenente fu messo i·limone
E presto tutto, sì ben per ragione
Che, quando vuol, puote entrar in camino.
Ma non volle caval per limoniere
Né per tirare il car[r]o, anzi fe' trare
Cinque colombi d'un su' colombiere:
A corde di fil d'or gli fe' legare.
Non bisognava avervi carettiere,
Ché·lla dea gli sapëa ben guidare.
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[*]
Venus mounted her swift
steed, which was good for hunting,
and with her company she went to Mount Cicerone:
she orders that her war chariot of pure gold
be ready in the morning.
The pole was quickly attached to the chariot,
and all was readied so that
they can begin the journey whenever they want.
But she refused to have a guide horse
pull the chariot; rather, she took
five doves from one of her dovecotes
and had them tied to it with golden threads.
A coachman was not needed,
for the goddess was an expert driver.
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[.................]
Di gran vantag[g]io fu 'l carro prestato.
Venusso ben matin v'è su salita,
E sì sacciate ch'ell' era guernita
E d'arco e di brandon ben impennato;
E seco porta fuoco temperato.
Così da Ciceron sì s'è partita,
E dritta all'oste del figl[i]uol n'è ita
Con suo' colombi che 'l car[r]' àn tirato.
Lo Dio d'Amor sì avea rotte le trieve
Prima che Veno vi fosse arivata,
Ché troppo gli parea l'atender grieve.
Venus[so] dritta a lui sì se n'è andata,
Sì disse: «Figl[i]uol, non dottar, ché 'n brieve
Questa fortez[z]a no' avremo ater[r]ata.
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[...]
The chariot was readied in excellent fashion.
Early in the morning Venus climbed aboard,
and you should know that she was well equipped
with a bow and a well-feathered torch,
and with her she brought a well-tempered fire.
In this way she left Mount Cicerone
and went straight to her son's army
with her doves that pulled the chariot.
The God of Love had broken the truce,
before Venus had arrived,
for the wait seemed to him intolerable.
Venus went straight to him
and said: "My son, do not fear, for in no time
we'll have brought this fortress down."
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[.................]
«Figl[i]uol mi', tu farai un saramento,
E io d'altra parte sì 'l faròe,
Che castitate i' ma' non lascieròe
In femina che ag[g]ia intendimento,
Né tu in uon che·tti si' a piacimento.
Ed i' te dico ben ch'i' lavorròe
Col mi' brandone: sì gli scalderòe
Che ciaschedun verrà a comandamento».
Per far le saramenta sì aportaro,
En luogo di relique e di messale,
Brandoni e archi e saette; sì giuraro
Di suso, e dis[s]er c[h]'altrettanto vale.
Color de l'oste ancor vi s'acordaro,
Ché ciaschedun sapea le Dicretale.
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[*]
"My son, you will make a pledge,
and I will make one too:
namely, that I will never let chastity remain
in any woman who has common sense,
and you should do the same with any man you like.
And I say to you that I will go to work
with my torch, and I'll heat them up
so much that each one will obey our command."
In order to make these vows, they brought--
in the place of relics and a missal--
torches and bows and arrows; and so they swore
on these objects, declaring them to be equally valid.
All those in the army of Love were in agreement,
for each one of them knew the Decretals.
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