Amico
«Sovr' ogne cosa pensa di lusinghe,
Lodando sua maniera e sua faz[z]one,
E che di senno passa Salamone:
Con questi motti vo' che·lla dipinghe.
Ma guarda non s'aveg[g]a che·tt'infinghe,
Ché non v'andresti mai a processione;
Non ti var[r]eb[b]e lo star ginoc[c]hione:
Però quel lusingar fa che tu 'l tinghe.
Chéd e' n'è ben alcuna sì viziata
Che non crede già mai ta' favolelle,
Perc[h]' altra volta n'è stata beffata;
Ma queste giovanette damigelle,
Cu' la lor terra nonn-è stata arata,
Ti crederanno ben cotà' novelle.
|
Friend
"Above all, think about flattery,
praising her manners and her appearance,
and how she passes Solomon in wisdom:
with these words I want you to describe her.
But be careful she doesn't notice you're pretending,
because you would never go there in procession,
nor would it serve you to kneel in front of her:
therefore, be sure to disguise your flattery well.
There's always a woman so clever
she never believes such tales,
because she was once deceived by them.
But these young ladies,
whose field has never been plowed,
will certainly believe such stories from you."
|
|
Amico
«Se·ttu ài altra amica procacciata,
O ver che·ttu la guardi a procac[c]iare,
E sì non vuo' per ciò abandonare
La prima cu' à' lungo tempo amata,
Se·ttu a la novella à' gioiadonata,
Sì dì ch'ella la guardi di recare
In luogo ove la prima ravisare
No·lla potesse, ché seria smembrata.
O s'ella ancor ne fosse in sospez[z]one,
Fa saramenta ch'ella t'ag[g]ia torto,
C[h]'unque ver' lei non fosti i·mesprigione;
E s'ella il pruova, convien che sie acorto
A dir che forza fu e tradigione:
Allor la prendi e sì·lle 'nnaffia l'orto.
|
Friend
"If you have found another female friend,
or if you are trying to get one,
and you don't want for this reason to abandon
the first woman whom you've loved for some time,
and if you've given a jewel to the new woman,
tell her to be careful not to wear it
in a place where the first woman might see
and recognize it, for she would be cut into pieces.
Now, if the first woman were still suspicious,
swear that she's wrong about you,
that you would never misbehave in her regard.
And if she can prove it, you must be quick
to say it happened by force and treachery:
then grab her and water her garden."
|
|
Amico
«E se·ttua donna cade it mmalatia,
Sì pensa che·lla faccie ben servire,
Né·ttu da·llei giamai non ti partire;
Dàlle vivanda c[h]'a piacer le sia;
E po' sì·lle dirai: 'Anima mia,
Istanotte ti tenni i·mmio dormire
Intra·lle braccia, sana, al me' disire:
Molto mi fece Idio gran cortesia,
Che mi mostrò sì dolze avisïone'.
Po' dica, ch'ella l'oda, come sag[g]io,
Che per lei farà' far gran processione,
O·ttu n'andrà' in lontan pellegrinag[g]io,
Se Gesocristo le dà guerigione.
Così avrai il su' amor e 'l su' corag[g]io».
|
Friend
"And if your lady becomes ill,
make sure that she's served well,
and never leave her side:
give her food that she likes;
and then you'll say to her: 'My soul,
last night in my dream I held you
in my arms, completely cured, as I hoped and prayed:
certainly God granted me a great favor,
when he showed me such a sweet vision.'
Then say, as a wise man would, so that she may hear,
that for her you'll have a great ceremony performed,
or that you'll go on a long pilgrimage,
if Jesus Christ heals her.
Thus, you'll have her love and her heart."
|
|
L'Amante e Amico
Quand' eb[b]i inteso Amico che leale
Consiglio mi d[on]ava a su' podere,
I' sì·lli dissi: «Amico, il mi' volere
Non fu unquanche d'esser disleale;
Né piaccia a Dio ch'i' sia condottoa tale
Ch'i' a le genti mostri benvolere
E servali del corpo e dell'avere,
Ch[ed] i' pensas[s]e poi di far lor male.
Ma sòffera ch'i' avante disfidi
E Mala-Bocca e tutta sua masnada,
Sì che neuno i·mme giamai si fidi;
Po' penserò di metterli a la spada_bb.
Que' mi rispuose: «Amico, mal ti guidi.
Cotesta sì nonn-è la dritta strada.
|
Lover and Friend
When I had listened to the faithful counsel
that Friend gave me, to the best of his ability,
I said to him: "Friend, my wish
was never to be disloyal.
Nor may it please God that I be led to such a point
that I show kindness to people
and offer them myself and my possessions,
and then that I would think of doing harm to them.
But first of all let me challenge
Bad Mouth and all his gang,
so that they will know where I stand.
Then I'll find a way to put them to the sword."
Friend answered me: "Friend, you are mistaken:
this is not the right road."
|
|
Amico
«A te sì non convien far disfidaglia,
Se·ttu vuo' ben civir di questa guerra:
Lasciala far a' gran' signor' di terra,
Che posson sof[f]erir oste e battaglia.
Mala-Bocca, che così ti travaglia,
È traditor: chi 'l tradisce non erra;
Chi con falsi sembianti no·ll'aferra,
Il su' buon gioco mette a ripentaglia.
Se·ttu lo sfidi o batti, e' griderà,
Chéd egli è di natura di mastino:
Chi più 'l minaccia, più gli abaierà.
Chi Mala-Bocca vuol metter al chino,
Sed egli è sag[g]io, egli·lusingherà:
Ché certo sie, quell'è 'l dritto camino».
|
Friend
"You must not make this challenge,
if you want to end this war well.
Let the great lords of the land do it,
those who can afford the army and battles!
Bad Mouth, who so torments you,
is a traitor: whoever betrays him makes no mistake;
whoever does not capture him with false appearances,
puts at risk his own good game.
If you challenge or strike him, he will howl,
for his nature is of that of a watch-dog:
the more he's threatened, the more he'll bark.
Whoever wants to conquer Bad Mouth,
will flatter him, if he's wise,
for certainly that is the proper road."
|
|
|
