La Vec[c]hia 
 
  «Ancor non dé aver femina credenza 
Che nessun uon malia farle potesse, 
Néd ella ancor altrui, s'ella volesse 
C[h]'altri l'amasse contra sua voglienza. 
  Medea, in cui fu tanta sapïenza, 
Non potte far che Gesono tenesse 
Per arte nulla ch'ella gli facesse, 
Sì che 'nver' lei tornasse la sua 'ntenza. 
  Sì non dea nessun don, che guari vaglia, 
A null' amante, tanto l'apregiasse: 
Doni borsa, guanciale o tovaglia, 
  O cinturetta che poco costasse, 
Covricef[f]o o aguglier di bella taglia, 
O gumitol di fil, s'egli 'l degnasse. 
 
 

The Old Woman 
 
      "Moreover, a woman must not believe  
that any man can cast a spell on her,  
nor that she could do the same with men, if she would wish  
them to love her against their will. 
      Medea, who was so knowledgeable in these matters,  
could not keep her hold on Jason,  
despite the magic spells she tried on him  
to make him direct his love towards her.  
      A woman should not give expensive gifts,  
to any lover, no matter how much she might prize him:  
let her give a purse, a pillow or a tablecloth, 
      or a very inexpensive belt,  
a cap or a nicely crafted pin case,  
or a skein of yarn if he would deem it worthy." 
 

La Vec[c]hia 
 
  «Ma ciascun uon c[h]'avesse in sé ragione 
O che del mondo ben savio sareb[b]e, 
Ma' don' di femina non prendereb[b]e, 
Ché non son che·llacci di tradigione: 
  Ché quella che facesse donagione, 
Contra la sua natura pec[c]hereb[b]e, 
E 'n gran follia ciascun gliele por[r]eb[b]e, 
Sed ella no'l facesse a falligione. 
  Perciò ciascuna pensi, quando dona, 
Che doni nella guisa c[h]' ò parlato: 
Sì che, quand' ella avrà passata nona, 
  Il guardacuor suo sïa sì fodrato 
Ch'ella non cag[g]ia a merzé di persona; 
E ciò tien tutto al ben aver guardato. 
 
 

The Old Woman 
 
      "But any man who was astute  
or wise in worldly ways  
would never take gifts from a woman,  
for they are nothing but the snares of treachery. 
      For the woman who would give gifts  
would sin against her nature,  
and everyone would think her quite foolish,  
if she were not doing it to deceive. 
      Therefore, when giving a gift, let every woman plan  
to give in the manner that I've described,  
so that, when she has passed the ninth hour,  
      her overcoat may be so well-lined  
that she does not have to count on the charity of anyone:  
and this depends on her having set wealth aside." 
 

La Vec[c]hia 
 
  «Al ben guardar fallì', lassa dolente, 
Ché·cciò c[h]'all'un togliea, al'altro donava: 
Come 'l danaio venia, così n'andava; 
Non facea forza d'aver rimanente. 
  I' era di ciascun molto prendente, 
E tutto quanto a un ribaldo il dava, 
Che puttana comune mi chiamava 
E mi battea la schiena ben sovente. 
  Questi era que' che più mi piacea, 
E gli altri 'amici dolci' i' apellava, 
Ma solamente a costui ben volea, 
  Che mol[to] tosto s'apacificava 
Comeco, sì battuta no·m'avea, 
Ché troppo dolzemente mi scuf[f]iava. 
 
 

The Old Woman 
 
      "I failed to set wealth aside, oh wretched, sorry me,  
for what I took from one, I gave to another;  
as money came in, so it went out;  
I made no effort to save any of it. 
      I was used to taking gifts from every man,  
and all of these I gave to a scoundrel,  
who called me a common whore  
and would frequently beat me. 
      He was the one I loved the most,  
and I would call the others 'sweet friends,' 
but he was the only one I loved, 
      and he would quickly make up  
with me, although he'd beaten me up,  
for he screwed me most sweetly." 
 

La Vec[c]hia 
 
  «S'i' fosse stata, per l'anima mia, 
Ben savia in giovanez[z]a e conos[c]ente, 
Ch'i' era allor sì bella e sì piacente 
Che 'n ogne parte novelle ne gia, 
  I' sarè' troppo ric[c]a, in fede mia; 
Ma i' sì 'l dava tutto a quel dolente, 
C[h]'a ben far non fu anche intendente, 
Ma tutto dispendea in ribalderia. 
  Né no·gli pia[c]que nulla risparmiare, 
Ch'e' tutto no'l beves[s]e e no'l giucasse, 
Tant' era temperato a pur mal fare: 
  Sì c[h]'a la fin conven[n]e ch'i'llet lasciasse, 
Quand' i' non eb[b]i più che gli donare; 
E me e sé di gran ric[c]hez[z]a trasse». 
 
 

The Old Woman 
 
      "If I had been, for my sake,  
very wise and intelligent in my youth,  
when I was still so beautiful and pleasing  
that news of me went everywhere, 
      I would be very rich, believe me;  
but I gave everything to that wretch,  
who was not smart enough to do wise things,  
and he spent it all in debauchery. 
      He didn't like to save anything,  
but drank and gambled it all away,  
so singularly predisposed was he to vice; 
      so in the end I had to leave him,  
when I no longer had anything to give him;  
he took wealth away from me and from himself." 
 

La Vec[c]hia 
 
  Così à quella vec[c]hia sermonato. 
Bellacoglienza molto queta è stata 
E molto volontier l'à ascoltata, 
E molto e' n'è 'l su' cuor rasicurato: 
  Sì ch'e' seria leg[g]ier a far mercato, 
Se Gelosia non vi fosse trovata 
E' tre portier', che fanno gran veg[g]hiata, 
Ché ciascun dotta d'es[s]er barattato. 
  Di Mala-Bocca, che già era morto, 
Nessun di lor non facea lada ciera, 
Ché chi l'amasse sì faria gran torto: 
  Ché non finava di dìe né da sera 
Di dar a Gelosia nuovo sconforto, 
Né non dicea giamai parola vera. 
 
 

The Old Woman 
 
      In this way that old woman preached.  
Fair Welcome was very quiet  
and listened to her most willingly,  
and her heart is greatly reassured by it. 
      Thus, it would be easy to close the deal,  
if Jealousy had not been there  
and the three gatekeepers who are so vigilant,  
for each one is afraid of being deceived. 
      None of them was very concerned  
about Bad Mouth, who was already dead,  
for whoever would love him would make a big mistake; 
      for day and night he never stopped  
giving Jealousy new trouble,  
and never did he utter a true word.