The Essential Petrarch

“Hainsworth’s translations from the Italian are first-rate, both in terms of accuracy to the intent of the originals . . . and in terms of conveying the force of Petrarch’s imagery. The translations from the Latin read freshly and easily . . . they are sure-footed, managing to capture the mix of pride and playfulness which characterizes Petrarch’s composite prose style. The notes to the individual poems are well-judged, just enough to keep the reader on track without parading off-putting erudition.”
     —Jonathan Usher, Emeritus, University of Edinburgh

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26992g

Petrarch
Edited and Translated, with an Introduction, by Peter Hainsworth

2010 - 286 pp.

Grouped product items
Format ISBN Price Qty
Cloth (no dust jacket) 978-1-60384-289-1
$48.00
Paper 978-1-60384-288-4
$17.00
Instructor Examination (Review) Copy 978-1-60384-288-4
$4.00

eBook available for $14.50. Click HERE for more information.

“Petrarch fashioned so many different versions of himself for posterity that it is an exacting task to establish where one might start to explore. . . . Hainsworth’s study meets this problem through examples of what Petrarch wrote, and does so decisively and succinctly.
    “. . . [A] careful and unpretentious book, penetrating in its organization and treatment of its subject, gentle in its guidance of the reader, nimble and dexterous in its scholarly infrastructure—and no less profound for those qualities of lightness.
    “The translations themselves are a delight, and are clearly the result of profound meditation and extensive experiment. . . . The Introduction and the notes to each work form a clear plexus of support for the reader, with a host of deft cross-references.”
     —Richard Mackenny, Binghamton University, State University of New York

 

“Hainsworth’s translations from the Italian are first-rate, both in terms of accuracy to the intent of the originals . . . and in terms of conveying the force of Petrarch’s imagery. The translations from the Latin read freshly and easily . . . they are sure-footed, managing to capture the mix of pride and playfulness which characterizes Petrarch’s composite prose style.
    “The notes to the individual poems are well-judged, just enough to keep the reader on track without parading off-putting erudition.”
     —Jonathan Usher, Emeritus, University of Edinburgh

 

“A judicious selection of the varied writings of the great humanist, translated from both Latin and Italian. The Introduction is admirably structured, clear, and coherent, and presents Petrarch to the reader without didacticism or oversimplification. Hainsworth has a light editorial touch. . . .
    “All in all, a luminous portrait of the ‘father of humanism’.”
     —David Marsh, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

 

"[A] distinctive and most welcome addition to a growing library of modern English translations and anthologies, for both its readability and its judicious handling of its texts and themes.
    "Hainsworth's introduction eloquently and engagingly ushers the reader into . . . Petrarch's universe as it discusses his personal and emotional life, political and poetic careers . . . . Hainsworth's editorial style is deft and precise. He provides illuminating reflections on the indeterminacy of several lines and images, preserving meaning as possibility while indicating the bounds within which it ranges.
    "If translating Petrarch is indeed a labor of love, reading him, where his voice is conveyed with the depth and energy it has here, remains a constant source of fascination and delight."
     —Francesca Southerden, Wellesley College

 

Contents:

Preface
Introduction
   1. Petrarch’s Life and Career
   2. The Canzoniere
   3. The Triumphs
   4. The Secretum
   5. The Letters
   6. Translating Petrarch
Editions Used and Further Reading

Poems from the Canzoniere
   Part I
   Part II

The Triumph of Eternity

Secretum, Book 3

Letters
   1. To Giacomo Colonna (Familiares 2.9)
   2. To Giacomo Colonna (Verse Letters 1.6)
   3. To Dionigi da Borgo San Sepolcro (Familiares 4.1)
   4. To Giovanni Boccaccio (Seniles 5.2)
   5. To Posterity

Index of Italian First Lines of Poems from the Canzoniere
Index of English First Lines of Poems from the Canzoniere  

 

About the Author:

Peter Hainsworth is Emeritus Fellow and Professor of Italian, Oxford University.

 

To view samples from the text, please click on the links below.