The Dream of Poliphilus

A large decorative woodcut initial 'C' at the top left of the poem. The letter is white on a dark rectangular background filled with ornate floral and foliate scrollwork. A small grotesque face is subtly integrated into the design within the curves of the letter.

This book, excellent and new,
Comparable to the works of the ancients,
Tells of all that is beautiful
Upon this fertile and arable earth.
But it would have been a wretched thing,
If its loving second father The "second father" refers to the translator or editor (Jean Martin or his anonymous friend) who "rebirths" the book in French.
Had not, by his helping hand,
Restored it to the world and made it happy.

Poliphile The protagonist and narrator of the story; his name means "lover of Polia" or "lover of many things." first
Gave it what we call its essence:
And the other [editor] secondly
Kept it from death by his power—
Death, which was taking its pleasure
By plunging the book into the river of forgetfulness A reference to Lethe, the river in the Underworld that caused souls to forget their past lives..
But now he brings it to public knowledge
So that it may be ennobled by praise.

The French will now read it,
They who did not even know it existed in the world:
And they shall speak many praises
Of a friendship chaste, pure, and clean:
When a good heart is founded upon such things,
Only good can come to it;
Whereas he who abounds in lechery
Can never attain honor.

Bacchus In Greek mythology, Bacchus (Dionysus) was "twice-born"—first from his mother Semele and then from the thigh of his father Jupiter. was fathered twice,
As the poets tell us,
And this book speaks with two voices,
At least to those who read it.

Now, since foreigners prize
These two Referring to the original author and the translator., I would be quite mistaken—
And would say the very stars are against us—
If this discourse were not well received.

original: "Poliphile" — the lover/protagonist; "Bacchus" — the god of wine/rebirth; "congnoissance" — knowledge/recognition; "louenges" — praises; "loz ennobly" — ennobled by fame/praise; "munde" — pure/clean (from Latin mundus).