{"id":8438,"date":"2015-01-26T09:11:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-26T09:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=8438"},"modified":"2015-01-27T10:58:30","modified_gmt":"2015-01-27T10:58:30","slug":"a-poem-for-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/a-poem-for-january\/","title":{"rendered":"A Poem For January"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s a lovely poem by Giacomo di Michele<\/strong> (1280-1332), <\/strong>better known as Folg\u00f2re da San Gimignano<\/strong>,<\/em> from the beautiful Tuscan town of San Gimignano, near Siena. Folg\u00f2re was a knight and courtier who wrote in the Tuscan language just before the time of Dante. He is famous for his set of sonnets known as La Corona dei Mesi<\/strong> (The Crown of the Months), each of which is dedicated to a month of the year, describing its particular beauties and pleasures. Let\u2019s find out what the month of January has to offer: <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"Jan-08<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gennaio. Photo by Geoff<\/strong><\/font><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Di Gennaio di Folg\u00f2re da San Gimignano<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

I’ doto voi, nel mese de gennaio,
corte con fochi di salette accese,
camer’ e letta d’ogni bello arnese,
lenzuol’ de seta e copertoi di vaio,<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

treg\u00e8a, confetti e mescere a razzaio,
vestiti di doagio e di rascese:
e ‘n questo modo star a le defese,
mova scirocco, garbino e rovaio.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Uscir di for alcuna volta il giorno,
gittando de la neve bella e bianca
a le donzelle che staran da torno;<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

e quando fosse la compagna stanca,
a questa corte faciase retorno:
e si riposi la brigata franca.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Contemporary Italian paraphrase:<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Nel mese di gennaio, vi regalo
una sala con fuochi di erbe secche che bruciano,
camere e letti coi pi\u00f9 begli arredamenti,
lenzuola di seta e coperte di pelliccia,<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

confettura, dolci e vino frizzante,
vestiti di seta di Douai e di lana di Arras;
e in questo modo possiate stare al riparo
sia che soffi lo scirocco o il libeccio o la tramontana. <\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Possiate uscir fuori qualche volta durante il giorno,
a tirare palle di neve bella e bianca
alle donzelle che staranno attorno; <\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

e quando la compagnia fosse stanca, 
faccia ritorno a questa sala
e si riposi la nobile brigata<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

English translation:<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

In January I give you
a hall with fires of dry grass burning,
bedrooms and beds with the most beautiful furnishings,
sheets of silk and blankets of fur,<\/font><\/p>\n

comfitures, sweets and sparkling wine,
clothes of silk from Douai and of wool from Arras;
and in this way may you remain sheltered,
whether sirocco or libeccio or tramontane may blow.<\/font><\/p>\n

May you go outside sometimes during the day,
to throw balls of beautiful white snow
at the damsels around you;<\/font><\/p>\n

and when the company is tired,
all may return to the hall
and may the noble brigade rest<\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"trovatori-immagine002-001\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Image: Public Domain<\/font><\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

These sonnets <\/strong>have their satirical counterparts, written by a 13th century jester and storyteller from Arezzo called Cenne da la Chitarra<\/strong> (named after the instrument which he used to accompany his compositions). Cenne da la Chitarra wrote a series of poems based on Folg\u00f2re\u2019s sonnets called  \u2018Risposta per Contrari\u2019 <\/strong>(Contrary Reply). Every pleasure described by Folg\u00f2re is transformed by Cenne into its opposite: an annoyance! Here is his satirical sonnet for the month of January:<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n

Di Gennaio di Cenne da la Chitarra<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Io vi doto, nel mese di gennaio,
corti con fumo al modo montanese;
letta qual ha nel mar il genovese;
acqua con vento che non cali maio;<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

povert\u00e0 di fanciulle a colmo staio;
da ber, aceto forte galavrese,
e stare come ribaldo in arnese,
con panni rotti senza alcun denaio.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Ancor vi do cos\u00ec fatto soggiorno:
con una veglia nera, vizza e ranca,
catun gittando de la neve a torno,<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

appresso voi seder in una banca;
e rismirando quel suo viso adorno,
cos\u00ec riposi la brigata manca.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Contemporary Italian paraphrase:<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Io vi regalo, nel mese di gennaio,
sale con fumo come avviene in montagna;
letti scomodi come hanno i marinai;
acqua con vento che mai diminuisca;<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

mancanza di fanciulle in abbondanza;
da bere, forte aceto calabrese,
ed essere nelle condizioni di un vagabondo,
coi vestiti rotti e senza un soldo.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

Inoltre vi regalo un soggiorno siffatto:
con una vecchia scura, appassita e zoppa,
dove ciascuno getti la neve tutt\u2019intorno,<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

seduti vicini in una stessa panca con la vecchia,
e ammirando quel suo viso cos\u00ec conciato,
in questo modo riposi la brigata che manca di tutto<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

English translation:<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

I give you, in the month of January,
halls filled with smoke like they have in the mountains;
uncomfortable beds like those the sailors have;
rain with wind that never drops;<\/font><\/p>\n

a complete lack of of girls,
and to drink: strong Calabrese vinegar,
and you\u2019ll live like a tramp,
with ragged clothes and without money.<\/font><\/p>\n

Moreover I give you a living room made like this:
containing a dark, withered and lame old woman, 
and in this room everyone throws snow around,<\/font><\/p>\n

sitting close together on the bench with the old woman,
and admiring her devastated face, 
this is how the brigade that lacks everything may rest<\/font><\/p>\n

You can read Folg\u00f2re and Cenne\u2019s sonnets for the month of June <\/font>HERE<\/font><\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Here\u2019s a lovely poem by Giacomo di Michele (1280-1332), better known as Folg\u00f2re da San Gimignano, from the beautiful Tuscan town of San Gimignano, near Siena. Folg\u00f2re was a knight and courtier who wrote in the Tuscan language just before the time of Dante. He is famous for his set of sonnets known as La…<\/p>\n

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