XIX.
Then it came to pass that, walking on a road alongside of which was flowing a very clear stream, so great a desire to say somewhat in verse came upon me, that I began to consider the method I should observe; and I thought that to speak of her would not be becoming unless I were to speak of her would not be becoming unless I were to speak to ladies in the second person; and not to every lady, but only to those who are gentle, and are not women merely. Then I say that my tongue spoke as if moved of its own accord, and said, Ladies that have intelligence of Love. These words I laid up in my mind with great joy, thinking to take them for my beginning; wherefore then, having returned to the above-mentioned city, after some days of thought I began a canzone with this beginning, arranged in the mode which will be seen below in its division.
Ladies that have intelligence of Love,
I of my lady wish with you to speak;
Not that I can believe to end her praise,
But to discourse that I may ease my mind.
I say that when I think upon her worth,
So sweet doth Love make himself feel to me,
That if I then should lose not hardihood,
Speaking, I should enamour all mankind.
And I wish not so loftily to speak
As to become, through fear of failure, vile;
But of her gentle nature I will treat
In manner light compared with her desert,
Ye loving dames and damosels, with you,
For ‘t is not thing of which to speak to others.
An angel crieth in the mind divine,
And saith: “O Sire, on earth is to be seen
A miracle in action, that proceeds
From out a soul which far as here doth shine.
Heaven, which hath not any other defect
Save want of her, demands her of its Lord,
And every Saint doth for this favor beg.”
Only Compassion our part defendeth;
And thus speaks God, who of my lady thinks:
”O my elect, now suffer ye in peace
That, while it pleaseth me, your hope abide
There, where is one who dreads the loss of her:
And who shall say in hell to the foredoomed,
’I have beheld the hope of those in bliss.’”
My lady is desired in highest heaven;
Now will I of her virtue make you know.
I say: Whoso would seem a gentle dame
Should go with her; for when she goes her way
Love casts a frost upon all caitiff hearts,
So that their every thought doth freeze and perish.
And who can bear to stay on her to look
Will noble thing become, or else will die.
And when one finds that he may worthy be
To look on her, he doth his virtue prove;
For that arrives to him which gives him health,
And humbles him till he forgets all wrong.
Yet hath God given her for greater grace,
That who hath spoke with her cannot end ill.
Love saith concerning her: “How can it be
That mortal thing be thus adorned, and pure?”
Then, gazing on her, to himself he swears
That God in her a new thing means to make.
Color of pearl so clothes her as doth best
Become a lady, nowise in excess.
Whate’er of good Nature can make she is,
And by her pattern beauty tries itself.
From out her eyes, howe’er she moveth them,
Spirits inflamed of love go forth, which strike
The eyes of him who then may look on them,
And enter so that each doth find the heart.
Love you behold depicted in her smile,
Whereon no one can look with steadfast gaze.
I know, Canzonè, thou wilt go to speak
With many ladies, when I send thee forth.
And now I bid thee, having bred thee up
As young and simple daughter unto Love,
That where thou comest thou shouldst praying say:
”Direct me on my way, for I am sent
To her with praise of whom I am adorned.”
And if thou wishest not to go in vain,
Make thou no stay where villain folk may be;
Endeavor, if thou mayst, to be acquaint
Only with lady or with courteous man,
Who thee shall guide along the quickest way.
Thou wilt find Love in company with her;
Commend me to him as behoveth thee.
In order that this canzone may be better understood, I shall divide it more elaborately than the other preceding things, and therefore I make of it three parts. The first part is a proem to the words which follow; the second is the subject treated of; the third is, as it were, a handmaid to the words which precede. The second begins here: “An angel crieth;” the third here: “I know, Canzonè.” The first part is divided into four; in the first, I tell to whom I wish to speak of my lady, and wherefore I wish to speak; in the second, I tell what she seems to myself, when I think upon her worth, and how I would speak if I lost not hardihood; in the third, I tell how I think to speak in order that I may not be hindered by faintheartedness; in the fourth, repeating yet once more to whom I intend to speak, I tell the reason why I speak to them. The second begins here: “I say;” the third, here: “And I wish not;” the fourth here: “Ye loving dames.”
Then when I say, “An angel crieth,” I begin to treat of this lady, and this part is divided into two; in the first, I tell what is comprehended of her in heaven; in the second, I tell what is comprehended of her on earth, — here: “My lady is desired.”
This second part is divided into two; for in the first I speak of her in respect of the nobility of her soul, recounting some of the virtues which proceed from her soul; in the second, I speak of her in respect of the nobility of her body, recounting some of her beauties, — here: “Love saith concerning her.” This second part is divided into two; for in the first I speak of some of the beauties which belong to her whole person; in the second, I speak of some of the beauties which belong to special parts of her person, — here: “From out her eyes.” This second part is divided into two; for in one I speak of the eyes which are the beginning of Love; in the second, I speak of the mouth which is the end of Love. And in order that every evil thought may be removed hence, let him who reads remember what is written above, that the salutation of this lady, which was an action of her mouth, was the end of my desires so long as I was able to receive it.
Then when I say, “I know, Canzonè,” I add a stanza, as if for a handmaid to the others, in which I tell what I desire of this my canzone. And since this last part is easy to be understood, I do not trouble myself with more divisions.
I say, indeed, that to make the meaning of this canzone more clear, it might be needful to employ more minute divisions; but nevertheless it will not displease me that he who has not wit enough to understand it by means of those already made should let it alone; for surely I fear I have communicated its meaning to too many even through these divisions which have been made, if it should happen that many should hear it.