Guido Cavalcanti
tion in rhythms of the individual notes, and harmony the blending of these varied rhythms. When we know more of overtones we shall see that the tempo of every masterpiece is absolute, and is exactly set by some further law of rhythmic accord. Whence it should be possible to show that any given rhythm implies about it a complete musical form, fugue, sonata, I cannot say what form, but a form, perfect, complete. Ergo, the rhythm set in a line of poetry connotes its symphony, which, had we a little more skill, we could score for orchestra.
The rhythm of any poetic line corresponds to a particular emotion. It is the poet’s business that this correspondence be exact, i. e. that it be the emotion which surrounds the thought expressed. For which cause I have set here Guido’s own words, that those few of you who care, may read in them the signs of his genius. By the same token, I consider Carducci and Arnone blasphemous in accepting the reading
E fa di clariate tremar l’are
instead of following those MSS. which read
E fa di clarità l’aer tremare.
I have in my translations tried to bring over the qualities of Guido’s rhythm, not line for line, but to embody in the whole of my English some trace of that power which implies the man. The science of the music of words and the knowledge of their
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