The Divina Commedia and Canzoniere Author:Dante Alighieri Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: If it approach without the company Of that Lord's envoys, who imprisons me. K Canzon', thy journey should be swift and short, For well thou know'st how... more » brief is now the day For him for whom thou speedest on thy way. BALLATA III EYES DIM WITH SORROW In aiito di laggia masagera In fashion of an envoy wise and true, Move on thine errand, Song, without delay, To my fair dame thy message to convey, And tell her my life's powers are faint and few. such as may have been suggested by the siege of Caprona, the warfare by which the soul's peace is imperilled. 66 After the manner of the Provencal poets, the Canzone terminates with what was known as the Tomato or L'Envoi of the poem, considered as a messenger who has to bear tidings to her to whom it is sent. The last two lines seem to indicate something like an anticipation, which the state of Dante's health, as described in V. A. c. 14, 23, might well warrant, of an early death. The time was short; Beatrice would do well to give a proof of her sympathy before it was too late. See Ji. iii. BALLATA III The whole poem connects itself closely with the last lines of the foregoing. In the "wreath of torturing fire" by which his eyes were encirled (l. 10) we have the poet's version of the weakness of sight described in S. xxix. ; C. xl. ; Conv. iii. 9; and in y. N. Thou wilt begin to tell her that mine eyes, Through looking on her angel-countenance, Were wont to bear the garland of desires. Now, since they cannot see the face they prize, Death with such terror on them doth advance, That they have made a wreath of torturing fires. 10 Alas! I know not whither they should fare For the1r delight, and so thou me wilt find As one half-dead, unless thou bring my mind Comfort from her; t...« less