Dante's Lyric Poetry: Poems of Youth and of the 'Vita Nuova'
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Dico, qual vuol gentil donna parere
vada con lei, che quando va per via,
gitta nei cor villani Amore un gelo,
per che onne lor pensero agghiaccia e pere;
e qual soffrisse di starla a vedere
diverria nobil cosa, o si morria.
(Donne ch’avete, 31–6)
[To wit, that any lady who would show
her noble worth should keep her company,
for when she passes Love benumbs base hearts
so every thought of theirs will freeze and die;
and any who endured to look at her
would gain nobility, or else expire.]
We note the links to Dante’s sonnets Negli occhi porta la mia donna Amore and above all Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare, whose incipit echoes in the words “qual vuol gentil donna parere” (31). The presence of madonna creates a new moral order: “Ancor l’ha Dio per maggior grazia dato / che non pò mal finir chi l’ha parlato [God’s given her an even greater grace:/that one who’s spoken with her can’t be damned]” (41–2).
In the third stanza Dante follows in the footsteps of Guinizzelli, but he surpasses his precursor. Guinizzelli in the canzone Al cor gentil justifies his desire for madonna on the basis of her “likeness to an angel” (Al cor gentil, 58), whereas Dante creates a situation in which there is no need to justify his desire, given that the angels themselves feel it. Similarly, God speaks in Al cor gentil to reprimand the lover for praising a mortal woman, a “vano amor [profane love]” (Al cor gentil, 54), whereas God speaks in Donne ch’avete in order to participate himself in praising her. In Al cor gentil the lover explains to God that praising madonna cannot constitute a “fault,” given that she belongs to “Your kingdom” (Al cor gentil, 58–60), whereas Dante places the “fault” of desiring and praising her in the celestial kingdom itself.
In this way Dante makes still more radical the already radical Guinizzellian miseen-scène. The profundity of Dante’s inventio is then further on display in the fourth stanza of Donne ch’avete, which opens with the provocative question of a new interlocutor, Love: “Dice di lei Amor: ‘Cosa mortale / come esser pò sì adorna e sì pura?’ [Love says of her: ‘How can a mortal thing / be so attractive and as well so pure?’]” (43–4). Mortality and purity, usually antithetical values (a mortal being is by definition that which is subject to corruption), are here united. This is the stanza that, according to the prose, treats “la nobilitade del suo corpo [the nobility of her body]” (VN XIX.18 [10.29]), and it is important to note the dignity that Dante here confers upon the body, the “cosa mortale.” The “cosa mortale” is not eliminated or absorbed or sublimated (as in Guinizzelli’s “d’angel sembianza”) but rather sacralized: Love teaches us that this cosa mortale is “so attractive and so pure” (44), and that “God intends to make a thing that’s new” (46). She is, remarkably, both “cosa mortale” and “cosa nova.” These two facts – her mortality and her miraculousness – are tightly bound together, even by the dispositio of the poem, wherein “cosa mortale” and “cosa nova” mirror one another at the ends of their respective verses:
Dice di lei Amor: “Cosa mortale
come esser pò sì adorna e sì pura?”
Poi la reguarda, e fra se stesso giura
che Dio ne ’ntenda di far cosa nova.
(Donne ch’avete, 43–6)
[Love says of her: “How can a mortal thing
be so attractive and as well so pure?”
He looks at her and to himself he swears
that God intends to make a thing that’s new.]
