[.................]
Venus[so], che d'assalire era presta,
Sì comanda a ciascun ched e' s'arenda
O che la mercé ciascheduno atenda,
Ch'ella la guarda lor tratutta presta.
E sì lor à giurato, per sua testa,
Ched e' non fia nessun che si difenda,
Ch'ella de la persona no·gli afenda:
E così ciaschedun sì amonesta.
Vergogna sì respuose: «I' non vi dotto.
Se nel castel non fosse se non io,
Non crederei che fosse per voi rotto.
Quando vi piace intrare a·lavorio,
Già per minaccie no·mi 'ntrate sotto,
Né vo' né que' che d'amor si fa dio».
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[*]
Venus, who was ready to attack,
orders everyone either to surrender
or to wait for their reward,
which she has good and ready for them.
And so she swore to them on her own head
that no one will be able to defend himself
from the bodily wounds that she'll inflict;
and thus, she gives each and every one fair warning.
Modesty answered: "I'm not afraid of you.
Even if I were the only one in the castle,
I would not believe that it could be destroyed by you.
Whenever you want, you can begin your efforts;
You'll not take the castle with threats alone,
not you nor that one who calls himself the God of Love."
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[.................]
Quando Venùs intese che Vergogna
Parlò sì arditamente contr' a·llei,
Sì gl[i] à giurato per tutti gli dèi
Ch'ella le farà ancor gran vergogna;
E poi villanamente la rampogna,
Dicendo: «Garza, poco pregerei
Il mi' brandon, sed i' te non potrei
Farti ricoverare in una fogna.
Già tanto non se' figlia di Ragione,
Che sempre co' figl[i]uoi m'à guer[r]eg[g]iato,
Ch'i' non ti metta fuoco nel groppone».
Ed a Paura ancor da l'altro lato:
«Ben poco varrà vostra difensione,
Quand' i' v'avrò il fornel ben riscaldato».
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[*]
When Venus heard Modesty
speak so boldly against her,
she quickly swore on all the gods
that she will bring her great disgrace.
And then rudely she rebukes her,
saying: "You slut, little would I value
my torch, if I could not make
you take refuge in a sewer.
You aren't so much the daughter of Reason,
who has always battled me with her children,
that I won't set your ass on fire."
And to Fear who's still on the other side:
"Your defense won't be worth too much to you,
once I've stoked up your hot little oven."
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[.................]
Molto le va Venus[so] minacciando,
Dicendo, se no·rendono il castello,
Ched ella metterà fuoco al fornello,
Sì che per forza le n'andrà cacciando.
E disse: «A mille diavol' v'acomando,
Chi amor fug[g]e, e fosse mi' fratello!
Perdio, i' le farò tener bordello,
Color che l'amor vanno sì schifando:
Chéd e' non è più gioia che ben amare.
Rendetemi il castel, o veramente
I' 'l farò imantenente giù versare;
E poi avremo il fior certanamente,
E sì 'l faremo in tal modo sfogliare
Che poi non fia vetato a nulla gente».
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[...]
Venus threatens these two a lot,
saying that, if they don't surrender the castle,
then she'll set their burners on fire,
so that she will surely drive them out.
She said: "To a thousand devils I commend anyone
who flees from love, even if it were my own brother!
By God, all those who put up resistance to Love
I'll turn them into whores.
For there's no greater joy than loving well.
Surrender the castle to me, or truly
I'll have it quickly destroyed;
and then we'll certainly take the Flower,
and have it deflowered in such a way
that it will no longer be off limits to any one."
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[.................]
Venus[so] la sua roba à socorciata,
Crucciosa per sembianti molto e fiera;
Verso 'l castel tenne sua caminiera,
E ivi sì s'è un poco riposata;
E riposando sì eb[b]e avisata,
Come cole' ch'era sottil archiera,
Tra due pilastri una balestriera,
La qual Natura v'avea compas[s]ata.
In su' pilastri una image avea asisa;
D'argento fin sembiava, sì lucea:
Trop[p]' era ben tagl[i]ata a gran divisa.
Di sotto un santüaro sì avea:
D'un drap[p]o era coperto, sì in ta' guisa
Che 'l santüaro punto non parea.
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[*]
Venus hiked her skirt up to her waist;
she was angry in her disposition and fierce:
she began to march toward the castle,
and, once there, she rested for a bit.
And while she was resting, she noted,
since she was an expert archer,
a loophole between two pillars,
which Nature had designed with care.
Atop the pillars was placed an image;
it seemed to be made of fine silver, so it shone;
it was fashioned with great skill.
Underneath there was a reliquary,
covered by a cloth in such a way
that the reliquary was not at all visible.
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[.................]
Troppo avea quel[l]' imagine 'l [vi]saggio
Tagliato di tranobile faz[z]one:
Molto pensai d'andarvi a processione
E di fornirvi mie pelligrinag[g]io;
E sì no·mi saria paruto oltrag[g]io
Di starvi un dì davanti ginoc[c]hione,
E poi di notte es[s]ervi su boccone,
E di donarne ancor ben gran logag[g]io.
Ched i' era certan, sed i' toccasse
L'erlique che di sotto eran riposte,
Che ogne mal ch'i' avesse mi sanasse;
E fosse mal di capo, o ver di coste,
Od altra malatia, che mi gravasse,
A tutte m'avria fatto donar soste.
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[*]
The face of that image was very well-fashioned
and had an exceedingly noble appearance;
My only thought was to go there in procession
and to complete my pilgrimage there.
And it would not have seemed to me too much
to kneel before it for an entire day
and then at night to lie prostrate before it,
and to make a great offering in addition.
For I was sure that, if I were able to touch
the relics that were kept below the image,
my every ill would be healed;
and if I suffered from headaches, or back pains,
or any other grievous sickness,
these relics would give me relief from all of them.
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