Giovanni Meli

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Giovanni Meli (born March 6, 1740 in Palermo , † December 20, 1815 ibid) was an Italian doctor, scientist and poet. He was best known for his literary work.

Sculpture by Giovanni Meli in the Palazzo Pretorio

Life

Meli was the son of the goldsmith Antonio and his wife Vincenza Torriquas. Even at the Jesuit school he was enthusiastic about literature and philosophy, especially the writings of the Enlightenment . Among other things, he knew the teachings of Christian Wolff . At the same time he read Latin and Italian classics, including Ariost and Sannazaro . Inspired by Voltaire and Montesquieu , he wrote his first own font, which however remained unfinished: Il Trionfo della ragione (The Triumph of Reason). From 1759 to 1761 he studied medicine. From 1767 to 1772 he practiced as a village doctor in Cinisi , near Palermo , and later in Palermo itself. In parallel to his work as a doctor, Meli wrote a large number of literary works. In 1787 he was promoted to professor of chemistry at the University of Palermo , and subsequently worked with other faculties in Italy, including that of Siena . He held the chair for 19 years. Over time, Meli gained a great reputation in the sophisticated circles of his homeland. He became a member of the Accademia del Buon Gusto and the Accademia della Galante conversazione . Despite all of this, Meli never got rich and after several setbacks, he had to ask for help at the doors of wealthy homes. In 1810 King Ferdinand III confessed to him . from Sicily to a pension, which was canceled again in 1815. Shortly afterwards, Meli died in Palermo.

Works

Meli's works are poems, idylls , eclogues , satires and fables , mostly characterized by a bucolic feeling for nature, which he wrote in Sicilian dialect and in which he described the life of the Sicilian rural population in clear language. He earned his first fame in 1762 with La fata galanti . This was followed in 1768 by Origini dû munnu (The Origin of the World), in 1785 by Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza , in 1787 by Anacreontichi e canzunetti , also in 1787 by Buccolica , which earned him the reputation of being a modern theocritus , and from 1810 to 1814 Favuli murali , a collection of fables based on the Aesopian model. In 1787 he published his collected works in five volumes for the first time. A complete edition of his works in 8 volumes was published in Palermo from 1830–39 and reached four editions by 1857. Ferdinand Gregorovius translated selected texts from Melis' pen into German in 1856.

example

An excerpt from Don Chisciotti e Sanciu Panza (around 1790), a parody inspired by Cervantes ' work, may serve as an example of Meli's poetry :

Sicilian German

Stracanciatu di notti soli jiri;
S'ammuccia ntra purtuni e cantuneri;
cu vacabunni ci mustra piaciri;
poi lu so sbiu sunnu li sumeri,
li pruteggi e li pigghia a ben vuliri,
li tratta pri parenti e amici veri;
siccomu ancora è n'amicu viraci
di li bizzarri, capricciusi e audaci.

Disguised, he wanders through the night alone;
hides in secret corners;
enjoy the presence of the vagabonds;
but donkeys are his true companions,
he protects them, gives them everything they need,
treats them like friends and like brothers;
because he remains a true friend of
all who are strange, capricious and bold.

Work editions

  • Don Chisciotti and Sanciu Panza . Canadian Society for Italian, 1989, ISBN 0-9691979-1-8 .
  • Moral Fables and Other Poems: A Bilingual Anthology LEGAS, 1995, ISBN 1-881901-07-6 .
  • Songs of Giovanni Meli of Palermo. From the Sicilian by Ferdinand Gregorovius. Brockhaus, Leipzig 1856 ( digitized in the Google book search).

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Meli, Giovanni
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian doctor, scientist and poet
DATE OF BIRTH March 6, 1740
PLACE OF BIRTH Palermo
DATE OF DEATH December 20, 1815
Place of death Palermo