Cecco d'Angiolieri, da Siena. “Sonnet. He will not be too deeply in Love.”

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

General Description

Date: 1861
Rhyme: abbaabbacdecde
Meter: iambic pentameter
Genre: sonnet

Bibliography

“Introduction to Part II” (in Early Italian Poets) 212-217

◦ Lanza, ed., Rime. Cecco Angiolieri, 137-138

◦ Massera, ed., Sonetti Burleschi e Realistici, 97

Scholarly Commentary

Introduction

The light cynicism of Cecco's sonnet is nicely replicated in DGR's translation. A notably weak moment comes in the rhyme at line 4, but otherwise the poem is strong as well as fairly literal. The word “conceive” in line 9 deserves special notice since it involves a witty play on words not found in the original sonnet.

DGR's source text was Villaroso's Raccolta di Rime Antiche Toscane (II. 155). For additional information on Cecco and DGR's translations see the commentary for “Dante Alighieri, Cecco, your good friend”.

Textual History: Composition

Probably an early translation, late 1840s.

Printing History

The translation was first published in 1861 in The Early Italian Poets; it was reprinted in 1874 in Dante and his Circle.

Electronic Archive Edition: 1
Source File: 60d-1861.raw.xml