CANTO XX

 

 

schifanoia July detail

 

Paradis peint, où sont harpes et luths

(François Villon. Ballade pour prier Notre Dame. Grand Testament.

Ezra Pound. “Notre Dame du ciel.” Le Testament de François Villon [opera] 1921, 1923, 1926, 1931)

 

I don’t know how humanity stands it
           with a painted paradise at the end of it
           without a painted paradise at the end of it

(Canto LXXIV)

 

Le paradis n’est pas artificiel,
l’enfer non plus.

(Canto LXXVI)

 

RELATED CANTOS

CANTO XXIV [Niccolò d'Este, Ferrara and The Schifanoia Palace]

CANTO XXXIX [lotus eaters versus swine in Circe’s pigsty]

CANTO XLV [art before usury]

 

Cantos in periodicals

Three Cantos (Ur-Cantos)

lake garda 267823

 

 

 

 

A Draft of XXX Cantos

A Draft of XVI Cantos

Cantos XXVIII-XXX

Eleven New Cantos

rsz guido cavalcanti

The Fifth Decad

rsz toscana siena3 tango7174

Cantos LII - LXXI

confucius adams 2