Sonnet

The best known among the thirteenth-century satirical poets is Cecco Angiolieri. Angiolieri
was born in Siena around 1260 to an old and God-fearing family of small bankers.20 He fought in the Arezzo War of 1288, and one year later, he was at Campaldino when the Guelfs defeated the Ghibellines.
Here is a parodic counterimage of the courtly woman.
La mia malinconia è tanta e tale,
ch’i’ non discredo che, s’egli ’l apesse un che mi fosse nemico mortale,
che di me di pietade non piangesse. 4
Quella, per cu’ m’aven, poco ne cale, che mi potrebbe, sed ella volesse,
guarir ’n un punto di tutto ’l mie male,
sed ella pur: “I’ t’odio” mi dicesse. 8
Ma quest’ è la risposta c’ho da lei: ched ella non mi vol né mal né bene, e ched i’ vad ’ a far li fatti miei,
ch’ella non cura s’i’ ho gioi’ o pene 12
men ch’una paglia che le va tra’ piei.
Mal grado n’abbi Amor, ch’a le’ mi diène.

My melancholy is so deep and such
that I have no doubts that even a mortal enemy of mine, if he knew about it,
would weep out of pity for me. 4
The woman that causes it cares not
one bit; the one who in a single moment could cure me, if she wished, of all my ills,
if she would simply say, “I hate you.” 8
But this is the answer I get from her: that she neither hates me nor loves me; that I ought to go about my business,
for she cares for my happiness or distress 12 less than for a straw lying between her feet.
Cursed be Love, who has given me to her!

Regarding line 1, medieval science defined melancholy as the dark mood brought about by the frus- tration of desire. The whole sonnet—more openly, the first quatrain—makes fun of concepts typical of courtly love: the personification of love, the lover’s pitiful condition, the sympathy of the onlooker, the curing power of the beloved, and Love’s arbitrary decision over the man’s destiny. The woman makes her appearance in the second quatrain, ideally and stylistically reversing the traditional image of the beloved. In contrast to the silent, gentle demeanor of the stilnovo lady,21 Cecco’s woman is aggressively and contemptuously outspoken. She cares not a fig about him and tells him to bugger off. The dynamic of the sonnet is all in the contrast between the ideal and the real situation, between the courtly veneer and the down-to-earth relationship of Cecco and his mistress. Even the final curse is the opposite of the courtly declaration of total submission to Love.

“Becchin’ amor!” “Che vuo’, falso tradito?” “Che mi perdoni.” “Tu non ne se’ degno!” “Merzé, per Deo!” “Tu vien’ molto gecchito.”
“E verrò sempre.” “Che saràmi pegno?” 4 “La buona fe’.” “Tu ne sei mal fornito.”
“No inver di te.” “Non calmar, ch’i’ ne vegno.”
“In che fallai?” “Tu sa’ ch’i’ l ’abbo udito.”
“Dimmel ’ amor.” “Và, che ti veng’ un segno!” 8 “Vuo’ pur ch’i’ muoia?” “Anzi, mi par mill ’anni.”
“Tu non dì bene.” “Tu m’insegnerai.”
“Ed i’ morrò.” “Omè, che’ tu m’inganni!”
“Die te ’l perdoni.” “E ché, non te ne vai?” 12 “Or potess’io!” “Tegnoti per li panni?”
“Tu tieni ’l cuore.” “E terrò co’ tuo’ guai.”

“Becchina, my love!” “What you want, devious traitor?” “To be forgiven.” “You don’t deserve it.”
“Have pity, by God!” “Aren’t you ever so humble!”
“I shall always be!” “What will be the guarantee?” 4 “My good faith.” “Of it, you are badly provided.”
“Not toward you.” “You don’t fool me, I have proof.” “What did I do wrong?” “You know what I heard!”
“Tell me, love.” “Go away, may the plague get you!” 8 “Are you sure you want me dead?” “I can’t wait.”
“These are not nice things to say!” “Then you’ll teach me.” “Then I will die.” “Too bad, you are only fooling me!”
“May God forgive you!” “Well? Aren’t you going?” 12 “
I wish I could!” “Am I holding you by the coat?”
“You hold my heart!” “I shall keep it and torment it.”