Ligurian:
# L’Anònimo zeneise (sec. XIII)

Quello che ciammemmo o «Dante» di zeneixi, e che, pe quante ne semmo, o l’é o fondatô da nòstra lettiatua, o ne vëgne incontra pe-o primmo sensa aveighe un nomme e ghe dimmo «l’Anònimo zeneise». Gh’é stæto chi, con çercâ tramezo i seu scriti, o l’à dito ch’o s’acciammava Luchetto, e chi Scimon, ma de preuve segue no ghe n’é. Podama l’é megio coscì; l’Anònimo o no l’é a voxe de un scingolo, ma de tutta unna çittæ e de unn’epoca, quande e virtù çiviche contavan ciù che l’iniçiativa de unna persoña sola. Con lê, semmo ancon a-i tempi che un poeta o poeiva incarnâ tutta unna naçion, sensa guæi giamminâ; dòppo, vegnià quelli che rincianze «i tempi de unna vòtta». Sempre dòppo: quelli che s’ammia l’ombrissallo, e pensan ch’o deve inteessâ à tutti. Dòppo: a rebellion e a giastemma, l’amô ch’o fa immattî e a farta de scignificato inta vitta. Ma con l’Anònimo semmo ancon à l’arbô, à un poæ ch’o ne dixe: «Ti, òmmo che ti væ pe-a teu stradda, / san e zoeno, fresco e fòrte, / no stâ à anâ pe stradde stòrte, / comme nave sensa guidda», à un ch’o s’invexenda pe-e vittöie in guæra do seu pòpolo, unio into seu sentî, inte seu pascioin, inta seu conçeçion do mondo. E o sente che o Segnô o l’é da-a seu perché o l’é da-a parte do giusto; avanti da battaggia de Curzoa, i Veneçien an refuou tutte e propòste de paxe, ma «donde pe-a raxon no gh’é pòsto, / comme i dottoî da gexa an scrito, / l’òmmo o peu, pe defende o seu drito, / mette in zeugo e arme». Ma quande i nemixi saian battui, «lo nobel cor de li zenoeixi», o nobile cheu di zeneixi, o l’avià pietæ e o ne libeià ciù de quattroçento. E «perché Dê o l’aiva previsto / che i seu cheu ean inveninæ / e quelli di zeneixi moderæ / o n’à dæto a vittöia».

L’Anònimo o l’ea un poeta fondamente religioso, con unna vixon do mondo moderatamente moralista e inspiâ à unna assolua confiansa inta giustiçia diviña.

A fonda inspiaçion religiosa de l’Anònimo a dà de vòtte a-i seu versci unna grande intenscitæ dramatica. Chì coscì a Madònna a conta à un interlocutô e varie fase da Pascion do Segnô.

L’Anònimo o l’é ascì e sorvetutto un poeta çivile, che in sce l’orgheuggio d’ëse zeneise o l’arriësce à creâ unna vea e pròpia epica, sonöa e potente, comme se peu constatâ da-e seu poexie istòriche: tutto un inno à l’ardimento di liguri e a-a seu pietas, apreuvo a-a quæ avian a megio in scî seu nemixi. Inte vittöie de Laiasso (1294) e de Cursoa (1298), stæte ottegnue contra i veneçien, o poeta o ghe vedde a man do Segnô, ch’o sostëgne l’armâ zeneise, stante ch’a l’é formâ da di òmmi virtoxi e a l’é ghiâ da di armiraggi säi e pioxi, contra un nemigo corpeive de iniquitæ sensa numeo. L’arcaico vigô da lengua o dà unna indefinia suggestion à sti versci, ma o î rende ascì de grammo leze pe-i zeneixi da giornâ d’ancheu.

