Translation of the Stanze sopra le stelle e macchie solari scoperte col nuovo occhiale
摘要
This chapter contains the first complete English translation of Vincenzo Figliucci’s Stanze sopra le stelle e macchie solari scoperte col nuovo occhiale (Stanzas on the Stars and Sunspots Discovered with the New Telescope) based on the text published in 1615. Canto 1, “On the New Stars,” and Canto 2, “On the Newly Discovered Sunspots,” are both followed by a “Brief Declaration” in prose that Figliucci wrote as a commentary for his poetry. Along with the Stanze, the Appendix includes the translation of the Stanze contro Aristotile per la nuova stella (Stanzas Against Aristotle for the New Star, 1605), an earlier work on the supernova observed in Italy in 1604 attributed to Figliucci. Although there is no direct evidence confirming Figliucci’s authorship for the Stanze contro Aristotile, the translation makes this entirely unexplored material accessible to modern readers and provides a more comprehensive view of the intellectual context of Figliucci’s time. The notes that accompany the translations provide historical background, clarification of passages, and explanations of the scientific language employed throughout the poetry.