The fourth stanza of Donne ch’avete presents a woman who is a miraculous being but who at the same time preserves the features of a mortal woman: “Color di perle ha quasi, in forma quale / convene a donna aver, non for misura:/ella è quanto de ben pò far natura [Her colour is like pearl, of such a hue / as well befits a lady, not too much./She is the best that nature can create]” (47–9). She is not, like Cavalcanti’s lady in Fresca rosa novella, “oltra natura [beyond nature]” (31); rather, “she is the best that nature can create” (49). The phrase “Color di perle” indicates the materiality of madonna: a materiality, like that of pearls, of utmost delicacy, purity, and preciousness. Dante often uses the word “colore” to reveal physical characteristics,
and hence to offer psychological insight: he uses it to show his own prostration in Ciò che m’incontra (“Lo viso mostra lo color del core [My face reveals the colour of my heart]” [5]), Donna pietosa (“Elli era tale a veder mio colore [So pallid was the colour of my face]” [21]), and Li occhi dolenti (“che mi tramuta lo color nel viso [that all the colour in my face is lost]” [48]), and to indicate the pity of the ladies in Voi che portate (“ ’l vostro colore / par divenuto de pietà simile [your colour seems / to have become so similar to pity]” [3–4]). In the most spectacular instance, the opening of Color d’amore e di pietà sembianti, a woman’s colore displays both pity and love. All feeling is instead chastely veiled by “Color de perle ha quasi,” a description that incites wonder and admiration without revealing the state of mind of the “cosa nova.”
Dante does not deny the mortality of madonna in the canzone that confirms her radical extraordinariness, her “newness.” Her mortality is essential, as will be seen in the encounter with Beatrice in Purgatorio 31, where “cosa mortale” echoes our canzone: “e se ’l sommo piacer sì ti fallio / per la mia morte, qual cosa mortale/dovea poi trarre te nel suo disio? [and if the highest pleasure so failed you with my death, what mortal thing should then have drawn you to desire it?]” (Purg. 31.52– 4). Dante’s idiosyncratic breakthrough is to construct his lady as a both / and, both a “cosa mortale” and a “cosa nova”: simultaneously within and without the natural order.
The canzone’s final pairing – the simultaneity of “cosa mortale” and “cosa nova” – is prefigured by its beginning: by the radical copula “intelletto d’amore,” whose fusion of intellect and will anticipates Paradiso. We need only think – to give two examples among many – of the fusion of the faculties of intellect and will in the verses “Imagini, chi bene intender cupe [Imagine this, you who crave to understand]” (Par. 13.1), where “intender” is a verb of intellection and “cupe” is a verb of will, and “Affetto al suo piacer, quel contemplante [Rapt in his pleasure, that contemplative]” (Par. 32.1), where the first clause coincides with the will and the second with the intellect. The mystical fusion of the faculties at the end of Paradiso is anticipated by the preposition di in the iunctura “intelletto d’amore”: entirely different, much less forceful and suggestive, would be “Donne ch’avete intelletto ed amore.” The young poet’s “intelletto d’amore” will become the “luce intellettüal, piena d’amore [intellectual light, full of love]” of Paradiso 30.40.
33 (B XIV; FB 33; VN XIX.4–14 [10.15–25])
Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore, i’ vo’ con voi de la mia donna dire, non perch’io creda sua laude finire,
Ladies who have intellect of love, I wish to speak to you about my lady, not that I think I can exhaust her praise,
4
ma ragionar per isfogar la mente. Io dico che pensando il suo valore, Amor sì dolce mi si fa sentire, che s’io allora non perdessi ardire,
but rather to alleviate my mind. I know that when I think about her worth I feel Love’s sweetness so entirely that if this did not render me less bold,
8
farei parlando innamorar la gente. E io non vo’ parlar sì altamente, ch’io divenisse per temenza vile;
by speaking I’d make people fall in love. But I don’t plan to speak too loftily, for fear that I could never measure up;
11
ma tratterò del suo stato gentile a respetto di lei leggeramente, donne e donzelle amorose, con vui,
instead I’ll speak of her nobility in language less exalted than she is, with you, dear ladies, maidens, who know love,
14
ché non è cosa da parlarne altrui.
Angelo clama in divino intelletto e dice: “Sire, nel mondo si vede maraviglia ne l’atto che procede
An angel clamours in the mind of God and says: “My Lord, on earth a miracle in act is seen proceeding from a soul
18
d’un’anima che ’nfin qua su risplende.” Lo cielo, che non have altro difetto che d’aver lei, al suo segnor la chiede, e ciascun santo ne grida merzede.
whose shining light extends as far as here.” Heaven, whose only imperfection is the lack of her, implores its Lord to ask for her, and all saints favour this request.
