Canti - Kanthi (English spelling)

This is a collection of poems by the great modern Italian poet Leopardi. It contains all of his major poems written after 1818. The title means "Collection of Poems." The first edition was published in Florence in 1831, the second in Naples in 1835, and the third edition was published in Florence by his close friend Antonio Ranieri in accordance with the poet's wishes after his death. It consists of long poems with political and cultural content such as "To Italy," "On Dante's Monument," and "To Angelo Mai," which aim for Italian national unification (Risorgimento), as well as short lyrical poems such as "Infinity," "Evening of a Festival," and "To the Moon." The latter in particular goes beyond personal emotion and sings of the nothingness of existence and the sadness of the world in a clear-eyed pessimism.

[Hideaki Kawashima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近代イタリアの大詩人レオパルディの詩集。1818年以降につくられた主要な詩作品のすべてを収める。表題は「詩歌集」の意。初版は1831年にフィレンツェで、第2版は35年にナポリで、また第3版は詩人の没後その意志に従い親友アントーニオ・ラニエーリがフィレンツェで出版した。『イタリアに』『ダンテの碑の上で』『アンジェロ・マーイに』などイタリア国家統一（リソルジメント）を志向する政治的・文化的内容の長詩と、『無窮』『祭りの日の夕べ』『月に寄せて』など叙情的な短詩とからなり、とりわけ後者は個人的な感情を超え、透徹したペシミズム（厭世(えんせい)主義）のうちに存在の無と世界の悲哀とを歌い上げている。

［河島英昭］

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