Description:
For centuries, the sonnet tradition has captivated European writers, beginning with Giacomo da Lentini and flourishing in the hands of Dante and Petrarch. Yet while Dante's and Petrarch's lyric poetry has long been available to English readers through numerous translations, the complete work of Giovanni Boccaccio - the third of Italy's Three Crowns - remains largely inaccessible in English, despite his towering influence.
The RIME bridges this gap by presenting the first complete English translation of Boccaccio's poetry alongside the original Italian text. Based on Antonio Lanza's modern edition, this translation brings to life Boccaccio's mastery of the sonnet form and lyrical voice, shedding new light on his poetic achievements.
With an insightful introduction and extensive notes, this book serves as a vital resource for students and scholars of Italian literature. A long-overdue addition to the canon of translated Italian literature, this edition ensures that Boccaccio's lyrical brilliance can finally be appreciated in English.
Review Quotes:
"Faithful, readable, elegant, and long awaited, this translation truly is a poetic tour de force in the service of scholarship."
--Simone Marchesi, Professor of French and Italian, Princeton University"In these pages, we come to know a different Boccaccio. Here is a poet equally lifted and besieged by love, inspired by the natural wonders and mythological origins of the Bay of Naples, unwilling to spare pity for his adversaries, and bereft after Petrarch's death. Presented with the original Italian text en face, Richard Lansing's dynamic translation brings Boccaccio's lyrical voice to new life in idiomatic English. Akash Kumar's elegant introduction contextualizes Boccaccio's rime in the author's oeuvre and situates his poetry within its multicultural and Mediterranean cultural networks. A long-overdue resource, RIME makes available--at last--Boccaccio's lyrical voice for students, scholars, and readers of medieval and Renaissance literature."
--Kristina M. Olson, Associate Professor of Italian, George Mason University and Editor-in-Chief, Dante Studies"Lansing's translation of Boccaccio's RIME provides a great service to students and scholars. His translation keeps close to Boccaccio's language, allowing readers to gain insight into the poetic imagination of this central figure of Italian literature. Despite Boccaccio's own words, his poetry is well worth the critical attention that this volume will bring."
--Jason Houston, Dean, Gonzaga University in Florence