Dante Alighieri – Tanto gentil e tanto onesta pare (translated)

Cherry

By luigi_pagano

Wed, 03 Feb 2021
  • 3775 reads
8 comments
 
Translation © Luigi Pagano 2021
 
Dante Alighieri – So gentle and honest she seems
 
So gentle and honest my lady seems
when greeting others with great flair
that quivering tongues become still
and prying eyes do not dare to stare.
 
She goes and listens to the adulation
but retains a deep sense of humility
and it looks like she has come down
to earth to show the power of divinity.
 
Her beauty catches the people's eye
engendering a sweetness in the heart
unfathomable to those who don't taste it.
 
And it looks as if her lips will impart
the loving words of a charming spirit
which is saying to the soul: Sigh .
 

Original text

Dante Alighieri – Tanto gentil e tanto onesta pare

Tanto gentil e tanto onesta pare
la donna mia quand’ella altrui saluta,
ch’ogne lingua deven tremando muta,
e li occhi no l’ardiscon di guardare.

 
Ella si va, sentendosi laudare,
benignamente d’umiltà vestuta;
e par che sia una cosa venuta
da cielo in terra a miracol mostrare.

 
Mostrasi sì piacente a chi la mira,
che dà per li occhi una dolcezza al core,
che ‘ntender non la può chi no la prova;

 
e par che de la sua labbia si mova
uno spirito soave pien d’amore,
che va dicendo a l’anima: Sospira.

 
 
Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Spiritual
Love

Comments

Submitted by Ewan on

with languages for over 40 years has taught me the hard lessons when it comes to translation. Literary translation is the most difficult of all. Congratulations on even attempting anything from the great Dante.

Well done.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

I thoroughly agree, Ewan. Even though Italian is my native language I found the translation very hard not only because I last used lt 60 years ago but also having to deal with an archaic idiom. This is one of three sonnets I translated (the other two are by Guido Cavalcanti and Giacomo da Lentini).
It seems it was worth the effort. Very grateful for the fruit, thanks.

Best,Luigi.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Gosh, Luigi!

Have you entered this one in the competition you won last year? Your translation is beautiful. I imagine her face like Boticelli's Venus

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Hello, Di.
I did submit three translated sonnets but received no feedback re. acceptance or rejection and as my name did not appear on the winners' list I assume that they 'bombed'. Personally, I thought they were good enough to deserve a mention but who am I to judge the judges?
I'll have to rely on ABC readers' better judgment.

Thanks for your kind words, Luigi. x

P.S. I shall post the other two for your consideration.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

that you got no feedback at all seems strange. I thought this one truly lovely. I wonder if it is because lots of people translate Dante, and so the judges might have thought "Oh, another one" and been lazy and not read this wonderful interpretation the way it deserved?

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Strange as you say. It could be due to overkill as I submitted three pieces by different poets. Never mind, I will try again next year with a single poem by an obscure author.
Look out for my two other efforts which I shall post soon.

Regards, Luigi x

PS A thought, is it possible that my emails went astray?

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

That is very possible, particularly if they have sent acknowledgement of receipt of entries in the past, but not this year. Surely 3 poems is not overkill!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Oh well, that's life.

Cheers. smiley