Ragione
«Ancor non vo' t'incresca d'ascoltarmi:
Alquanti motti ch'i' voglio ancor dire
A ritenere intendi e a udire,
Ché non potresti aprender miglior' salmi.
Tu sì à' cominciato a biasimarmi
Perch' i' l'Amor ti volea far fug[g]ire,
Che fa le genti vivendo morire:
E tu 'l saprai ancor se no·lo spalmi!
Sed i' difendo a ciaschedun l'ebrez[z]a,
Non vo' che 'l ber per ciò nes[s]un disami,
Se non se quello che la gente blez[z]a.
I' non difendo a·tte che·ttu non ami,
Ma non Amor che·tti tenga 'n distrez[z]a,
E nella fin dolente te ne chiami».
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Reason
"I don't want you to tire of listening to me:
please try to hear and remember
the few things I still want to say,
for you can not learn better psalms.
You have begun to blame me
because I wanted you to flee from Love,
who makes people die even as they live,
and one day this you'll learn if you don't free yourself from him!
If I forbid someone from drinking excessively,
I don't want people to hate drinking for this reason,
except for that variety that causes harm to people.
I do not forbid you from loving,
but I do want to stop Love from keeping you in distress,
and, in the end, to stop you from calling yourself wretched."
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L'Amante
Quando Ragion fu assà' dibattuta
E ch'ella fece capo al su' sermone,
I' sì·lle dissi: «Donna, tua lezione
Sie certa ch'ella m'è poco valuta,
Perciò ch'i' no·ll'ò punto ritenuta,
Ché no·mi piace per nulla cagione;
Ma, cui piacesse, tal amonizione
Sì gli sareb[b]e ben per me renduta.
Chéd i' so la lezion tratutta a mente
Pe·ripètall'a gente cu' piacesse,
Ma già per me nonn-è savia nïente:
Ché fermo son, se morir ne dovesse,
D'amar il fior, e 'l me' cor vi s'asente,
O 'n altro danno ch'avenir potesse».
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Lover
When Reason had ceased with her impassioned plea
and brought her sermon to an end,
I said to her: "Lady, you may be sure
your lesson has had little value for me,
since I have not believed any of it,
and I do not like it at all.
However, if anyone would like to have such warnings,
I would gladly pass them on to him.
For I know the whole lesson by heart,
and I can repeat it to those people who would appreciate it,
but for me it contains no wisdom at all.
I am determined, even if I should die from it,
to love the Flower, and my heart is in complete agreement,
even if death or any other harm would result from it."
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L'Amante e Amico
Ragion si parte, quand' ella m'intese,
Sanza tener più meco parlamento,
Ché trovar non potea nullo argomento
Di trarmi de·laccio in ch'Amor mi prese.
Allor sì mi rimisi a le difese
Co' mie' pensieri, e fu' i·mag[g]ior tormento
Assà' ched i' non fu' al cominciamento:
No·mmi valea coverta di pavese.
Allor sì pia[c]que a Dio che ritornasse
Amico a me per darmi il su' consiglio.
Sì tosto ch'e' mi vide, a me sì trasse
E disse: «Amico, i' sì mi maraviglio
Che ciascun giorno dimagre e apasse:
Dov' è il visag[g]io tu' chiaro e vermiglio?».
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Lover and Friend
When she heard my words, Reason leaves
without speaking to me any longer,
for she could not find any other argument
to free me from the snare in which Love had me.
Thus, once more I began to deal with my thoughts
and found myself in much greater torment
than I was in the beginning:
no large shield could help me in this state.
And so it pleased God that Friend
returned to me to give me his advice.
As soon as he saw me, he drew close
and said: "Friend, I am amazed
to see you becoming thinner and paler with each passing day:
where is your shining, red face?"
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L'Amante
«Non ti maravigliar s'i' non son grasso,
Amico, né vermiglio com'i' soglio,
Ch'ogne contrario è presto a ciò ch'i' voglio,
Così Fortuna m'à condotto al basso.
Ira e pensier m' ànno sì vinto elasso
Ch'e' non è maraviglia s'i' mi doglio,
Chéd i' sì vo a fedir a tale iscoglio,
S'Amor non ci provede, ch' i' son casso.
E ciò m'à Mala-Boc[c]a procacciato,
Che svegliò Castitate e Gelosia
Sì tosto com' i' eb[b]i il fior basciato.
Allor fos[s]' egli stato i·Normandia,
Nel su' paese ove fu strangolato,
Ché sì gli pia[c]que dir ribalderia!».
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Lover
"Friend, don't be amazed if I am not as fat,
or red, as I used to be,
for the opposite of what I desire always occurs,
so Fortune has brought me to this low state!
Sadness and worry have so conquered and exhausted me
that it's no wonder I'm in such pain;
for I will run aground and destroy myself on such a reef,
if Love does not assist me.
And this end Bad Mouth has secured for me
when he awakened Chastity and Jealousy
as soon as I had kissed the Flower.
Would that he had been in Normandy,
there in his country where he was hanged,
for indeed he delighted in saying defamatory things."
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L'Amante e Amico
Com' era gito il fatto eb[b]i contato
A motto a motto, di filo in aguglia,
Al buono Amico, che non fu di Puglia;
Che m'eb[b]e molto tosto confortato,
E disse: «Guarda che n[on] sie ac[c]et[t]ato
Il consiglio Ragion, ma da te il buglia,
Ché ' fin' amanti tuttor gli tribuglia
Con quel sermon di che·tt'à sermonato.
Ma ferma in ben amar tutta tua 'ntenza,
E guarda al Die d'Amor su' [o]manag[g]io,
Ché tutto vince lungia soferenza.
Or metti a me intendere il corag[g]io,
Chéd i' ti dirò tutta la sentenza
Di ciò che dé far fin amante sag[g]io.
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Lover and Friend
I told the tale as it had happened,
word for word, leaving nothing out,
to my good Friend, who was not from Apulia.
After having consoled me,
he said: "Make sure you do not accept
Reason's advice, but keep it far removed from you,
because Reason always troubles courtly lovers
with that sermon she has preached to you.
But put all your desire in loving properly,
and keep your pledge to the God of Love,
for long suffering can conquer everything.
Now give me your full attention,
for I will tell you the entire story
of what a wise refined lover must do."
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