XXIV.
After this my vain imagination, it came to pass one day that, as I sat thoughtful in a certain place, I felt a trembling begin in my heart, just as if I had been in the presence of this lady. Then I say that an imagination of Love came to me; for it seemed to me that I saw him coming from that place where my lady dwelt; and it seemed to me that he joyfully said to me in my heart: “Mind thou bless the day on which I took possession of thee, for thou oughtest so to do.” And of a truth it seemed to me that my heart was so gladsome, that it did not seem to me to be my heart, because of its new condition.
And a little after these words which my heart had said to me with the tongue of Love, I saw coming toward me a gentle lady who was famous for her beauty, and who had now long been the lady of him my first friend. And the name of this lady was Joan, but on account of her beauty, as some believe, the name of Primavera [Spring] had been given to her, and thus she was called. And behind her, as I looked, I saw coming the marvellous Beatrice. These ladies passed near me thus one after the other; and it seemed to me that Love spoke to me in my heart, and said: “This first is called Primavera solely because of this coming of to-day; for I moved the giver of the name to call her Primavera, that is to say, prima verrà [she will come first] on the day that Beatrice shall show herself after the imagination of her vassal. And if thou wilt further consider her original name, it means the same as Primavera, because her name, Joan, is derived from that John who preceded the true Light, saying, Ego vox clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini [I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord]. And also it seemed to me that after these he said to me other words, namely: “He who should consider subtilely would call that Beatrice Love, because of the great likeness she has to me.” Wherefore I, then thinking this over, resolved to write of it in rhyme to my first friend, (keeping silent certain words which it seemed should be kept silent,) for I believed that his heart still admired the beauty of this gentle Primavera. And I devised this sonnet: —
An amorous spirit in my heart that lay
I felt awaken from his slumber there;
And then I saw Love come from far away,
But scarce I knew him, for his joyous air.
“Honor to me,” he said, “think now to pay,”
And with his every word did smiles appear.
Then did my Lord a little with me stay,
And from that part wherefrom he came whilere
I Lady Joan and Lady Bicè see,
Unto the place approaching where I was;
One marvel following the other came;
And, as my mind reporteth unto me,
Love said, “This one is Spring, and this, because
She so resembleth me, hath Love for name.”
This sonnet has many parts; the first of which tells how I felt the wonted tremor awake in my heart, and how it seemed that Love appeared to me joyous from afar; the second tells how it seemed to me that Love spoke to me in my heart, and what he seemed to me; the third tells how, after he had been thus with me for some time, I saw and heard certain things. The second part begins here: “Honor to me;” the third, here: “Then did my Lord.” The third part is divided into two; in the first, I tell that which I saw; in the second, I tell that which I heard, and it begins: “Love said.”