Anche o «Dante di zeneixi», con tutto ch’o l’é un guerfo osservante, o scrive, comme o Dante italian, unna poexia in favô da vegnua do Enrico VII in Italia, e lê ascì o spera che l’Impeou o segge in condiçion de mette à cadello e façioin nemighe, che se davan battaggia fra de lô, tanto ch’o pòsse portâ torna a paxe, a serenitæ e o timô do Segnô in sce un territöio desandiou e desquernou, comme quello ch’o l’ea vegnuo à ëse «lo giardin de lo Imperio» à quelli tempi. L’Anònimo o se serve de unna longa metafora mainaesca pe trattezzâ a scituaçion despeâ de l’Italia d’alantô e o â someggia a-i peighi e a-e difficortæ, che i mainæ zeneixi devan affrontâ à tutt’oe pe-a seu sorvevivensa; o l’ottëgne de coscì un grande effetto poetico. Reportemmo a primma parte do scignificativo testo, ch’o l’é ascì servio comme base pe unna bella canson da Roberta Alloisio, into seu albo _Janua_.

English translation:
# The Genoese Anonym (13th cent.)

The one we call the “Dante” of the Genoese and who, as far as we know, is the founder of our literature, comes to us without a name and we call him “the Genoese Anonym”. There were those who, searching through his texts, thought he was called Luchetto, and those who thought he was Simone, but there is no definite proof. Perhaps it is better that way; the Anonym is not the voice of an individual, but of an entire city and an era, when civic virtues counted more than the initiative of a single person. With him, we are still in the days when a poet could embody an entire nation, without too much effort; later on will come those who regret “the olden days”. Later on still, those who indulge in navel-gazing and think that everyone else ought to care. And finally, rebellion and blasphemy, the maddening love and the lack of meaning in life. But with the Anonym we are still in the early days, with a father who tells us: “You, man who goes his own way / healthy and young, fresh and strong / don’t go astray / like a ship without a helmsman”, to a man who is thrilled by his people’s victories in war, united in his feelings, in his passions, in his world view. And he feels that God is on his side because he is on the side of the righteous; before the battle of Korčula, the Venetians rejected all proposals for peace, but “where there is no place for reason, / as the doctors of the church have written / man can, to defend his right, / put up arms”. But when the enemies are beaten, “the noble heart of the Genoese” will take pity on them and release more than four hundred. “For God foresaw / that their hearts were poisoned / and those of the humble Genoese / gave us victory.”

The Anonym was a deeply religious poet, with a moderately moralistic worldview inspired by an absolute faith in divine justice.

The Anonym’s profound religious inspiration lends certain of his verses a great dramatic intensity. Here, the Madonna narrates the different stages of the Passion of Jesus to an interlocutor.

The Genoese Anonym is also, and above all, a civil poet, who from the pride of being Genoese manages to create a true epic, resounding and powerful, as can be seen in his historical poems: all a hymn to the courage of the Ligurians and their pietas, thanks to which they will prevail over their enemies. In the victories of Laiazzo (1294) and Korčula (1298) achieved against the Venetians, the poet sees the hand of God, supporting the Genoese army, because it was formed by virtuous men and led by wise and pious admirals against an enemy guilty of countless iniquities. The archaic vigour of the language lends an indefinable suggestiveness to these verses, but also makes them a difficult read for contemporary Genoese speakers.

Even the “Dante of the Genoese”, while being an observant Guelph, writes, like the Italian Dante, a poem in favor of the coming of Henry VII of Luxembourg to Italy, and he too hopes that the Emperor will be able to make the enemy factions, who were fighting each other, righteous, so that he can restore peace, serenity and the fear of God to a desolate and ravaged territory, such as what had become “lo giardin de lo Imperio” in those days. The Anonym uses a long seafaring metaphor to sketch the desperate situation of Italy at that time and compares it to the dangers and hardships, which Genoese sailors have to face continuously for their survival. He thus achieves a remarkable poetic effect. We quote here the first part of this important text, which also served as the basis for a beautiful song by Roberta Alloisio, in her album _Janua_.