CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Woodford Patterson 3- DtTE ««*»" j^j^^grMS^y PRINTED IP* U.S.* Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013541408 POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS BY DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI From the drawing by himself in the National Portrait Gallery POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS 1850-1870 BY )ANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI TOGETHER WITH THE PROSE STORY 'HAND AND SOUL' HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON, EDINBURGH, GLASGOW NEW YORK, TORONTO, MELBOURNE, BOMBAY *9i3 >w p«? OXFORD : HORACE HART PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY CONTENTS POEMS PAGE The Blessed Damozel 1 Love's Nocturn 5 Troy Town 9 12 The Burden of Nineveh . ...... Eden Bower 18 Ave 23 The Staff and Scrip 26 A Last Confession 32 Dante at Verona ........ 48 Jenny 62 The Portrait 73 Sister Helen . 76 Stratton Water . 83 The Stream's Secret ....... 88 " 'The Card-Dealer . .95 My Sister's Sleep 97 A New Year's Burden 99 Even So 99 AnOld Song Ended. ....- 100 Aspecta Medusa ........ 101 'Three Translations from Francois Villon: The Ballad of Dead Ladies 101 To Death, of his Lady ....' 102 His Mother's Service to Our Lady^ .... 102 104 John of Tours . My Father's Close ........ 105 One Girl 106 A3 : VI CONTENTS Sonnets and Songs, towards a Work to be called 'THE HOUSE OF LIFE' SONNETS I. Bridal Birth II. Love's Redemption III. Lovesight . IV. The Kiss V. Nuptial Sleep VI. Supreme Surrender VII. Love's Lovers VIII. Passion and Worship IX. The Portrait X. The Love-Letter . XL The Birth-Bond . XII. A Day of Love XIII. Love-Sweetness . XIV. Love's Baubles . XV. Winged Hours XVI. Liee-in-Love XVII. The Love-Moon . XVIII. The Morrow's Message XIX. Sleepless Dreams XX. Secret Parting XXI. Parted Love XXII. Broken Music XXIII. Death-in-Love XXIV-VII. Willowwood XXVIII. Stillborn Love XXIX. Inclusiveness XXX. Known in Vain XXXI. The Landmark XXXII. A Dark Day XXXIII. The Hill Summit XXXIV. Barren Spring XXXV-VII. The Choice XXXVIII. Hoarded Joy XXXIX. Vain Virtues XL. Lost Days . XLI. Death's Songsters ' XLII. Retro Me, Sathana ! XLIII. Lost on-Both Sides : CONTENTS vn SONNETS [continued): page XLIV. The Son's Shame 129 XLV. The Vase of Life 129 XLVI. A Superscription ...... 130 XLVII. HeandI 130 XLVIII-IX. Newborn Death 131 L. The One Hope 132 SONGS I. Love-Lily 132 II. First Love Remembered 133 III. Plighted Promise . 133 IV. Sudden Light 134 V. A Little While 135 VT. The Sono of the Bower . 135 VII. Penumbra 137 VIII. The Woodspurge . 138 IX. The Honeysuckle . 138 X. A Young Fir-Wood 139 XI. The Sea-Limits 139 SONNETS FOR PICTURES, and other Sonnets : For ' Our Lady of the Rocks ', by Leonardo da Vinci 141 For a Venetian Pastoral, by Giorgione . 142 For an Allegorical Dance of Women, by Andrea Man tegna ........ 142 For ' Ruggiero and Angelica ', by Ingres 143 For ' The Wine of Circe', by Edward Burne Jones 144 Mary's Girlhood ....... 145 The Passover in the Holy Family . 145 Mary Magdalene at the Door of Simon the Pharisee 145 Saint Luke the Painter ...... 