Бокаччо и Тайна Перевода: Война или Алчность в «Декамероне»?

Armen Zakharyan opens the video with a personal reflection on his fascination with classical literature, specifically Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron. He shares how a particular line from the fourth novella of the seventh day struck him deeply:

"Да здравствует любовь и да погибнет война и всё её отродье."
("Long live love and may war and all its brood perish.") 0:13

This phrase, dating back nearly 700 years, resonated with Armen as a contemporary statement despite its medieval origin. He initially read it in a Russian translation by Alexander Veselovsky, a respected 19th-century philologist. However, upon comparing it with another translation by Nikolai Mikhailovich Lyubimov, he found a surprising discrepancy:

"Да здравствует любовь, а на деньги наплевать."
("Long live love, and to hell with money.") 1:12

This contradiction between “war” and “money” in the translations sparked Armen’s curiosity and set him on a quest to uncover the original meaning behind Boccaccio’s words.

Key points:

• Armen’s fascination with classical texts drives his inquiry.
• The phrase from Decameron is central: love praised, war or money cursed.
• Two authoritative Russian translations differ significantly.
• This discrepancy motivates a deeper investigation into the original text and its interpretations.

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Armen dives into the etymology and linguistic connections surrounding the word soldo—an old Italian coin—and its relation to soldato (soldier). He notes:

"Слово солдат родственно итальянскому сольдо, потому что в Италии солдатами называли наёмников, готовых воевать за сольдо."
("The word soldier is related to the Italian soldo because soldiers were mercenaries ready to fight for soldo.") 2:24

This insight suggests a semantic link between money and war, complicating the simple dichotomy of “war” vs. “money.” Armen then surveys various translations across languages—English, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Ukrainian, and Armenian—finding a spectrum of interpretations:

• Some translations curse war.
• Others curse greed or money.
• Some omit the phrase entirely.
• A few add their own interpretive epilogues.

For example, the Polish translation by Edward Boyé omits the controversial line, while the Ukrainian and English versions from different eras offer varying takes on whether war or greed is condemned.

Key points:

• The Italian word soldo connects money and soldiers, blurring the line between war and greed.
• Translations vary widely, reflecting different cultural and linguistic interpretations.
• Some translators take liberties, adding or omitting lines to fit their understanding.
• Armen’s search spans multiple languages and centuries, highlighting the complexity of literary translation.

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Armen contextualizes the fourth novella of the seventh day within Decameron’s narrative framework. The day’s theme, set by the character Dioneo, is about acts done “in the name of love or for one’s own salvation.” The novella tells the story of Tofano, a jealous husband, and his wife Monna Gita, who cleverly outwits him.

The story ends with Tofano reconciling with his wife after realizing his jealousy was unfounded. The original conclusion in Veselovsky’s translation reads:

"Да здравствует любовь и да погибнет война и всё её отродье."
("Long live love and may war and all its brood perish.") 12:43

But Lyubimov’s version ends differently:

"Да здравствует любовь, а на деньги наплевать."
("Long live love, and to hell with money.") 13:09

Armen reflects on how neither “war” nor “money” fully fits the novella’s theme of jealousy and reconciliation. He quotes poet Natalia Krandievskaya-Tolstaya who suggests a more fitting epilogue:

"Да здравствует любовь, что исправляет людей, и да умрёт навеки ужасная ревность, что заставляет их совершать столько ошибок."
("Long live love, which reforms people, and may terrible jealousy, which causes so many mistakes, die forever.") 14:08

This epilogue, though not Boccaccio’s, aligns better with the story’s moral.

Key points:

• The novella’s theme centers on love, jealousy, and reconciliation.
• The original closing line’s meaning is ambiguous in this context.
• Some translators or commentators replace the ending with a more thematically coherent moral.
• The tension between literal translation and narrative coherence is evident.

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Armen consults authoritative scholarly editions and historical dictionaries to clarify the phrase’s meaning. He references a 2000-page edition of Decameron with commentary by Maurizio Forlì and notes:

"Да здравствует любовь, и пусть погибнет жадность (сольдо — деньги), и да здравствует вся компания."
("Long live love, and may greed (soldo — money) perish, and long live the whole company.") 17:17

This interpretation aligns with the idea that soldo symbolizes greed or avarice rather than war.

Further, Armen examines the Accademia della Crusca dictionary, the first Italian language dictionary published in 1612, which defines soldo with an example from Boccaccio’s text:

"То есть война."
("That is, war.") 20:00

This suggests that early Italian lexicographers understood the phrase as condemning war.

Adding to this, Armen finds a 16th-century glossary by Francesco Anno di Rari that explicitly links soldo to military terms and interprets the phrase as:

"Да здравствует мир и да погибнет война."
("Long live peace and may war perish.") 21:06

Key points:

• Scholarly editions tend to interpret soldo as greed or money.
• The Accademia della Crusca dictionary from 1612 reads soldo as war.
• A 16th-century glossary confirms the military association of soldo.
• Historical lexicography reveals evolving meanings and interpretations.

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Armen uncovers that the controversial line might be an interpolation—an addition by later editors rather than Boccaccio himself. He cites Aldo Francesco Massera, an Italian philologist, who found in manuscripts:

"Эти слова не принадлежат Бокаччо, а были кем-то дописаны в позднейшие годы."
("These words do not belong to Boccaccio but were added by someone in later years.") 24:47

This discovery explains the inconsistencies and contradictions in translations and interpretations.

Armen concludes that the phrase’s meaning is open to personal interpretation:

"Пусть каждый выберет себе интерпретацию по своему нраву... ни одна из них не является откровенно ошибочной."
("Let everyone choose their own interpretation... none of them is clearly wrong.") 25:44

He likens this to a “magical democracy” of meanings where multiple readings coexist.

Key points:

• The famous line may be a later addition, not original to Boccaccio.
• This explains the divergent translations and interpretations.
• The phrase’s ambiguity invites personal reflection and choice.
• Armen embraces the multiplicity of meanings as part of literary richness.

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Armen wraps up by inviting viewers to explore more literary discussions on the Armen and Fyodor channel. He humorously advises against harsh judgment, referencing the jealous wife from the novella:

"Не уподобляйтесь жене Тофа и не бросайте туда камень."
("Don’t be like Tofano’s wife and throw stones.") 26:13

He encourages engagement with over fifty lectures on literature available on the channel and promises future episodes.

Key points:

• Armen maintains a warm, conversational tone.
• He invites viewers to continue exploring literature with them.
• The video ends on a hopeful note about the joy of literary discovery.

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Summary

This video is a meticulous, passionate exploration of a single enigmatic line from Boccaccio’s Decameron. Armen Zakharyan’s journey through translations, historical linguistics, and scholarly commentary reveals the complexity behind seemingly simple words. The phrase “Long live love and may war (or greed) perish” serves as a gateway to discussions about language, interpretation, and the enduring power of literature to provoke thought across centuries. Armen’s personal voice and detailed research make this a compelling narrative about how meaning is shaped and reshaped over time.