The first punch of the second round: Dante strikes back at Forese, accusing him of gluttony and theft. (The first two poems are here and here.) A few notes: the revenge promised by the hide in the fourth line is, I think, a reference to a belt. San Simone is a church in Florence, but the allusion here is to the prison that stood nearby. And Stagno’s son (last line) was hanged for robbery.

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Dante to Forese

Solomon and partridge breasts
may very well tie your knot, young Bicci,
but the lamb loin will do you even worse,
for soon enough the hide will avenge the meat,
and you’ll be penned at San Simone
unless you’re able to slip away.
(Though even if you escape that stomach of yours
it’s too late now to make amends.)

But I’ve been told you know a trade
that, if true, could set you to rights,
for it’s worth a fair fortune.
So go to it as if you didn’t fear
the summons that would end the job—
and never mind how ill it served Stagno’s son.

+ + +

Ben ti faranno il nodo Salamone,
Bicci novello, e’ petti de le starne,
ma peggio fia la lonza del castrone,
ché ‘l cuoio farà vendetta de la carne;
tal che starai più presso a San Simone
se tu non ti procacci de l’andarne:
e ‘ntendi che ‘l fuggire el mal boccone
sarebbe oramai tardi a ricomprarne.

Ma ben m’è detto che tu sai un’arte
che, s’egli è vero, tu ti puoi rifare,
però ch’ell’è di molto gran guadagno;
e fa sì, a tempo, che tema di carte
non hai, che ti bisogni scioperare;
ma ben ne colse male a’ fi’ di Stagno.