AVdite una ntenzone ch’è nfra l’anima e l corpo
The Call to Penance
The soul initiates a call to penance, which the body initially resists, leading to a sharp conflict.
Listen to the dispute between the soul and the body—a bitter struggle that lasts until death. The soul says to the body, “Let’s do penance so we can escape that harsh judgment and gain the glory that brings such joy. Let’s bear every hardship with joyful love.” The body says: “What I hear you saying upsets me. I’ve been raised on pleasures; I couldn’t endure it. My brain is weak, and I could quickly go mad. Put such a thought out of your mind, and never speak to me about it again.” You filthy, wicked body—so lustful and gluttonous! I always find you deaf to everything that would save me. Endure the lashes of this knotted cord; learn this harsh tune, because now you’ll have to dance to it.
The Discipline of the Senses
The soul imposes sensory deprivation and harsh physical conditions upon the body to break its resistance.
Help me, neighbors, because the soul has killed me! Beaten down, bloodied, and unjustly scourged! You wicked, cruel soul, what have you reduced me to? I’ll remain in mourning forever; I’ll never be able to rejoice.1 I wouldn't mind a death that quick. I've decided to put you to the test: to strip all pleasure from your five senses, and give you no enjoyment at all. If you take away the pleasures my senses provide, I’ll become bloated and miserable, full of distress; the joy you find in your thoughts will be taken from you. You’d better change your mind now rather than put me to the test. Take off your shirt and put on this hair shirt; practice a penance that gives you no pleasure. As your reward, I give you this noble garment, for I meant to wrap you in rough pigskin.23 This painful garment was brought up from hell; the devil wove it from the bristles of a porcupine. Every hair feels like a furious wasp to me; I can't find any rest in it—it's so harsh.4 Here is the bed—rest now, and lie down on this rough lattice. Look at the pillow; it is nothing but a little straw. Cover yourself with the small blanket—the one the donkey used. Let that be your comfort for what I intend to do to you. Just look at this soft bed, plucked bare of its feathers! I can see the round stones they brought up from the ditch; no matter which way I turn, they dig into my ribs. I'm bruised all over—I can't rest here.
The Struggle of Daily Obedience
The soul demands obedience to the monastic schedule and diet, while the body complains of physical weakness and exhaustion.
Body, wake up—get out of bed! Matins is ringing; get up, sleepyhead, and go to the Divine Office. Take on new rules that will keep you there until morning; set out on this path, because it’s one you’ll always have to follow. How can I get up—how can I rise—when I haven't slept? My digestion will be ruined—I haven't finished digesting yet. My rheumatism has flared up from the cold I've felt. There's still time, so let me rest a little longer!5 And where did you go to find this medicine? I’m punishing you for your negligence. If you say another word, I’ll take away your kitchen privileges at mealtime, because I intend to cure this sickness of yours.67 And now here is a fine meal of delicious bread—black, unleavened, and so hard that even a dog couldn't gnaw it! I can't swallow it; its foul taste makes me sick.8 Give me something else to eat if you want to keep me alive. Because you talked like that, you'll give up wine; you won't eat cooked food at lunch or dinner. If you say another word, expect a severe beating; I promise you this: no helmet will help you escape it.9
The Path to Reconciliation
After further conflict over temptation and health, the body and soul reach a mutual understanding regarding their shared life.
I remember a woman, fair-skinned and rosy, beautifully dressed and adorned, soft and lovely—a wonder to behold. Thinking of her beautiful features sharpens my desire; I feel a powerful urge to speak to her. Now wait for the reward for what you've been thinking: I'll take your cloak away for this whole winter; leave your shoes behind, since you've been so foolish; and you'll be scourged until your skin is stripped away. The water I'm drinking is hurting me and giving me dropsy; please be kind and give me back the wine! If you keep me healthy, I'll walk straight down the road; if I fall ill, you'll have to look after me. Since water makes your illness worse and wine threatens my chastity, give up both wine and water for the sake of our health; endure the hardship so we can preserve our lives. I beg you, don’t kill me! I don’t ask for anything; I promise you that I won’t go around complaining. I see that this quarrel only brings me harm, and I intend to be careful not to fall under condemnation.1011 If you want to avoid every offense, take care to provide the nourishment I need, and I will take care not to cause you distress. It will be a joy to save our life.12 Just look at the struggle a person faces in this life! There are so many other struggles that I haven't touched on any of them. So they won't become tiresome, I've kept them brief. I end this treatise and leave it here.13
Read the original Latin
AVdite una ntenzone ch’è nfra l’anima e l corpo; battaglia dura troppo fin a lo consumare.
L’anima dice al corpo: facciamo penitenza, ché possiamo fugire quella graue sentenza & guadagnar la gloria ch’è de tanta piacenza; portimo onne grauenza con delectoso amare.
Lo corpo dice: turbome d’esto che t’odo dire; nutrito so ’n delicii, nollo porrìa patire; lo celebr’aio debele, porrìa tost’empazire: fugi cotal pensìere, mai non me ne parlare.
Sozo, maluascio corpo, luxurioso, engordo; ad omne mia salute sempre te trouo sordo; sostieni lo flagello d’esto nodoso cordo, emprende sto discordo ché t’è ci opo danzare!
