The Early Italian Poets, Working Papers Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 Published with the permission of Iziko Museums of Cape Town [Untitled] Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1849? holograph draft DGR 1 page Library of the South African National Gallery pale blue unlined 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in The text is in two hands, DGR's and an unknown copyist. The interlinear text is in pencil, the rest is in ink. Commentary
Introduction

This interesting document is a page of working notes, transcriptions, and translations clearly related to DGR's project that eventually became <hi rend="i">The Early Italian Poets</hi> . The presence here of DGR's partial interlinear translation of a passage from the <hi rend="i">Roman de la Rose</hi> indicates his early intention to illustrate how the courtly love tradition was a European phenomenon. For DGR, of course, the Italian strand was the key one. The Italian poetry transcribed at the top and bottom of the verso—the former not in DGR's hand—comprise three separate fragments from Guido della Colonne's famous canzone “Amor che lunghiamente m' hai menato” (translated by DGR as “To Love and to his Lady” : lines 30-39 (at the top of the page), and (at the bottom) lines 5-7 and 18-19.

The texts on these two pages are loosely organized. It appears that DGR first used the sheet and folded it in half, the top page carrying at first only the cryptic notation “Meuccio Cacciatigre (God's Result!)”. On the verso of that fold DGR had initially written the note citing Bindo Boniche da Siena. The other two pages of this folded leaf would have been empty. Sometime later the poetical texts were added, probably in this order: first the sonnet by Bernardo da Bologna; then the text (followed later by the interlinear pencil translation) of the passage from the <hi rend="i">Roman de la Rose</hi> ; and finally the texts from Guido delle Colonne's canzone, with one line given an initial translation (in pencil). This translation did not survive into the final work.

Textual History: Composition

While this document is not specifically datable, it is unquestionably early, probably as early as 1848.

Textual History: Revision

Production History

Reception History

Iconographic

Printing History

Pictorial

Historical

Literary

Translation

Autobiographical

Bibliographic

The texts on the manuscript are here reproduced in the order that they appear in the digital image files. See commentary for the probable order of their initial transcription. Tender as dew her cheek's warm life, She was as simple as a wife, Could [?] She was as white as lilies are. Her face was sweet and smooth & fair Slender & very strait was she was, And on her cheeks no paint might pass. Her fair hair was so long that it Fell when she walked about her feet Eyes, nose & mouth were perfect art Exceeding pain is at my heart When I remember me of her. Tendre eut la chair comme rousée, Simple fut comme une épousée Et blanche comme fleur de lis; Visage eut bel, doux et alis, Elle ètait grêle et alignée N'ètait fardée ni pignée. Car elle n'avait pas métier De soi farder et affaictier; Les cheveux eut blonds et si longs Quil lui battaient au talons; Elle eut bien faits nez, yeux et bouche Moult quand douleur au coeur me touche Quand de sa beauté me remembre. ______________________ “Bernardo da Bologna” is written by DGR vertically along the right margin. A quella amorosetta forosella Passò sì il core la vostra salute, Che sfigurò di sue belle parute Ond'io le domandai, perchè Pinella? Udistu mai di quel Guido novella? Sì feci tal, che appena l'ho credute; Ché s'allegaron le mortal ferute D'Amore, e di suo fermamento stella Con pura luce, che spande soave; Ma dimmi, amico, se ti piace, come La conoscenza di me da te l'have? Sì tosto come io la il vidi, seppi il nome, Ben è così qual si dice la chiave, A lui ne mandi trentamila some. This note on the Sienese poet appears upside down in the digital reproduction, between lines 11 and 12 of the Italian sonnet text.

Bindo Bonichi da Siena 1337tre canzoni pubblicate dall' Ubaldini (Federico)in Roma 1642

 Chè sì manteni in pregio ed in grandezza. Troppo alterezza è quella che sconveni; Di grandi orgoglio maì ben non aveni Però, Madonna, la vostra durezza Convertasi in pietanza e si rinfreni; Non si distenda tanto ch'io ne pera. Lo Sole è alto e face lumiera E tanto più quanto in altura pare: Perchè vostro orgoglioan e vostre altezza Facciammi prò e tornimi in dolcezza— Ch ho più durato ch'io non ho possanza Per voi, Madonna, per cui porto lianza Più che non fa assessino a suo cuitato Cha si gran travi poco ferro serra E poco pioggia quando vento atterra— This line is written below line 5 of the previous text and translates that line. Even as a gentle rain will lay the wind This prose note appears on the digital image above the previous two texts.

Meuccio Cacciatigre (God's Result!)