Falsembiante 
 
  «Que' che vorrà campar del mi' furore, 
Ec[c]o qui preste le mie difensioni: 
Grosse lamprede, o ver di gran salmoni 
Aporti, [o] lucci, sanza far sentore. 
  La buona anguilla nonn-è già peg[g]iore; 
Alose o tinche o buoni storïoni, 
Torte battute o tartere o fiadoni: 
Queste son cose d'âquistar mi' amore, 
  O s'e' mi manda ancor grossi cavretti 
O gran cappon' di muda be·nodriti 
O paperi novelli o coniglietti. 
  Da ch'e' ci avrà di ta' morse' serviti, 
No·gli bisogna di far gran disdetti: 
Dica che g[i]uoco, e giuoc' a tutti 'nviti. 
 
 

False Seeming 
 
      "If someone wishes to escape my fury,  
here are the weapons to defend himself from me:  
let him bring huge lampreys or enormous salmons  
or pike, without letting it be known. 
      A good eel is hardly bad,  
shad or tench or some good sturgeon,  
cakes or stuffed pastries or sweet breads:  
these are things that will gain my love. 
      Or let him send me large kids,  
or large, well-nourished capons who've moulted,  
or young goslings and rabbits. 
      After he's served us such morsels,  
he'll need not make any big excuses:  
let him tell me what game to play, and I'll play it." 
 

Falsembiante 
 
  «Que' che non pensa d'aver l'armadure 
Ch'i' v'ò contate, o ver preziosi vini, 
O ver di be' sac[c]hetti di fiorini, 
Le mie sentenze lor fìer troppo dure. 
  Né non si fidi già in escritture, 
Ché saccian che co' mie' mastri divini 
I' proverò ched e' son paterini 
E farò lor sentir le gran calure. 
  Od i' farò almen ch'e' fien murati, 
O darò lor sì dure penitenze 
Che me' lor fôra ch'e' non fosser nati. 
  A Prato ed a Arez[z]o e a Firenze 
N'ò io distrutti molti e iscacciati: 
Dolente è que' che cade a mie sentenze». 
 
 

False Seeming 
 
      "Those who do not provide the defensive weapons  
I've mentioned to you --not to mention fine wines  
or lovely pouches full of florins--  
will find my judgments on them very harsh. 
      They should not rely on the Scriptures,  
for they should know that my theologians  
and I will prove that they are Paterines,  
and I will make them feel the hot fires. 
      Or at least I'll have them imprisoned,  
or give them such harsh penances  
that it would be better if they'd not been born. 
      In Prato and in Arezzo and in Florence  
I destroyed and exiled a great many of them: 
sorrowful is he who falls under my judgment!" 
 

Lo Dio d'Amore e Falsembiante 
 
  «Dì, Falsembiante, per gran cortesia, 
Po' ch'i' t'ò ritenuto di mia gente, 
E òtti fatto don sì bel[l]' e gente 
Che·ttu se' re della baratteria, 
  Afideròm[m]i in te, o è follia? 
Fa che·ttu me ne facci conoscente: 
Chéd i' sarei doman troppo dolente, 
Se·ttu pensassi a farmi villania». 
  «Per Dio merzé, messer, non vi dottate, 
Chéd i' vi do la fé, tal com' i' porto, 
Ched i' vi terrò pura lealtate». 
  «Allor», sì disse Amor, «ogno[n] si' acorto 
D'armarsi con su' arme devisate, 
E vadasi al castel che·ssì m'à morto». 
 
 

The God of Love and False Seeming 
 
      "False Seeming, tell me out of courtesy,  
since I have accepted you among my barony  
and have given such a truly noble gift to you  
who are the king of fraud, 
      should I put my trust in you, or is it folly?  
Be sure to let me know,  
because I would be very sad tomorrow,  
if you were planning to betray me." 
      "For God's mercy, my lord, don't be afraid,  
for I give you my word, which is just as reliable as I am,  
that I will maintain true loyalty to you." 
      "Then," said Love, "let each of you be quick  
to arm himself with his particular weapons  
and go to the castle that has ruined me." 
 

L'armata de' baroni 
 
  À l'armadure ciaschedun sì prese, 
E sì s'armâr con molto gran valore 
Per dar a Gelosia pene e dolore, 
Se contra lor [i]stesse alle difese; 
  Ed alcun prese scudo, altro pavese, 
Ispade e lancie, a molto gran romore, 
Dicendo ciaschedun al Die d'Amore 
Che quelle guardie saran morte e prese. 
  Or sì vi conterò la contenenza 
Che Falsembiante fece in quella andata 
Colla su' amica Costretta-Astinenza. 
  E' no·mmenâr co·llor già gente armata, 
Ma come gente di gran penitenza 
Si mosser per fornir ben lor giornata. 
 
 

The Army of Barons 
 
      They all took their weapons  
and armed themselves with great strength,  
in order to give Jealousy pain and anguish,  
if she were to resist them. 
      And some took a shield, others a pavis,  
swords and spears, all with a great shout;  
each one telling the God of Love  
that those guards will be dead and captured. 
      Now I'll tell you how False Seeming  
behaved in that expedition  
with his friend Forced Abstinence. 
      They did not take any armed warriors with them,  
but as people with a penitent look,  
they went forth to accomplish their day's task. 
 

Com'Astinenza andò a Mala-Boc[c]a 
 
  Astinenza-Costretta la primera 
Sì si vestì di roba di renduta, 
Velata che non fosse conosciuta; 
Con un saltero i·man facea preghera. 
  La ciera sua non parea molto fera, 
Anz'era umile e piana divenuta; 
Al saltero una filza avea penduta 
Di paternostri, e 'l laccio di fil iera. 
  Ed i·mano un bordon di ladorneccio 
Portava, il qual le donò ser Baratto: 
Già non era di melo né di leccio; 
  Il suocer le l'avea tagliato e fatto. 
La scarsella avea piena di forneccio. 
Ver' Mala-Bocca andò per darli matto. 
 
 

How Abstinence Went to Bad Mouth 
 
      First of all, Forced Abstinence  
put on a nun's habit,  
complete with veil that she might not be recognized;  
she held a psalter in her hands and prayed. 
      Her face did not seem very fierce;  
indeed, it had become humble and modest;  
she had attached a rosary to her psalter,  
and it was tied with thread. 
      And in her hand she carried  
a thief's staff, which Ser Deceit had given her:  
it was not made of apple wood or of oak; 
      her father-in-law had cut and fashioned it for her.  
Her purse was full of stolen goods. 
She went towards Bad Mouth to checkmate him.