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Jacopone Da Todi, Poet and Mystic--1228-1306, a Spiritual Biography

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Jacopone Da Todi, Poet and Mystic--1228-1306, a Spiritual Biography ^^^:^jM~ ' - —r.^550*:=Si^^^rgt 4-4 -7 Z. *•> 3t^^, ^m lark BOUGHT WITH THE IN-COME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF HENRY W. SAGE i".'! ':.: ... 1891 Date Due OLIN LIBRARY - CIRCULATION DATE DUE ^fp 42-80- 3L*' 3 1924 027 773 344 JACOPONE da TODI BY EVELYN UNDERHILL THE GREY WORLD THE LOST WORD THE COLUMN OF DUST THE MIRACLES OF OUR LADY ST. MARY. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. MYSTICISM: A Study in the nature and development of man's spiritual consciousness. THE MYSTIC WAY: A psycholo- gical Study in Christian origins. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. PRACTICAL MYSTICISM: A little book for normal people. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. IMMANENCE: A book of verses. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. THEOPHANIES: A book of verses. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. RUYSBROECK. Preface by Evelyn Underhill. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027773344 JACOPONE DA TODI From a manuscript in (he Laurentian Library, Florence JACOPONE da TODI POET AND MYSTIC— 1 22 8-1 306 A SPIRITUAL BIOGRAPHY BY EVELYN UNDERHILL WITH A- SELECTION FROM THE SPIRITUAL SONGS THE ITALIAN TEXT TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE BY Mrs. THEODORE BECK J. M. DENT & SONS LTD. LONDON AND TORONTO. 1919 NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON ^ CO. ' A 4 b^^ 4-1 Amor che dai fonna ad omnia c' ha forma, la forma tua reforma I'omo ch'6 deformato. Lauda LXXXL Tu solus mihi ex hoc iam dulcescas usque in saeculum ; quia tu solus cibus et potus meus, amor meus et gaudium rneum-, dulcedo mea et.totum bopum meum. De Imit. Christi, iv. i6. 5^. Alt fights reserved Y'l i<; ! . viHU : PREFACE The object of this book is to give English readers the material necessary for a full understanding of one of the greatest and most interesting Italian mystical. poets ; ^ ]acopohe da rodi,j±s.JX!^^LmSSLJSL^ Trano^n ffloveihentrtKe first writer of^hjj^i^^c religiousjiQSlii^^ aadtperhaps - the -most 43i£fiaifiS!l»e ' ireint^^sjQiy of jeady Italian.literature. _ "TKfeetypes of mind should find pleasure in Jaco- pone's work and personality. First, those interested in Christian mysticism ; for he is among the most pro- found and individual of the thirteenth-century mystics. Next, lovers of poetry ; who, even though they may not sympathise with his religious attitude, cannot fail to admire the magnificent poems in which it is expressed mystical love-songs matching in the sphere of spiritual passion the most beautiful lyrics of his Tuscan and Bolognese contemporaries. Last, those who care for the Italy of St. Francis and his descendants—though with- out special inclination to its mystical thought or poetry —may be attracted by the human and tempestuous story of this man who was a friend of the heroes of the FioretH, and who suffered in the interests of those ideals which they represent. Yet apart from one admirable article by Professor Edmund Gardner, a few references in works on the mediaeval mystics, and one or two translations by John Gray and others of his most celebrated poems, very little has been written upon Jacopone in English ; and even Italian scholars have been content to leave much vi JACOPONE da TODI of his most characteristic work uncommentated. This is partly due to the fact that until nine years ago no trustworthy modern edition of his poetry existed. Even now, we do not possess a complete critical text. The publication in 1910 of Dr. Ferri's excellent reprint of the first Florentine edition of the laude—a work of scholarship which was put into more general circulation in 1915 —^has alone made the present undertaking possible. This undertaking <;onsists ; first of a detailed study of the man ; his mystical development, his place " in history, and activities as a leader of the " Spiritual Franciscans. Next, of a selection from his poems, chosen to illustrate the most important points of his mystical growth and outward career, and so arranged that they give some idea of his artistic and spiritual evolution. The translations into English verse should permit those who cannot grapple with -the difficult language of the originals to enjoy as much of their beauty and character «s may be conveyed into another tongue. It follows from the order of arrangement, that the more crude and commonplace poems come first: moral and ascetic pieces, written soon after Jacopone's con- version, and chiefly interesting as a guide to his ten- dencies at that time. The mystical love-poems —^part philosophic, part personal—^which are most charac- teristic of his genius, will be found towards the end of the book. No reader should consider himself to possess any idea of Jacopone's quality who has not read at least some of the great laude of his middle and last " " years ; -such as Fuggo la croce," Amor de caritate," "0 Amor, diyino amore," or " Sopr'onne lengua amore." Qf all these, text and translation are here given. Jacopone was one of the most subjective of writers. In fcs., poetry^ he-admtfi us.JajdQSfeJntimacy with his many-sided character, jtglL§,.,us of Jus.