Dante and Beatrice
That fateful meeting of Dante and Beatrice in song. This is another in my series of "Art Criticism" in song. As a young man I used to go into the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and stare at the painting that inspired this response for ages. I actually thought it was by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, but recently learned it was by a lesser known Pre-Raphaelite called Henry Holiday.
LYRICS & CHORDS
(Gm) The scene is set in Fi(F)renze
On the (Bb) Bridge of the (F) Trini(Gm)ty
Ponte Vecchio in the (Bb) distance
Clad in (F) scaffold temporari(Gm)ly
The (Cm) river flows by so (Eb) slow
Its (Cm) surface like mirror (Eb) glass
Re(F)flecting the brooding (Gm) clouds
A premon(Bb)ition of (F) what is to (Gm) pass
The (Gm) light is so dif(F)fuse
That (Bb) shadows are (F) barely (Gm) cast
Near monochrome burnt si(Bb)enna
With the (F) main figures con(Gm)trasts
The (Cm) poet hasn't seen his (Eb) love
Since (Cm) they were both pre-(Eb)teens
But (F) he has thought of her (Gm) often
And (Bb) been with her (F) in his (Gm) dreams
This (Gm) chance reencounter should (F) be
The (Bb) pinnacle (F) of his des(Gm)ire
But she has heard the false (Bb) rumours
Of his (F) affairs spread by some (Gm) liar
The (Cm) coldness on her (Eb) face
(Cm) Wounds his very (Eb) heart
He (F) clutches at his (Gm) breast
Knowing (Bb) he's for(F)ever (Gm) scarred
(Gm) Beatrice is dressed in (F) white
A (Bb) symbol of her (F) puri(Gm)ty
Her friend in diaphanous (Bb) red
Stresses (F) female sensuali(Gm)ty
The (Cm) servant in Virgin (Eb) Blue
Looks to (Cm) Dante in sympa(Eb)thy
But (F) nothing can avert his (Gm) gaze
From his (Bb) true love's an(F)tipa(Gm)thy
(Gm) On this momentous (F) day
When the (Bb) poet's (F) hopes are (Gm) dashed
Life continues (Bb) on
While (F) Dante into hell is (Gm) cast
(Cm) People are out in the (Eb) streets
In mun(Cm)dane civili(Eb)ty
(F) Pigeons scratch for (Gm) food
In(Bb)different to his (F) trage(Gm)dy