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Dal pianto de gli amanti scherniti
Original Language: Italian
Mordeva un bianco lino Aci dolente,
E come è l’uso de’ scherniti amanti,
Alla sua bella schernitrice avanti
Di mal trattar gode a tela innocente.
Ma quel ch’irato lacerava il dente
Non mai restavan d’ammollire i pianti,
Che trito homai da tanti morsi e tanti,
Liquido il rese al fin l’occhio gemente.
Tela non sembra più, ma foglie sparte:
Onde tu prima c’insegnasti Amore,
Col fiero esempio a fabbricar le carte.
Se nacque già dal feminil rigore
D’una donna crudel sì nobil arte,
Che produrrà la cortesia d’un core?
Poet:
English
Paper Making Learned From the Tears of Disdained Lovers
Suffering Acis chewed on a white linen cloth,
and as is the way of disdained lovers,
in place of the beautiful disdainer he comforted
himself by mistreating an innocent piece of cloth.
But the cloth torn in anger by his teeth
never assuaged the tears,
and once it became shredded by so much gnawing,
the weeping eyes liquified what was left.
It no longer resembled cloth, but scattered straw:
thus you, before teaching love,
by your harsh example showed how to make paper.
If such a noble art was born
of the feminine harshness of a cruel woman,
what might the kindness of a heart produce?
Translated by:
Richard Kolb
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Dal Pianto de gli Amanti s'Imparò a Far La Carta
Published by Cor Donato Editions in historically correct modern transcription, including critical introductory notes on the work, editorial procedures, original texts with new English translations, and other contextual information about the piece.
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