Document 5

An excerpt from one of Dante Alighieris minor works: Vita nuova,

1295.
Italian Translation

English Translation

Epoichefuemecoaragionare,mipregoe
Afterwehadtalkedtogetherforawhile,he
ch'iolidovessidirealcunacosaperunadonna beggedmetowritesomethingforhimabout
ches'eramorta;esimulavasueparole,acci aladywhohaddied,disguisinghismotives
cheparessechedicessed'un'altra,laquale
soastoappeartobespeakingofadifferent
mortaeracertamente:ondeio,accorgendomi onewhohadrecentlydied.I,beingquite
chequestidiceasolamenteperquesta
awarethathewasspeakingonlyaboutthat
benedetta,slidissidifarecichemi
blessedone,toldhimIwoulddoasheasked.
domandavalosuoprego.
Ondepoi,pensandoaci,propuosidifareuno Then,thinkingitover,Idecidedtocompose
sonetto,nelqualemilamentassealquanto,edi asonnet,tobesenttothisfriendofmine,in
darloaquestomioamico,accicheparesse whichIwouldexpressmysorrowinsucha
cheperluil'avessifatto;edissialloraquesto waythatitwouldseemtobehis.AndsoI
sonetto,checomincia:Veniteaintenderli
wrotethissonnet,whichbegins:Nowcome
tome.
sospirimiei.
Loqualehadueparti:nelaprimachiamoli Itconsistsoftwoparts:inthefirstIcall
fedelid'Amorechemiintendano;nela
uponLove'sfaithfultolistentome,inthe
secondanarrodelamiamiseracondizione.La secondIspeakofmywretchedcondition.
secondacominciaquivi:liquaidisconsolati. Thesecondpartbegins:thesighsthatissue.
Veniteaintenderlisospirimiei,
Nowcometomeandlistentomysighs,O
oicorgentili,chpiet'ldisia:
gracioushearts(itisthewishofPity),the
liquaidisconsolativannovia,
sighsthatissueindespondency.Butfortheir
es'e'nonfosser,didolormorrei;
helpIwouldhavediedofgrief,becausemy
perchegliocchimisarebberrei,
eyeswouldbeindebttome,owingmuch
moltefiatepich'iononvorria,
morethantheycouldhopetopayby
lasso!,dipiangersladonnamia,
weepingsoprofuselyformyladythat,
chesfogasserlocor,piangendolei.
mourningher,myheartmightberelieved.
Voiudiretelorchiamarsovente
Andsighsofmineshallceaselesslybeheard
lamiadonnagentil,chesin'gita
callinguponmylady(whoisgonetodwell
alsecoldegnodelasuavertute;
whereworthlikehersismerited),or
edispregiartaloraquestavita
breathingtheircontemptforthisourlife,as
inpersonadel'animadolente
iftheywerethemournfulsoulitself
abbandonatadelasuasalute.
abandonedbyitshopeofhappiness.

Summary: In Vita nuova, Dante is talking to one of his friends about

their loss of a loved one. This document could help to show how
Dantes work impacted people then.
Pov: As a poet, Dante would have wanted to use his literary talents and
write a sonnet to help his friend express his grief, because he lost the
girl he loved.

http://etcweb.princeton.edu/dante/pdp/vnuova.html