22
Sola Pietà nostra parte difende, che parla Dio, che di madonna intende: “Diletti miei, or sofferite in pace
Yet only Pity will defend our cause, so God, referring to my lady, says: “Beloveds, accept with patience that the one
25
che vostra spene sia quanto me piace là ’v’è alcun che perder lei s’attende, e che dirà ne lo inferno: O mal nati,
you wish for must, as long as I desire, remain below with someone who foresees her loss and who will say in Hell: ‘Lost souls,
28
io vidi la speranza de’ beati.”
I have beheld the hope of all the blessed.’”
Madonna è disiata in sommo cielo: or voi di sua virtù farvi savere. Dico, qual vuol gentil donna parere
My lady is desired in highest heaven: now let me tell you of her qualities. To wit, that any lady who would show
32
vada con lei, che quando va per via, gitta nei cor villani Amore un gelo, per che onne lor pensero agghiaccia e pere; e qual soffrisse di starla a vedere
her noble worth should keep her company, for when she passes Love benumbs base hearts so every thought of theirs will freeze and die; and any who endured to look at her
36
diverria nobil cosa, o si morria. E quando trova alcun che degno sia di veder lei, quei prova sua vertute,
would gain nobility, or else expire. And when she finds a person who deserves to look at her, he feels her worth within,
39
ché li avvien, ciò che li dona, in salute, e sì l’umilia, ch’ogni offesa oblia. Ancor l’ha Dio per maggior grazia dato
so that her gift promotes his excellence, which humbles him so he forgets all slights. God’s given her an even greater grace:
42
che non pò mal finir chi l’ha parlato.
that one who’s spoken with her can’t be damned.
Dice di lei Amor: “Cosa mortale come esser pò sì adorna e sì pura?” Poi la reguarda, e fra se stesso giura
Love says of her: “How can a mortal thing be so attractive and as well so pure?” He looks at her and to himself he swears
46
che Dio ne ’ntenda di far cosa nova. Color di perle ha quasi, in forma quale convene a donna aver, non for misura: ella è quanto de ben pò far natura;
that God intends to make a thing that’s new. Her colour is like pearl, of such a hue as well befits a lady, not too much. She is the best that nature can create;
50
per essemplo di lei bieltà si prova. De li occhi suoi, come ch’ella li mova, escono spirti d’amore inflammati,
by her example beauty is appraised. Her eyes, wherever she should turn her gaze, send spirits forth, inflamed with love, that pierce
53
che feron li occhi a qual che allor la guati, e passan sì che ’l cor ciascun retrova: voi le vedete Amor pinto nel viso,
the eyes of anyone who looks at her and penetrate so each one finds the heart: you will see Love depicted in her look,
56
là ’ve non pote alcun mirarla fiso.
on which no one can concentrate his gaze.
Canzone, io so che tu girai parlando a donne assai, quand’io t’avrò avanzata. Or t’ammonisco, perch’io t’ho allevata
My song, I know that you will go and speak to many ladies when I send you forth. Because I raised you as a child of Love,
60
per figliuola d’Amor giovane e piana, che là ’ve giugni tu diche pregando: “Insegnatemi gir, ch’io son mandata a quella di cui laude so’ adornata.”
obedient and meek, I bid you now to ask this favour everywhere you go: “Show me the way to go, since I must reach the lady with whose praises I’m adorned.”
64
E se non vuoli andar sì come vana, non restare ove sia gente villana: ingegnati, se puoi, d’esser palese
And if you do not wish to go in vain, avoid the kind of people who are base: do all you can to introduce yourself
67
solo con donne o con omo cortese, che ti merranno là per via tostana. Tu troverai Amor con esso lei;
to ladies and to men of worth alone, who’ll guide you to her by the quickest path. You’ll find Love in the company of her;
70
raccomandami a lui come tu dei.
speak well of me to him, as well you must.
METRE: canzone of five stanzas, each composed of fourteen hendecasyllables, with rhyme scheme ABBC ABBC CDD CEE. The fronte is eight verses (4 + 4) and the sirma is six verses (3 + 3). The final stanza functions as a congedo.