146 Lilith 146 Sibylla Palmifera 147 Venus 147 Cassandra 148 Pandora . 149 On Refusal of Aid between Nations 149 On the ' Vita Nuova' of Dante 150 dantis tenebr.3e .... 150 Beauty and the Bird 151 viii CONTENTS PAGE A Match with the Moon .....•• 151 Autumn Idleness .....•• 152 Farewell to the Glen ...-••• 152 The Monochobd ......• 153 POEMS AND A PROSE STORY FROM The Germ, 1850: Sonnets fob Pictures ....•• 154 The Carillon 155 PaxVobis 156 Hand and Soul ......• 15' THE EARLY ITALIAN POETS PART I POETS CHIEFLY BEFORE DANTE Preface 175 Table of Poets in Part I . ...... 180 Ciullo d' Alcamo ' Dialogue. Lover and Lady ..... 189 FOLCAOHIERO DE' FoLCACHIERI Canzone. He speaks of his Condition through Love . 196 LODOVICO DELLA VeRNACCIA Sonnet. He exhorts the State to vigilance . .197 Saint Francis of Assisi 198 Cantica. Our Lord Christ : of order .... Frederick II, Emperor Canzone. Of his Lady in bondage . .199 Enzo, King of Sardinia Sonnet. On the Fitness of Seasons .... 201 GUIDO GUINICELLI Sonnet. Concerning Lucy ...... 201 Canzone. Of the gentle Heart ..... 202 Sonnet. He will praise his Lady .... 204 Canzone. He perceives his Rashness in Love, but lias no choice ..... 204 Sonnet. Of Moderation and Tolerance . 206 Sonnet. Of Human Presumption . 206 CONTENTS ir GtTERZO DI MoNTECANTI PAGE Sonnet. He is out of Heart with his Time . 207 Inghilfredi, Siciliano Canzone. He rebukes the Evil of that Time . 207 RlNALDO D'AQUINO Canzone. He is resolved to be joyful in Love . 209 Canzone. A Lady, in Spring, repents of her Coldness . 211 Jacopo da Lentino Sonnet. Of his Lady in Heaven 213 Canzonetta. Of his Lady, and of her Portrait . 213 Sonnet. No Jewel is worth his Lady .... 215 Canzonetta. He will neither boast nor lament to his Lady 215 Canzonetta. Of his Lady, and of his making her Likeness ........ 217 Sonnet. Of his Lady's Face 218 Canzone. At the End of his Hope .... 219 Mazzeo di Ricco da Messina Canzone. He solicits his Lady's Pity .... 221 Canzone. After six years' Service he renounces his Lady 222 Sonnet. Of Self-seeing 224 Pannuccio dal Bagno Pisano Canzone. Of his Change through Love . 224 GlACOMINO PuGLIESI Canzonetta. Of his Lady in absence .... 226 Canzonetta. To his Lady, in Spring .... 227 Canzone. Of his Bead Lady 228 Era Guittone d'Arezzo Sonnet. To the Blessed Virgin Mary .... 230 Bartolomeo di Sant' Angelo Sonnet. He jests concerning his Poverty . 231 Saladino da Pavia Dialogue. Lover and Lady ..... 231 Bonaggittnta Urbiciani, da Lucca Canzone. Of the True End of Love ; with a Prayer to his Lady ........ 233 Canzonetta. How he dreams of his Lady . 234 Sonnet. Of Wisdom and Foresight .... 236 Sonnet. Of Continence in Speech .... 236 CONTENTS Meo Abbracciavacca, da Pistoia page Canzone. He will be silent and Watchful in his Love . 237 Ballata. His Life is by Contraries .... 239 Ubaldo di Marco Sonnet. Of a Lady's Love for him . ' . 240 SlMBUONO GlUDICE Canzone. He finds that Love has beguiled him, but will trust in his Lady ....... 240 Masolino da Todi Sonnet. Of Work and Wealth ... .242 Onesto di Boncima, Bolognese Sonnet. Of the Last Judgement .... 243 Sonnet. He Wishes that he could meet his Lady alone . 