The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
Was erst my son, and thy great grandsire : sure 'Tis fitting that by thee bis long distress Should be abated by thy good deeds' store. Florence within her ancient bound's recess, Whence yet she takes her matin hour and noon. Sober and modest stood in peacefulness. She had not yet her jewelled gauds or crown, No quaint-shod ladies, no such girdle rare As makes a woman nothing to her zone.
Not yet a daughter at her birth caused fear Unto her father, that in years and dower Her bridal all proportion would impair. ^^ Houses not yet were emptied of their flower ; Sardanapalus was not in the hall To show how great in chambering his power : Not yet was Montemalo conquered all By your Uccellatojo, in its rise "* As 'twas overcome, so 'twill be in its falL Bellincion Berti I have seen in guise Of leather and of bone, and from her glass His wife would come, not painted to the eyes : I've seen the Nerli and the Vecchi pass '^ Contented with uncovered jerkins poor, And at the wheel and distaff every lass.
O happy ones ! and each one there was sure Of a home burial, and as yet had none A lonely marriage bed through France's lure. ^^ To watch the cradle was the care of one, Soothing the infant with that prattle dear Which erst their mothers and their sires had won. Another drawing from the wheel the hair. With all her family told tales enow ^^ Of Trojans, Fiesol^ and Rome severe.
Cianghella for such wonder would they know And Lapo Salterello, as would be A Cincinnatus and Cornelia now. Line 98. The pnblio clock of Florence was within the circuit of its ancient walls. Line 102. Pars minima est ipsa paella sibi. — Orid. Line 109. Montemalo, an elevated spot in the suburbs of Borne, was not yet surpassed in the pride of public buil(Ung8 by Uccellatojo, in the suburbs of Florence. Line 112.
The father of Gbaldrada, alluded to in Canto XYI. of the " Hell. Line 120. From their husbands leaving them to trade in France. Line 127. Cianghella was a dissolute woman of Imola, and Lapo Salterello a lawyer of Florence, with whom Dante was at variance.
p. 135
p. 140
p. 320Cahto rVL To life 80 tranquil, and so fair to see ^^ Mid citizens, to trustfalness so wise Of social life, to such sweet company, Mary vouchsafed me, called in childbed cries : And in your ancient baptistery's fane I, Cacciaguida, took on Christian ties. Moronte, Eliseo were my brethren twain : From Val de Perdo came my wife to me. Thou from her family thy name didst gain. The Emperor Conrad then I followed free. And he himself did gird me belted knight, So my good deeds did win his courtesy. With him I went the impious creed to fight, Whose people, by the shepherd's crime, controls The Holy Land, your heritage of right : There, by that race who in such foulness rolls, ^^* From a fallacious world I won release, The love of which debaseth many souls. And came from martyrdom to perfect peace." Line 133. It was the cnstom to inToke the help of Mary in the puns of childbirth. Line 137. Cacciagoida's wife, of the family of Alighieri, whose name was taken by her son, came from Ferrara, the vaUey watered by t^e Po. Line 139. The Emperor Conrad III., who joined in a cmsade, and died in 1152. Line 143. The Mahommedans, who through the snpineness of the Pope in not preaching a holy war, were left in possession of Palestine, which by right was the Christians' heritage.
CANTO XVI. In answer to Dante's request, Cacciaguida relates to him the time of his birth, the extent of Florence at that period, and who were the chief families who then resided there. O blood's nobility of little worth. If thou dost make mankind take pride in thee. Where every longing wanders wide on earth. Prom henceforth now no marvel will it be : For there, where never doth the longing stray, * I say in Heaven, it glory roused in me. Thou art a mantle that doth swiftly fray, While Time with shears doth ever clip it round, Unless we add to it from day to day.
p. 25
p. 30
Was erst my son, and your great grandsire : sure 'Tis fitting that by you bis long distress Should be abated by your good deeds' store. Florence within her ancient bound's recess, Whence yet she takes her matin hour and noon. Sober and modest stood in peacefulness. She had not yet her jewelled gauds or crown, No quaint-shod ladies, no such girdle rare As makes a woman nothing to her zone. Not yet a daughter at her birth caused fear Unto her father, that in years and dower Her bridal all proportion would impair. ^^ Houses not yet were emptied of their flower ; Sardanapalus was not in the hall To show how great in chambering his power : Not yet was Montemalo conquered all By your Uccellatojo, in its rise "* As 'twas overcome, so 'twill be in its falL Bellincion Berti I have seen in guise Of leather and of bone, and from her glass His wife would come, not painted to the eyes : I've seen the Nerli and the Vecchi pass '^ Contented with uncovered jerkins poor, And at the wheel and distaff every lass. O happy ones ! and each one there was sure Of a home burial, and as yet had none A lonely marriage bed through France's lure. ^^ To watch the cradle was the care of one, Soothing the infant with that prattle dear Which erst their mothers and their sires had won. Another drawing from the wheel the hair. With all her family told tales enow ^^ Of Trojans, Fiesol^ and Rome severe. Cianghella for such wonder would they know And Lapo Salterello, as would be A Cincinnatus and Cornelia now. Line 98. The pnblio clock of Florence was within the circuit of its ancient walls. Line 102. Pars minima est ipsa paella sibi. — Orid. Line 109. Montemalo, an elevated spot in the suburbs of Borne, was not yet surpassed in the pride of public buil(Ung8 by Uccellatojo, in the suburbs of Florence. Line 112. The father of Gbaldrada, alluded to in Canto XYI. of the " Hell." Line 120. From their husbands leaving them to trade in France. Line 127. Cianghella was a dissolute woman of Imola, and Lapo Salterello a lawyer of Florence, with whom Dante was at variance.
p. 135
p. 140
320 PARADISE, Cahto rVL To life 80 tranquil, and so fair to see ^^ Mid citizens, to trustfalness so wise Of social life, to such sweet company, Mary vouchsafed me, called in childbed cries : And in your ancient baptistery's fane I, Cacciaguida, took on Christian ties. Moronte, Eliseo were my brethren twain : From Val de Perdo came my wife to me. You from her family your name did gain. The Emperor Conrad then I followed free. And he himself did gird me belted knight, So my good deeds did win his courtesy. With him I went the impious creed to fight, Whose people, by the shepherd's crime, controls The Holy Land, your heritage of right : There, by that race who in such foulness rolls, ^^* From a fallacious world I won release, The love of which debases many souls. And came from martyrdom to perfect peace." Line 133. It was the cnstom to inToke the help of Mary in the puns of childbirth. Line 137. Cacciagoida's wife, of the family of Alighieri, whose name was taken by her son, came from Ferrara, the vaUey watered by t^e Po. Line 139. The Emperor Conrad III., who joined in a cmsade, and died in 1152. Line 143. The Mahommedans, who through the snpineness of the Pope in not preaching a holy war, were left in possession of Palestine, which by right was the Christians' heritage.
CANTO XVI. In answer to Dante's request, Cacciaguida relates to him the time of his birth, the extent of Florence at that period, and who were the chief families who then resided there. O blood's nobility of little worth. If you do make mankind take pride in you. Where every longing wanders wide on earth. Prom henceforth now no marvel will it be : For there, where never does the longing stray, * I say in Heaven, it glory roused in me. You are a mantle that does swiftly fray, While Time with shears does ever clip it round, Unless we add to it from day to day.
p. 25
p. 30
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.