34 Amore e ’l cor gentil sono una cosa
Dante placed the sonnet Amore e ’l cor gentil sono una cosa right after Donne ch’avete, in Vita Nuova XX (11). This placement is significant; in Purgatorio 24 the “nove rime” (new lyrics) are said to begin with Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore: “Ma dì s’i’ veggio qui colui che fore / trasse le nove rime, cominciando/Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore [But tell me if I see here the one who brought forth the new lyrics, beginning Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore]” (Purg. 24.49–51). As noted previously, the Vita Nuova is also the history of Dante’s poetic journey, the history of precursors who are rejected and of those who are embraced. In the latter category, Guido Guinizzelli is pre-eminent, “il padre / mio e de li altri miei miglior che mai / rime d’amor usar dolci e leggiadre [my father and the father of my betters who ever used love’s sweet and elegant rhymes]” (Purg. 26.97–9). This sonnet is the homage due to “father” Guinizzelli, here celebrated as “il saggio [the wise man]”: “sì come il saggio in suo dittare pone [affirms the wise man in his poetry]” (2). The first verse states that “Love and the noble heart are one sole thing,” thus restating the key concept of Guinizzelli’s canzone-manifesto, Al cor gentil rimpaira sempre amore: “né fe’ amor anti che gentil core,/né gentil core anti ch’amor, Natura [and Nature did not make the noble heart / ere love, nor made love ere the noble heart]” (Al cor gentil, 3–4).
However, as Foster-Boyde note, Dante moves beyond the Guinizzellian identity of “amor” and “cor gentil” to an investigation of the genesis of love. Love is created simultaneously with the noble heart and then remains in potentia in the “dwelling place” of the heart, “sleeping” (“dentro la qual dormendo si riposa / tal volta poca e tal lunga stagione [wherein he lies in dormancy, at times / just briefly and at others quite a while]” [7–8]), until “awakened” – activated, from potency to act (Aristotelian terminology not present in the sonnet but added by Dante in the Vita Nuova prose) – by the lady’s beauty: “Bieltate appare in saggia donna pui,/che piace a li occhi sì, che dentro al core / nasce un disio de la cosa piacente;/e tanto dura talora in costui,/che fa svegliar lo spirito d’Amore [Then beauty in a worthy lady’s seen / that is so pleasing to the eyes that in / the heart desire is born for what is pleasing;/and this desire at times will linger there / until Love’s spirit is aroused from sleep]” (9–13). The interest shown here in the genesis of love will be seen later in the encounter with Francesca and Paolo, when Dante asks a question aimed at illuminating the origin of their love: “Ma dimmi: al tempo d’i dolci sospiri,/a che e come concedette amore / che conosceste i dubbiosi disiri? [But tell me: in the time of the sweet sighs, by what and in what way did love grant that you knew hesitant desire?]” (Inf. 5.118–20).
Amore e ’l cor gentil demonstrates Dante’s new poetic affinities, and not only with the incipit that so blatantly echoes Guinizzelli’s Al cor gentil. The presence of a simile in lines 3–4, the stylistic move favoured by Guinizzelli, further indicates the pedigree of the sonnet. In addition, the analogy established by the terms of the simile, according to which the relationship between love and the noble heart is analogous to the relationship between the rational soul and reason – “e così esser l’un sanza l’altro osa / com’alma razional sanza ragione [and one can no more lack the other / than intellect can lack intelligence]” (3–4) – serves to separate Dante from Cavalcanti: a poet for whom love and the rational soul do not coexist.
Amore e ’l cor gentil is an anti-Cavalcantian poem, because it insists on the ethical and rational basis of love. For this reason, the beauty that awakens love sleeping in man comes not from just any woman but from a “wise lady” (“saggia donna”) (9), and the man who evokes a similar reaction in the heart of the lady is a “man of worth” (“omo valente”) (14). Beauty and virtue are balanced in this vision of an ethically ordered passion. Dante will express this view not only in the Commedia but also in some lyrics, above all in the mature canzone Doglia mi reca nello core ardire, where, however, it is negatively articulated as the precept that women ought not to love men without virtue.91