243 Terino da Castel Fiorentino Sonnet. To Onesto di Boncima, in answer to the Tore- going. ......... 244 Maestro Migliore, da Fiorenza Sonnet. He declares all Love to be Grief . 244 Dello da Signa Ballata. His Creed of Ideal Love . 245 Folqore da San Geminiano Sonnet. To the Guelf Faction 246- Sonnet. To the Same 246 Sonnet. Of Virtue ....... 247 Twelve Sonnets. Of the Months .... 247 Seven Sonnets. Of the Week 255 GUIDO DELLE COLONNE Canzone. To Love and to his Lady . 259 PierMoronelli, diFiorenza Canzonetta. A Bitter Song to his Lady . 261 Ciuncio Fiorentino Canzone. Of his Love ; with the Figures of a Stag, of Water, and of an Eagle ... 263 Buggieri di Amici, Siciliano Canzonetta. For a Renewal of Favours . 264 Carnino Ghiberti, da Fiorenza Canzone. Being absent from his Lady, he fears Death . 265 CONTENTS xi Prinzivalle Doria page Canzone. Of his Love, with the Figure of a sudden Storm ......... 267 RlTSTico di Filippo Sonnet. Of the Making of Master MesEerin . 2G8 Sonnet. Of the Safety of Messer Fazio . .269 Sonnet. Of Messer Ugolino 269 Pucciarello di Fiorenza Sonnet. Of Expediency 270 Albertuccio della Viola Canzone. Of his Lady dancing 270 ToMMASO BUZZUOLA, DA FaENZA Sonnet. He is in awe of his Lady .... 271 Noffo Bonaguida Sonnet. He is enjoined to' pure Love .... 272 Lippo Paschi de' Bardi Sonnet. He solicits a Lady's Favours . 272 Ser Pace, Notaio da Fiorenza Sonnet. A Return to Love . 273 Niccol6 degli Albizzi Prolonged Sonnet. When the Troops were returning from Milan ........ 273 Francesco daBarberino Blank Verse. A Virgin declares her Beauties . 274 Sentenze. Of Sloth against Sin ..... 275 Sentenze. Of Sins in Speech ..... 275 Sentenze. Of Importunities and Troublesome Persons . 27G Sentenze. Of Caution ... 279 Fazio degli Uberti Canzone. His Portrait of his Lady,Angiola of Verona . 279 Extract from the ' Dittamondo '. Of England, and of its Marvels 282 Extract from the ' Dittamondo '- Of the Dukes of Normandy, and thence of the Kings of England, from William the First to Edward the Third . .285 Franco Sacchetti Ballata. His Talk with certain Peasant Girls . 288 Catch. On a Fine Day .... 289 Catch. On a Wet Day . ... 290 xii CONTENTS Anonymous Poems page Sonnet. A Lady laments for her lost Lover, by similitude of a Falcon ^91 292 Ballata. One speaks of the Beginning of his Love . 292 Ballata. One speaks of his false Lady . - 292 Ballata. One speaks of his feigned and real Love . Ballata. Of True and False Singing . .293 PART II DANTE AND HIS CIRCLE Intboduction to Part II . 297 Dante Alighieei The New Life {La Vita Nuova) . ... 325 Sonnet (to Bbunetto Latini). Sent with the Vita . 386 Nuova l ....... Sonnet. Of Beatrice de' Portinari, on All Saints' Day . 386 Sonnet. To certain Ladies ; when Beatrice was lament- ing her Father's Death 387 ". Sonnet. To the same Ladies ; with their Answer . 387 Ballata. He will gaze upon Beatrice .... 388 Canzone. He beseeches Death for the Life of Beatrice . 388 Sonnet. On the 9th of June, 1290 . .390 Sonnet (to Cino da Pistoia). He rebukes Cino for Fickleness 391 Sonnet (to Cino da Pistoia). Written in Exile . 392 Sonnet. Of Beauty and Duty 393 Sestina. Of the Lady Pietra degli Scrovigni . .393 Sonnet.