Piece of La Gerusalemme Liberata (1575)

Torquato Tasso

Torquato Tasso, the famous late Renaissance poet, who was -insane or not- to be crowned 'king of the poets' by the pope himself, but died a few days before...
But what part of the Rhine is he talking about? Probably the German part, when the Crusaders crossed the Rhine on their journey from Bouillon?? And does this mean that Tasso places his skaters in the year 1099, the year of the Crusade he describes? And how 'free' is the translation? Any Italian readers who can solve these mysteries?
In the XVI century, the Rhine ment, for the Italian view-point, the borders or the heart of German territories. Tasso places the 'village girls' in 1099, but it is rather a contemporary image transferred in the poem : apparently, in 1099, 'village girls' were not free to slide on ice, with what? Clogs, maybe ? The translation rends well the lines 2-4, but does not treat the first line 'As it is a habit of the peoples near the (North) Pole' could be a rough translation of mine. I spoke with a friend of mine, English mother tongue, who married an Italian and speaks Italian better than mine : the term 'strokes' appears as not suitable, preferably 'slides'.

Si come soglion la vicino al Polo,
S'avvien che'l verno i fiumi agghiacci, e indure,
Correr su'l Ren le villanelle á stuolo,
Con lunghi strisci, e sdrucciolar secure.

As o'er the Rhine, when winter its broad tide
Has in smooth chains of solid silver bound,
The village girls in crowds securely glide,
With long swift strokes, in many a playful round.

Input material by: Marnix Koolhaas and Gherardo Bonini
Added: 14 July 2001
Translation: unknown

Last changes on this page 14 July 2001
Back to index page
home
Click Here!