Excerpt from The Poetry of Giacomo Da Lentino, Vol. 1: Sicilian Poet of the Thirteenth Century The present edition of the poetry of Giacomo da Lentino was accepted in a briefer form as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Harvard University in 1909. As it now appears, the text and most of the critical apparatus are practically unchanged, but considerable additions are given in the form of notes, glossary, and metrical discussion. It endeavors to present all the poetry that can be attributed to Giacomo, as well as the poems that are of questionable authenticity, or are wrongly assigned to him in editions or manuscripts. In a field where numerous problems lack their final solution, many points of detail are still debatable. The editor wishes to acknowledge his obligation to the numerous scholars who have worked before him in this field, and hopes that he has given credit in every case where his debt is a direct one. To those who have personally given him advice, or furnished him with material, his hearty thanks are due: to Professor Pio Rajna and Signor Dottore Gino Lega in Italy; to Professor E. S. Sheldon of Harvard, who, together with Professors C. H. Grandgent, and J. D. M. Ford, has been in charge of the publication; to the two former for many valuable suggestions; and to Professor Kenneth McKenzie of Yale, who furnished the copy of a sonnet in the Parma Library. Great appreciation is felt for the courtesy of Professor Mario Pelaez of Rome, who, on learning that this edition was being prepared for the press, ceased working on one of his own. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This volume presents the first translation in English of the complete poetry of Giacomo da Lentini, the first major lyric poet of the Italian vernacular. He was the leading exponent of the Sicilian School (c.1220-1270) as well as the inventor of the sonnet. Featuring illustrations and new English translations of some forty lyrics, Richard Lansing revives the work of a pioneer of Italian literature, a poet who helped pave the way for later writers such as Dante and Petrarch. Giacomo da Lentini is hailed as the earliest poet to import the Occitan tradition of love poetry into the Italian vernacular. This edition of Giacomo fills a gap in the canon of translations of Italian literature in English and serves as a vital reference source for students as well as scholars and teachers interested in the literature of the romance languages.

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