~.pailtical, aod^I, and intellectual experiences, and aU Ji^^ecrets of his iniver_Iife__Hi§^J«M^^, when we have learned "to read ; PREFACE...- : vxi them xigh'tly,.xohstitute a human document as com- plete aa. the Confessions of St.. Augustine, or. the auto- biography of Suso ; perhaps more trustworthy, . since they record his immediate reactions to experience, and are not-^ave in a few instances—^the fruit of reflection upon emotions .that are past. History and comparative psychology help us to. fill the gaps which they leave, and to construct from them the picture of a living man, with characteristics both mediaeval and universal. This man is no mere arid theologian, or pioiis .emotionalist but. a vigorous human creature, full of ardent feeUng, keen of intellect though unstable and eccentric, pas- sionately interested in the realities both of the temporal and of the eternal worlds. He touches existence at all points: is ^h^s^&i^M^^^J^.^f^'^^'^^'^t.Sl^^'^'^?. missionarv.jand-didac.tic poet, religious_.^dQaftex.,-j3elitfa' cian, and coijitemplatlve friar.-JiJften unsparing in his judgffient on the follies and weaknesses of his fellows, fearless in his denunciations of sin, and full of a robust humour that is not afraid to laugh at itself, he yet never ceases to be governed by that love and wonder which Donne held to be the essence of divinity. Both author and translator are under a deep debt of gratitude to Dr. Giovanni Ferri, the learned editor of Jacopone's laude, for much invaluable help. This help has beien freely and generously given, out of a desire—^in the donor's own words—" to contribute to the intro- duction of a great Italian poet to the English people." Dr. Ferri has not only permitted the use of his standard reprint of the laude, but has done us and our readers the great service of correcting the proofs of the Italian text ; thereby giving to this part of the book an authority which it could not otherwise have possessed. The 191 5 edition of his work has been used, as the slight modifications of spelling there introduced make Jacopone's ItaHan more intelligible to those who are not linguistic specialists. It is a source of warm gratification vui JACOPONE da TODI to us, that Italy and England should thus have com- bined to honour one of the great names of our common Latin inheritance. We have also to thank Professor Edmund Gardner, the chief English authority upon Jacopone and his period, for much kind help and advice : and Mr. J. A. Herbert, Assistant Keeper of MSS. in the British Museum, for generously placing his expert knowledge at the author's disposal, and drawing her attention to a hitherto un- described Umbrian MS. of the laudf. E. U. August, 1 91 9. CONTENTS PART I CHAP. page I. Introductory ..... 3 II. Ser Jacomo 34 III. Jacopone the Penitent . 57 IV. Jacopone the Franciscan Friar 99 V. Jacopone and the Spiritual Party 157 VI. Jacopone as Poet and Mystic 212 PART II LAUDE: TEXT AND TRANSLATION De la beata VergiNe Maria e del peccatore . 250 " O Regina cortese" (Lauda I) CoMO Cristo se lamenta dell'omo peccatore . 256 " Omo, de te me lamento " (Lauda XXVI) De l'anema contrita db l'offesa di Dro . 264 " Signore, damme la morte " (Lauda XI) De la contemplazione de la morte ed incinerazionb contra la superbia ....... 268 " Quando t'alegri, omo de altura " (Lauda XXV) De la guarda de sentimenti .... 274 " Guarda che non caggi " (Lauda VI) Del lUBiLO del core che esce in voce .... 278 " O iubilo del core" (Lauda LXXVI) COMO 4: SOMMA SAPIENZIA ESSERE REPUTATO PAZO PER l'AMOR DE Cristo ........ 282 " Senno me pare e cortesia" (Lauda LXXXIV) De l'amore DE Cristo in croce, e como l'anima desidera DE MORIR con LUI ....... 286 " O dolce amore" (Lauda LXXXIII) Como l'anima piange la partita del suo amore . 290 " Piangi, dolente anima predata" (Lauda LXVIII) ix X JACOPONE da TODI PAGE CoMO l'anema se lamenta de l'amore divino partito . 294 •• Amor, diletto amore" (Lauda LXVII) CoMO LA VITA DI Ies6 E SPECCHIO DE L'aNIMA . 306 " O vita de Ies6 Cristo " (Lauda XXXIX) CoMO LA RAGIONE CONFORTA l'ANIMA CHE RETORNI A DiO 3I4 " Perche m'hai tu creata" (Lauda XCVIII) COMO L'ANIMA PER FEDE VIENE A LE COSE INVISIBILE .
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