Petrarch: The Canzoniere, Or, Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta [Hardcover]

Francesco Petrarca (Author), Mark Musa (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

Petrarch's characterization of the hapless lover has become an archetype of modern individualism. Indeed, in many of his poems on the pain and the bitter pleasure of love, we inevitably recognize a vivid and timely picture of ourselves. Humble sinner, aesthete, contemplative, man of the world, secretly tormented spirit, droll observer and advocate of life, Petrarch's protagonist is as richly complex as the age in which he lived.

The poems of Petrarch's Canzoniere represent one of the most influential works in Western literature. Varied in form, style, and subject matter, these "scattered rhymes" contain metaphors and conceits that have been absorbed into the literature and language of love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

OMark Musa, in editing and translating PetrarchOs Canzoniere, has performed a wonderful service to the English-speaking reader. Here, in one volume, are included the poetOs own selection of the best lyric verse he wrote throughout his life, accompanied by brief but useful notes ... O NChronicles OAs well as skillful and fluent verse renderings of the 366 lyrics that make up this milestone in the development of Western poetic tradition, Musa offers copious and up-to-date annotation to each poem ... along with a substantial, sensitive, and intelligent introduction that is genuinely helpful for the first-time reader and thought provoking for Petrarch scholars and other medievalists.O NChoice The 366 poems of PetrarchOs Canzoniere represent one of the most influential works in Western literature. Varied in form, style, and subject matter, these Oscattered rhymesO contains metaphors and conceits that have been absorbed into the literature and language of love. In this bilingual edition, Mark Musa provides verse translations, annotations, and an introduction co-authored with Barbara Manfredi. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 754 pages
• Publisher: Indiana Univ Pr (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253339448
• ISBN-13: 978-0253339447
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,547,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be read as a novel from start to finish, August 8, 2003

By 

R. Rockwell (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Petrarch: The Canzoniere, or Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Paperback)

While there are other good translations of selections from the Canzoniere, Petrarcch's masterpiece needs to be read as a whole from start to finish in order to be fully appreciated. Petrarch planned and rewrote these poems in order to fit into an overall plan.
Usually I skip introductions to works that I read but I read the first paragraph of the extensive introduction and was quickly drawn in. This introduction was actualy a helpful prologue to the poetry which descibed Petrach's styles and intentions.
A blurb on the book cover says that Musa's treanslations read so well that you are unaware that they are translations. I certainly agree. I do not read Italian but this edition does conain the originals on the adjacent side.
I was surprised at the modernity and musicality of the poems. Petrarch was not just inflouential in his versification but also in his language. Much of his humanistic language has become second nature to us but he invented it.
I rank this book as not only some of the graetest poetry but as one ofthe great works of Western llterature.
These "little songs" are highly readble and like a said before form a sort of novelistic story that I would highly recommend to not just poetry readers but all readers.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a good English Petrarch!, November 6, 2003

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the corporal (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Petrarch: The Canzoniere, or Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Paperback)

This edition of Petrarch's Canzoniere (trans. Mark Musa) is the best English rendering I have seen. Durling's edition, while useful in different ways (I would certainly reccommend both to anyone seriously interested in Petrarch), doesn't provide translations that are nearly as poetic or comfortable as these. Musa's experience from translating Dante's Divine Comedy and Vita Nuova, Boccaccio's Decameron, and even, previously, portions of Petrarch's Canzoniere, definitely shines through here - Musa knows his way around the Italian greats, and it shows in this translation.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Petrarch Translations, December 12, 2005

By 

Herschel Greenberg (Chino, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Petrarch: The Canzoniere, or Rerum vulgarium fragmenta (Paperback)

Petrarch, an Italian poet in the early 1300's, had a major influence on English literature in the 16th and 17th centuries. In a series of sonnets that became known as Canzoniere, Petrarch focused on his idea of love based on the sighting of a woman named Laura in a church. Though she was married, Petrarch confessed his love to her but was rebuked each time. With his love unreturned, he channeled that energy into his poetry and instead of trying to persuade Laura, his poetry idealizes and describes the concepts related to beauty. The poetry of the "lover" to the "beloved" describes Laura with "godly" attributes. The beloved is a woman who has an angelic appearance and a certain grace in her mannerisms. Physically, the beloved has blonde hair, blue eyes and pale white skin with red cheeks. She is radiant in appearance and can strike a man's heart in seconds. In addition, Petrarch's writing mechanics influenced the style in which future poems were written. Petrarch's poetry also followed a distinct meter, usually an octave scale. Petrarch's deliberate style and notion of beauty found in his sonnets set a new standard for writing.

Sidney, Spencer, and even Shakespeare were familiar with, and heavily influenced by, Petrarch's work. Other English poets like Henry Howard and Sir Thoms Wyatt tried to translate Petrarch's poetry. In order to understand this entire time peroid, one should go back to the roots and read the original. Mark Musa's translation includes the original Italian version as well as an excellent English translation. My professors also use this book because the translations stay as close to the original as possible. Though something is always lost in translation, these poems feel as if they are whole, and should be read as one long story. Musa's critical notes at the end of the book provide excellent insight into Petrarch's style, form and meaning. This is a great version of the Canzoniere and I highly recommend it.