13 — Sapienza

1But all men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God: and who by these good things that are seen, could not understand him that is, neither by attending to the works have acknowledged who was the workman:Or vani sono tutti gli uomini, i quali non hanno cognizione di Dio; e dalle buone cose, che veggonsi non sono giunti a conoscere colui, che è, né dalla considerazione delle opere conobber chi fosse l'artefice:BVT al men be vame, in Whom there is not the knowlege of God: and of these good thinges, which are sene they could not vnderstand him that is, neither attending to the workes haue they agnised who was the workeman:Vani autem sunt omnes homines / in quibus non subest scientia Dei; / et de his quæ videntur bona, / non potuerunt intelligere eum qui est, / neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt quis esset artifex: 2But have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world.Ma dei, e rettori del mondo credettero essere o il fuoco, o il vento, o il mobil aere, o il coro delle stelle, o la massa delle acque, o il sole, o la luna.but either the fyre, or the wind, o• the swift ayre, or a circle of starres or exceding much water, or the sunne and the moone, they thought to be goddes rulers of the world.sed aut ignem, aut spiritum, aut citatum aërem, / aut gyrum stellarum, aut nimiam aquam, aut solem et lunam, / rectores orbis terrarum deos putaverunt. 3With whose beauty, if they, being delighted, took them to be gods: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful than they: for the first author of beauty made all those things.Che se rapiti dalla bellezza di tali cose ne fecero dei, comprender debbono quanto più bello di esse sia il loro Signore, mentre tutte queste cose dall'autore della bellezza furono fatte.With whose beautie if being delighted, they thought them goddes: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful then they. For the author of beautie made al those thinges.Quorum si specie delectati, deos putaverunt, / sciant quanto his dominator eorum speciosior est: / speciei enim generator hæc omnia constituit. 4Or if they admired their power, and their effects, let them understand by them, that he that made them, is mightier than they:Se poi la virtù ammirarono, e gli effetti delle medesime cose, da queste debbon intendere, che colui, il qual le creò, in virtù le sorpassa:Or if they merueled at their vertue, & operations, let them vnderstand by them, that he which made these, is stronger then they:Aut si virtutem et opera eorum mirati sunt, / intelligant ab illis quoniam qui hæc fecit fortior est illis:

5For by the greatness of the beauty, and of the creature, the creator of them may be seen, so as to be known thereby.Imperocché dalla grandezza, e bellezza della creatura potrà intelligibilmente vedersi il lor Creatore:for by the greatnes of the beautie, and of the creature the creator of them may be sene, to be knowen therby.a magnitudine enim speciei et creaturæ / cognoscibiliter poterit creator horum videri. 6But yet as to these they are less to be blamed. For they perhaps err, seeking God, and desirous to find him.Eppure meno è da dolersi di questi. Perocché errano forse in cercando Dio, e bramando di ritrovarlo.But not withstanding there is yet in these lesse complainte. For they also perhaps erre, seeking God, and desirous to finde him.Sed tamen adhuc in his minor est querela; / et hi enim fortasse errant, / Deum quærentes, et volentes invenire. 7For being conversant among his works, they search: and they are persuaded that the things are good which are seen.Conciossiaché lui cercano, investigando le opere sue, e ne rimangono presi, perché buone sono le cose, che veggonsi.For whereas they conuerse in his workes, they enquire: & they are perswaded that the thinges be good which are seene.Etenim cum in operibus illius conversentur inquirunt, / et persuasum habent quoniam bona sunt quæ videntur. 8But then again they are not to be pardoned.Contuttociò neppur a questi si dee perdonare;But againe neither ought these to be pardoned.Iterum autem nec his debet ignosci. 9For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgment of the world: how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?Imperocché se poteron saperne tanto da penetrare le cose del mondo, come mai il Signore di esso non iscopersero più agevolmente?For if they could know so much, that they were able to estimate the world: how did they not more easely find the Lord therof?Si enim tantum potuerunt scire / ut possent æstimare sæculum, / quomodo hujus Dominum non facilius invenerunt ? 10But unhappy are they, and their hope is among the dead, who have called gods the works of the hand of men, gold and silver, the inventions of art, and the resemblances of beasts, or an unprofitable stone the work of an ancient hand.Ma sgraziatissimi sono, e la loro speranza hanno in cose morte coloro, che danno il nome di dei alle opere delle mani degli uomini, all'oro, all'argento lavorato con arte, e alle immagini di animali, o ad un vil sasso, opera di antica mano.But they are vnhappie, & their hope is among the dead, who haue called the workes of mens handes godds, gold & siluer, the inuention of art, and the similitudes of beastes, or an vnprofitable stone the worke of an old hand.Infelices autem sunt, / et inter mortuos spes illorum est, / qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum: / aurum et argentum, artis inventionem, / et similitudines animalium, aut lapidem inutilem, / opus manus antiquæ.

