La Vec[c]hia
«Molto mi dolea il cuor quand' i' vedea
Che·ll'uscio mïo stava in tal sog[g]iorno,
Che vi solea aver tal pressa 'ntorno
Che tutta la contrada ne dolea.
Ma, quanto a me, e' no·me ne calea,
Ché troppo più piacea loro quel torno,
Ch'i' era allora di sì grande attorno
Che tutto quanto il mondo mi' parea.
Or convenia che di dolor morisse
Quand' i' vedea que' giovani passare,
E ciaschedun parea che mi schernisse.
Vec[c]hia increspata mi facean chiamare
A colù' solamente che giadisse
Più carnalmente mi solea amare.
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The Old Woman
"My heart was truly grieved when I saw
that my door was in such a quiet state,
for there used to be such a crowd around it
that the whole neighborhood would complain.
But as for me, I didn't care,
because they liked to come around;
and I was then so wondrously beautiful
that the entire world seemed mine.
Now, it was inevitable that I should die of sorrow
when I would see those young men pass by:
each of them it seemed was mocking me.
A wrinkled old woman, they had me called
by the one who only a short while ago
had loved me with great carnal desire."
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La Vec[c]hia
«Ancora d'altra parte cuore umano
Non pensereb[b]e il gran dolor ch'i' sento
Tratutte l'ore ch'i' ò pensamento
De' be' basciar' che m'ànno dato mano.
Ogni sollaz[z]o m'è og[g]i lontano,
Ma non ira e dolori e gran tormento:
Costor sì ànno fatto saramento
Ch'i' non uscirò lor mai di tra mano.
Or puo' veder com' i' son arivata,
Né al mi' mal nonn-à altra cagione
Se non ched i' fu' troppo tosto nata.
Ma sap[p]ie ched io ò ferma intenzione
Ch'i' sarò ancor[a] per te vendicata,
Se·ttu ben riterrai la mia lezione.
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The Old Woman
"Yet, on the other hand, a human heart
could not imagine the great pain I feel
all those many hours when I remember
the wonderful kisses that have bid me farewell.
Every joy is far from me today,
but not anger and pain and great suffering:
these have made a vow
that I will never leave their clutches.
Now you can see to what point I've come,
and for my pain there is no other cause
except that I was born too soon.
But you should know that I have a firm belief
that I will be avenged by you,
if you will learn my lesson well."
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La Vec[c]hia
«Non ne pos[s]' altrementi far vengianza
Se non per insegnarti mia dottrina,
Perciò che·llo me' cor sì m'indovina
Che·ttu darai lor ancor gran micianza,
A que' ribaldi che tanta viltanza
Me diceano da sera e da mattina:
Tutti gli met[t]erai anche a la china,
Se·ttu sa' ben tener la tua bilanza.
Ché sie certana, s'i' fosse dell'ag[g]io,
Figl[i]uola mia, che tu·sse' or presente,
Ch'i' gli pagherè' ben di lor oltrag[g]io,
Sì che ciascuno farè' star dolente:
Già tanto non sareb[b]e pro' né sag[g]io
Ched i' non ne facesse pan-chiedente.
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The Old Woman
"I cannot avenge myself in any other way
except through teaching you my doctrine;
for my heart foresees
that you will do great harm
to those scoundrels who insulted me
both night and day.
You will bring all of them to ruin,
if you can keep them off balance.
My daughter, if I were the age
that you are now, you may be sure that
I would really pay them back for their offence
and make each one of them suffer:
indeed, no man would be so valiant or wise
that I would not turn him into a beggar."
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La Vec[c]hia
«In gran povertà tutti gli met[t]esse,
Sì come t'ò di sopra sermonato,
E sì sareb[b]e il primo dispogliato
Coluï che più cara mi tenesse.
Di nessun mai pietà no·mi'n prendesse,
Ché ciaschedun vorrè' aver disertato:
Ché sie certana ch'e' nonn-è peccato
Punir la lor malatia, chi potesse.
Ma e' non dottan guari mia minac[c]ia
Né non fan forza di cosa ch'i' dica,
Perciò ch'ò troppo crespa la mia fac[c]ia.
Figliuola mia, se Dio ti benedica,
I' non so chi vendetta me ne faccia
Se non tu, ch'i' per me son troppo antica.
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The Old Woman
"I would reduce them all to poverty,
just as I have preached to you earlier,
and the first to be stripped of wealth
would be the one who held me most dear.
Pity would never seize me for anyone,
for I would like to ruin each and every one of them;
now be assured that it is not a sin
for one to punish their vice, if one could.
But they do not fear my threats very much,
nor do they worry over what I say,
since I have so many wrinkles in my face.
My daughter, may God bless you,
I don't know who could avenge me
except for you, for I'm too old to do it myself."
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La Vec[c]hia
«Molte volte mi disse quel ribaldo
Per cu' i' eb[b]i tanta pena e male,
Ched e' ver[r]eb[b]e ancor tal temporale
Ched i' avreï spesso fredo e caldo.
Ben disse ver, quel conto ò i' ben saldo;
Ma, per l'agio ch'i' eb[b]i, tanto e tale
Che tutto quanto il cuor mi ne trasale,
Quand' i' rimembro, sì ritorna baldo.
Giovane donna nonn-è mai ozïosa,
Sed ella ben al fatto si ripensa
Per ch'ella sti' a menar vita gioiosa:
Ma' ch'ella pensi a chieder sua dispensa,
Sì ch'ella non si truovi sofrattosa
Quando vec[c]hiez[z]a vien poi che·ll'ade[n]sa.
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The Old Woman
"Many times that scoundrel said to me,
the one for whom I had so much pain and ill,
that such a time would arrive
when I would feel both cold and heat.
He certainly told the truth; that debt I've truly paid;
but, so much and so intense was the pleasure I enjoyed,
that my heart leaps up in me
when I remember, and then becomes happy once again.
A young woman is never idle,
if she considers carefully the matter
of how she may lead a joyful life,
except that she should think to fill her larder,
so that she may never find herself in need,
when old age comes and attacks her."
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