Years later, she greets him . . . .

*

Dante saw a girl his age, when he was nine.  And she made a huge impression on him.  When he saw her again, nine years later, and she spoke to him, he fell deeply in love.  A consuming love that lasted all his life.  He called her Beatrice, ‘she who confers blessings’.  Dante and Beatrice were not joined in love and they married other people. Beatrice died at the age of 24.   Dante wrote “La Vita Nuova” two years after her death.

 

Patrick Cassidy wrote a marvellous piece of music called “Vide Cor Meum” from the above.  It was first used in the film “Hannibal” but I think is used to much greater effect in the funeral scene of King Baldwin in “The Kingdom of Heaven”, (a great and underrated film).  You can hear some of it here . . . . . .  http://www.patrickcassidy.com/

 

I bought a version by Katherine Jenkins and Rhys Merrion.  This music is so beautiful . . . . . . .

 

Here’s some more info on the words . . . .

ITALIAN/LATIN Chorus: E pensando di lei Mi sopragiunse uno soave sonno Ego dominus tuus Vide cor tuum E d’esto core ardendo Cor tuum (Chorus: Lei paventosa) Umilmente pascea. Appresso gir lo ne vedea piangendo. La letizia si convertia In amarissimo pianto Io sono in pace Cor meum Io sono in pace Vide cor meum

ENGLISH Chorus: And thinking of her Sweet sleep overcame me I am your master See your heart And of this burning heart Your heart (Chorus: She trembling) Obediently eats. Weeping, I saw him then depart from me. Joy is converted To bitterest tears I am in peace My heart I am in peace See my heart

 (translated by Dorothy Maguire at    http://hannibal.hannotations.com/vide.html  )

 

 

“           And thinking of her a sweet sleep overcame me, in which a marvellous vision appeared to me: so that it seemed I saw in my room a flame-coloured nebula, in the midst of which I discerned the shape of a lord of fearful aspect to those who gazed on him: and he appeared to me with such joy, so much joy within himself, that it was a miraculous thing: and in his speech he said many things, of which I understood only a few: among them I understood this: ‘Ego dominus tuus: I am your lord.’

            It seemed to me he held a figure sleeping in his arms, naked except that it seemed to me to be covered lightly with a crimson cloth: gazing at it very intently I realised it was the lady of the greeting, she who had deigned to greet me before that day. And in one of his hands it seemed to me that he held something completely on fire, and he seemed to say to me these words: ‘Vide cor tuum: Look upon your heart. And when he had stood for a while, he seemed to wake her who slept: and by his art was so forceful that he made her eat the thing that burned in her hand, which she ate hesitantly.

            After waiting for a little while his joy was all turned to bitter grief: and, so grieving, he gathered that lady in his arms, and it seemed to me that he ascended with her towards heaven: from which I experienced such anguish that my light sleep could not endure it, and so was broken, and was dispersed.”

(   “ La Vita Nuova”  ‘The New Life’by Dante Alighieri,   Translated by A.S.Kline )

 

Dante : A mind speaks to us from 700 years ago and even if the symbolism is now harder for us to empathise with, the love is there and is here with us still  . . . .  and the music makes it even more alive.

 

More on Dante:

http://www.greatdante.net/index.html

 

~ by searby on June 19, 2008.