11Or if an artist, a carpenter, hath cut down a tree proper for his use in the wood, and skilfully taken off all the bark thereof, and with his art, diligently formeth a vessel profitable for the common uses of life,Come quando un legnaiuolo perito tronca una diritta pianta dal bosco, e con buon modo tutta ne rade la corteccia, e dell'arte sua ne forma un mobile atto a servire per le bisogne della vita,Or if an artificer a carpenter, cut streight timber out of the wood, & pare of al the barke therof cunningly, and vsing his art, diligently frameth a vessel profitable for the common vse of this life,Aut si quis artifex faber de silva lignum rectum secuerit, / et hujus docte eradat omnem corticem, / et arte sua usus / diligenter fabricet vas utile in conversationem vitæ; 12And useth the chips of his work to dress his meat:E degli avanzi di tal lavoro ne fa uso per farsi da mangiare;and vseth the chippes of that worke to dresse his meate:reliquiis autem ejus operis / ad præparationem escæ abutatur, 13And taking what was left thereof, which is good for nothing, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, carveth it diligently when he hath nothing else to do, and by the skill of his art fashioneth it, and maketh it like the image of a man:E un pezzo di questi non buono a farne nulla, bischenco, e pieno di nodi, a tempo avanzato lo lavora diligentemente collo scalpello, e secondo le regole dell'arte sua gli da figura, e lo fa simile all'immagine di un uomo,and maketh that which is left therof, which is for no vses, but being a crooked peece of wood, and ful of knobes, carueth it diligently in the holownes therof, and by the skil of his art fashioneth it, and maketh it like to the image of a man,et reliquum horum quod ad nullos usus facit, / lignum curvum et vorticibus plenum / sculpat diligenter per vacuitatem suam, / et per scientiam suæ artis figuret illud, / et assimilet illud imagini hominis, 14Or the resemblance of some beast, laying it over with vermilion, and painting it red, and covering every spot that is in it:Ovver gli dà somiglianza ad alcuno animale; e lo liscia col minio, e gli dà color rosso col belletto, e lo pulisce da tutte le sue macchie,or compareth it to some beast, straking it ouer with redde, and with paynting making the colour therof ruddie, and layeth a colour ouer euerie spot that is in it:aut alicui ex animalibus illud comparet: / perliniens rubrica, et rubicundum faciens fuco colorem illius, / et omnem maculam quæ in illo est perliniens; 15And maketh a convenient dwelling place for it, and setting it in a wall, and fastening it with iron,E degna stanza a lui prepara, e lo colloca alla muraglia, dove lo assicura col ferro,and maketh a worthie habitation for it, and setting it in a wal, and fastening it with yron,et faciat ei dignam habitationem, / et in pariete ponens illud, / et confirmans ferro 16Providing for it, lest it should fall, knowing that it is unable to help itself: for it is an image, and hath need of help.Affinchè non vada per terra, usando per esso tal diligenza, perché sa, ch'ei non può da se aitarsi, perché è un simolacro, ed ha bisogno di aiuto:lest perhaps it fal, prouiding for it, knowing that it can not helpe it selfe: for it is an image, and it nedeth helpe.ne forte cadat, / prospiciens illi: / sciens quoniam non potest adjuvare se: / imago enim est, et opus est illi adjutorium.

17And then maketh prayer to it, enquiring concerning his substance, and his children, or his marriage. And he is not ashamed to speak to that which hath no life:E a lui porge voti, e lo consulta intorno alle sue facoltà, e intorno a' figliuoli, e intorno ad un matrimonio; e non si vergogna di parlare con uno, che è senz'anima:And concerning his substance, & his children, & for mariage, making a vow he seeketh to it. He is not ashamed to speake with him, that is without soule:Et de substantia sua, et de filiis suis, / et de nuptiis votum faciens inquirit: / non erubescit loqui cum illo qui sine anima est. 18And for health he maketh supplication to the weak, and for life prayeth to that which is dead, and for help calleth upon that which is unprofitable:E da un invalido chiede con suppliche la sanità, e da un morto la vita, e in suo aiuto invoca un impotente:and for health certes he besecheth the weake, and for life asketh the dead, and for helpe inuocateth him that is vnprofitable:Et pro sanitate quidem infirmum deprecatur, / et pro vita rogat mortuum, / et in adjutorium inutilem invocat. 19And for a good journey he petitioneth him that cannot walk: and for getting, and for working, and for the event of all things he asketh him that is unable to do any thing.E per fare un viaggio si raccomanda a chi non può muoversi, e per far degli acquisti, o qualche lavoro, e pel felice evento di qualsisia cosa, fa preghiere a chi non è buono a nulla.and for a iourney asketh him, that can not walke: and for getting, and for working, and for the euent of al thinges he asketh him, that in al is vnprofitable.Et pro itinere petit ab eo qui ambulare non potest; / et de acquirendo, et de operando, / et de omnium rerum eventu, / petit ab eo qui in omnibus est inutilis.