Post

Picking up where I left off - as @support.bsky.team has gone silent on my lost thread after saying "try this & if it doesn't work get back to us" (assume if you go on too long it triggers automatic deletion): the last verses of Canto XV of Dante's Inferno. Hell yeah! #Dante

Ciò che narrate di mio corso scrivo/e serbolo a chiosar con altro testo/a donna che saprà, s'a lei arrivo. I write what/that which you narrate of my [life] course and I'll keep [it] to be glossed with other text by a lady who will know how, if I reach her.

For corso Longfellow has "career", Hollanders "future" but I prefer "life course"; serbolo a chiosar[e] confused me, confess Meta AI just explained so shouldn't've put "it" in square brackets i.e. serbo "I keep"+enclitic lo "it" presente into future English & active infinitive into passive.

Soooo who's the Lady? (capped by Longfellow). I'm guessing Beatrice but could be BVM? Off to check Hollanders' notes ... drum roll ... 🥁 ... Right, the Mother of God would not be glossing anyone's text. Beatrice it is.

Tanto vogl'io che vi sia manifesto/pur che mia coscienza non mi garra/ch'a la Fortuna, come vuol, son presto. This much only I want [that] it is clear to you, providing my conscience would not reproach me, that to Fortune, as she wills, I am ready.

Pardon ugh parsing translateeze: tanto as per Trecanni Dantesca - this word ricorre in tutte le opera di Dante, "recurs in all Dante's works" & this example in senso restrittivo solo questo in the "restricted sense of only this"; pur che=purché my olde dictionary "providing, provided";

garra - congiuntivo presente garr[isc]a syncopated/ elided/contracted, garrire "to chirp, warble, screech" becomes rimproverare "to reprove, chide" fig.poet. says Trecanni Dantesca with this example; son[o]; presto=pronto again Trecanni; forgot vi not usual "there" but dative pronoun "to you".

Non è nuova a li orecchi miei tal arra/però giri Fortuna la sua rota/come le piace e 'l villan la sua marra." This pledge is not new to my ears but let Fortune turn her wheel as she pleases and the peasant, his hoe.

Great to have an easy one when returning after 2 weeks due to guests. Longfellow translates arra "pledge" (olde dictionary) as "handsel" so had to look up. He goes very olde English betimes, also "mattock" for hoe. Thought rota simple present but no, imperative jussive 'soft command' mood form.

Lo mio maestro allora in su la gota/destra si volse in dietro e riguardommi/poi disse: "Bene ascolta chi la nota." My master then, on his right cheek side, turned back and regarded me, then said: "He llistens well who notes it."

0 reposts0 likes

We've got a lot of body movement here on Virgil's part. To underscore the last line? He's turning his face, la gota destra, (right cheek, positive vibe) & his body, si volse in dietro & his eyes are pinning Dante also. Then he basically says "good, you're finally paying attention, blockhead."

Né per tanto di men parlando vommi/con ser Brunetto e dimando chi sono/li suoi compagni più noti e più sommi. Nor do I go on speaking less with Ser Brunetto and asking who are his most noted and greatest companions.

So question here of whether it's Longfellow's correct grammar "nor speaking less ... I go with Ser" attaching vommi to Brunetto or Hollanders' also correct view that Dante is not moving away from Virgil hence it goes with parlando. I voted for scene context over grammar here.