Portrait of Domenico Di Michelino
Dante aligheri, the most famous Italian poet of all time, died on a day like today in 1321 en Ravenna. He had recently published his most immortal work, The Divine Comedy. Today I want to remember it with 7 of his sonnets.
Dante aligheri
Born in Florence in 1265, It was also philosopher besides being a poet. He lost his parents very young and later was fighting for the Guelph league against the Tuscan Ghibellines. He married Gemma Donati, with whom he had three children. But we all know that his true love and inspiration was Beatriz, daughter of Folco Portinari, who was already married to Simón de 'Enjaeza.
When she died, Dante devoted himself to studying theology and philosophy and also participated in politics. Already in 1301 it was ambassador in Rome and during his absence, Florence was taken over by Carlo di Valois. Dante's house was ransacked and he was imposed a heavy fine later commuted to the death penalty in 1302.
He was in Paris between 1307 and 1309 and also walked in his exile through some cities of northern Italy, until in Verona began to write his most universal work, The Divine Comedy.
5 sonnets
Sonnet
Love shines in the eyes of my beloved,
and it becomes gentle when she looks:
where it happens, every man to see it turns
and whoever sees the soul in love trembles.
It gets dark if you hide your gaze,
and to see her again, everything sighs:
before her pride flees and anger;
beautiful, honor my adored with me.
Happy a thousand times who sees and feels it;
when the soul is born to the point it begins
all humble to think, all sweetness,
and he does not know, when he looks at her smiling,
if nature was exceeded in it,
or the gentle miracle so much beauty.
***
Sonnet XL
Pilgrims who are meditative
perhaps in something that you do not see present:
Do you come from such a remote people
that I look at you, with such deep burdens
and without tears in the wandering eyes,
go through the suffering city,
as if blind, deaf, indifferent,
would your being see it from other worlds?
My heart tells me between regrets
-Stop listening for a few moments-
that when you leave it, the breakdown will follow you.
Already his BEATRIZ is only a celestial shadow,
and of every word that names it
a bitter spring of tears flows.
***
Sell perfectly ...
He knows well which one he greets and bows to
whoever sees mine among ladies;
all of them keep you company
they have God's gracious mercy.
Of her beauty is so much excellence
that you envy does not awaken or false:
well before, gallantry and boastfulness
-gifts of Love- establishes its presence.
From its redor comes meekness
and thus dressed in the same fire,
each one, feeling it, honors herself.
Everything in Her was always so bright,
that nobody, sighing sweetly,
you may forget your rapturous grace.
***
Tutti li miei penser ...
My thought only knows of Love;
for him and in him I have it so changeable:
of Love the power carries him lover,
or crazy reasoning, its worth.
It gives me hope sweet breath,
or bitter I cry in an overflowing wave;
it only unifies itself if trembling
my soul of dread is seen for a moment.
And so I ignore my luck in the contest,
and not wanting to say it and to say it:
wandering I go in a loving wandering ...
And if with everyone I have to make an alliance
it will be vain to cry out to my enemy
-the insensitive Mercy- to defend me.
***
So much gentle
The bearing of my beloved is so gentle,
so worthy of love when he greets,
that every tongue remains mute
and everyone overwhelms his gaze.
Rauda walks away hearing herself exalted
-humility that dresses her and that shields her-,
and it is to the earth which celestial helps
transformed into a human prodigy.
So much rapture to contemplate it inspires,
that intoxicates the heart with tenderness:
whoever looks at it feels it and understands it.
And on his lips, what a sign of good fortune,
wandering seems like a curl of sweetness
that the soul is telling him: Sigh!