Succurrite, uicini, ché l’anima m’à morto! alliso, ensanguenato, disciplinato a torto! o impia, crudele, & ad que m’ài redocto? starò sempr’en corrocto, non me porrò allegrare.
Questa morte sì breue non mi sirìa ’n talento. Somme deliberata de farte far spermento; dagl cinque sensi tollere omne delectamento et nullo piacemento t’agio uoglia de dare.
Si da li sensi tollime li mei delectamenti, siragio enfiato & tristo, pieno d’encrescementi; torrotte la letitia nelli tuoi pensamenti; megli’è che mo te penti che de farlo prouare.
La camiscia spogliate et uesti sto cilizo; la penetenza uetate che non abbi delizo; per guidardone donote questo nobel pannizo, ché de coio scrofizo te pensai d’amantare.
Da lo nferno recastela questa uesta penosa; tesseala l diauolo de pili de spinosa; omne pelo pareme una uespa orgogliosa; nulla ce trouo posa, tanto dura me pare.
Ecco lo lecto; posate, iace en esto gratizo! lo capezal aguardace ch’è un poco de paglizo; lo mantellino cuoprite, adusate col miccio; questo te sia deliccio a quel che te uoglo fare!
Guardate a lecto morbedo d’esta penna splumato! pietre rotonde uegioce che uenner dal fossato; da qual parte uolgome, rompome el costato; tutto son conquassato, non ce posso posare.
Corpo, surge, leuate! ché suona matutino; leua su, sonocchiate en officio diuino; legge nuoue emponote perfine a lo maitino; emprende esto camino che sempre t’è opo fare.
Como surgo, leuomi, che non aggio dormito? degestione guastase, non aggio ancor padito; scorsa m’è la regoma per lo freddo ch’ò sentito; el tempo non è fugito, lassame ancor posare!
Et ó staisti a mprendere tu questa medicina? per la tua negligenza dotte una disciplina; si più fauelli, tollote a pranzo la cocina; ché questa tua malina penso de medecare.
Or ecco pranzo ornato de delectoso pane, nero, azemo & duro che nol rosecara l cane! non lo posso enghiuttire, sì reo sapor me sane! altro cibo me dane, se me uoli sostentare.
Per lo parlar ch’ài facto, tu lassarai el uino; né a pranzo né a cena non mangerai cocino; se più fauelli, aspectate un graue disciplino; questo prometto almino non te porrà mucciare.
Recordo d’una femena ch’era bianca, uermiglia, uestita, ornata, morbeda, ch’era una marauiglia; le sue belle fateze lo pensier m’asutiglia; molto sì me simiglia de potergli parlare.
Or attende l premio de questo ch’ài pensato; lo mantello artollote per tutto sto uernato; le calzamenta lassale per lo folle cuitato; et un disciplinato fin a lo scorticare.
L’acqua che beuo noceme, caggio netropesìa; lo uino, prego, rendeme per la tua cortesìa! se tu sano conserueme, girò ritto per uia; se caggio nenfermarìa, opo me t’è guardare.
Poi che l’acqua nocete a la tua enfermetade et lo uino noceme a la mia castitade, lassa lo uino & l’acqua per la nostra sanetade; sostien necessitate per nostra uita seruare.
Prego che non m’occide! nulla cosa demanno; en uerità promettote de non gir mormoranno; lo entenzare ueiome che me retorna en danno; che non caggia nel banno uogliomene guardare.
Se te uorrai guardare da omne offendemento, sirocte tracta a dare lo tuo sostentamento; & uorrome guardare dal tuo encrescemento; sirà delectamento nostra uita saluare.
Or uedete l prelio ch’à l’omo nel suo stato! tante son l’altre prelia, nulla cosa ho toccato; che non faccian fastidio, aggiol’abbreuiato; finisco sto tractato en questo loco lassare.
Notes
- 1 ↩Here the medieval Italian term means mourning or lamentation, not moral corruption.
- 2 ↩The Italian denotes a penitential hair shirt worn against the skin.
- 3 ↩Literally “pigskin”; the phrase emphasizes the garment’s coarse, punishing material.
- 4 ↩Literally “from the hairs of a porcupine”; the animal term is retained despite the source's dialectal spelling.
- 5 ↩The dialectal phrase is rendered as a flare-up of rheumatism; the exact medical nuance is uncertain.
- 6 ↩Here it denotes a corrective punishment or penance, not instruction in the modern sense.
- 7 ↩The dialectal expression is understood as a threat to withhold access to cooked food at the meal.
- 8 ↩Interpreted from context as an Umbrian form meaning that the taste sickens or disgusts the speaker.
- 9 ↩Read as a dialectal form of “helmet”; the closing line says that even protective headgear will not enable escape from the threatened punishment.
- 10 ↩Rendered as “this quarrel,” referring to the contention between the soul and the body named in the chapter title.
- 11 ↩The phrase literally evokes falling under a ban or sentence; “under condemnation” preserves its punitive force in natural English.
- 12 ↩The dialectal reading is uncertain; the translation follows the probable sense, “take care” or “see to it.”
- 13 ↩Read as “I have abbreviated them,” referring to the many other struggles.
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