Come Falsembiante andò a Mala-Bocca
Falso-Sembiante, sì com' on di coro
Religïoso e di santa vita,
S'aparec[c]hiò, e sì avea vestita
La roba frate Alberto d'Agimoro.
Il su' bordon non fu di secomoro,
Ma di gran falsità ben ripulita;
La sua scarsella avea pien' e fornita
Di tradigion, più che d'argento o d'oro;
Ed una bib[b]ia al collo tutta sola
Portava: in seno avea rasoio tagl[i]ente,
Ch'el fece fab[b]ricare a Tagliagola,
Di che quel Mala-Bocca maldicente
Fu poï strangolato, che tal gola
Avëa de dir male d'ogne gente.
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How False Seeming Went to Bad Mouth
Just like a member of a religious order
or a man of holy life,
False Seeming got ready and had donned for this occasion
the habit of Albert of Agimore.
His staff was not made of sycamore
but of great and highly polished falsity;
his purse was full and stocked
with treason, more than with gold or silver;
and over his shoulder he carried a volume, all by itself:
inside his shirt he had a sharp razor,
he'd had it made in Tagliagola,
and later used it to cut the slanderous
Bad Mouth's throat, the one who took great pleasure
in saying evil things about everyone.
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Mala-Boc[c]a, Falsembiante e Costretta-Astinenza
Così n'andaro in lor pellegrinag[g]io
La buona pellegrina e 'l pellegrino;
Ver' Mala-Bocca ten[n]er lor camino,
Che troppo ben guardava su' passag[g]io.
E Falsembiante malizioso e sag[g]io
Il salutò col capo molto chino,
E sì gli diss': «I' son mastro divino,
Sì siàn venuti a voi per ostellag[g]io».
Mala-Bocca conob[b]e ben Sembiante,
Ma non che·ffosse Falso; sì rispuose
C[h]'ostel dareb[b]e lor: «Venite avante».
Ad Astinenza molto mente puose,
Ché veduta l'avea per volte mante;
Ma per Costretta già mai no·lla spuose.
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Bad Mouth, False Seeming, and Forced Abstinence
And so the good pilgrims, female and male,
went on their pilgrimage;
they headed straight for Bad Mouth,
who very carefully guarded his gate.
Malicious and wise False Seeming
greeted him with his head bent low,
saying: "I am a master of theology,
and we have come to you to obtain hospitality."
Bad Mouth clearly recognized Seeming,
but not that he was False; thus, he replied
that he would give them shelter: "Come in."
He observed Abstinence very closely,
for he had seen her many times;
but he did not recognize her as Forced.
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Mala-Bocca, Falsembiante e Costretta-Astinenza
Mala-Bocca sì 'nchiede i pellegrini
Di loro stato e di lor condizione,
E dimandò qual era la cagione
Ch'egli andavan sì matti e sì tapini.
Que' disser: «No' sì siàn mastri divini,
E sì cerchiamo in ogne regïone
De l'anime che vanno a perdizione,
Per rimenargli a lor dritti camini.
Or par che·ssia piaciuto al Salvatore
D'averci qui condotti per vo' dire
E gastigar del vostro grande errore,
S'e' vi piace d'intender e d'udire».
«..............................[-ore]
O fatto, i' sì son presto d'ubidire».
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Bad Mouth, False Seeming, and Forced Abstinence
Bad Mouth asks the pilgrims
of their status and condition,
and asked them why
they looked so discouraged and wretched.
They said: "We are masters of theology,
and so in every region we look for
souls who seem destined for hell,
in order to bring them back to the proper path.
Now it seems that it has pleased the Savior
to have brought us here to remind you
of your great sin and to chastise you for it,
if you wish to learn about it and to listen."
"[. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]
or done, I am ready to obey."
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Astinenza
Astinenza sì cominciò a parlare,
E disse: «La vertude più sovrana
Che possa aver la criatura umana,
Sì è della sua lingua rifrenare.
Sovr' ogn' altra persona a noi sì pare
Ch'esto peccato in voi fiorisce e grana;
Se no'l lasciate, egli è cosa certana
Che nello 'nferno vi conviene andare:
Ché pez[z]'à c[h]'una truffola levaste
Sopra 'l valetto che vo' ben sapete:
Con gran[de] torto voi il difamaste,
Ch'e' non pensava a·cciò chevo' credete.
Bellacoglienza tanto ne gravaste
Ch'ella fu messa là ove vo' vedete».
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Abstinence
Abstinence then began to speak,
saying: "The highest virtue
that the human creature can have
is to restrain his tongue.
It seems to us that this sin
flowers and prospers in you more than in any other;
if you don't let go of it, it's certain
that you will go to hell.
For some time ago you began a vicious rumor
about the young man, you know this well:
you slandered him wrongly,
for he was not planning to do what you think he was.
You made such heavy accusations against Fair Welcome
that she was placed there where you can see her."
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Mala-Bocca
Udendo Mala-Bocca c[h]'Astinenza
Sì forte il biasimava e riprendea,
Sì·ssi crucciò, e disse ch'e' volea
C[h]'andasser fuor della su'apartenenza:
«Vo' credete coprir Bellacoglienza
Di ciò che quel valetto far credea.
Be·llo dissi e dirò, che la volea
Donargli il fior, e quest'era sua 'ntenza.
Quel [n]onn-errò del bascio, quest'è certo:
Per ch'i' vi dico, a voi divinatori,
Che questo fatto non fia già coverto.
Vo' mi parete due inganatori:
Andate fuor di casa, che 'n aperto
Vi dico ch'i' non vo' tapinatori».
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Bad Mouth
Upon hearing the strong reproach
and criticism that Abstinence gave him,
Bad Mouth got very mad and said he wanted
them to leave his territory:
"You think you can clear Fair Welcome
of that which the young lad was thinking of doing.
I said it once and I'll say it again, that she wanted
to give him the Flower, and this was her intention.
That one did not kiss her by mistake, that's for sure:
for which I tell you, you fancy talkers,
that this deed will not be hidden.
You seem to me to be two deceivers:
get out of my house, for I'll plainly
tell you that I don't want swindlers here."
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