SOURCE: Morgan, Leslie Z. Introduction to Lodovico Ariosto: Five Cantos, translated by Leslie Z. Morgan, pp. vii-xxv. New York: Garland Publishing, 1992.

In the following excerpt, Morgan considers the relationship of Cinque Canti to Ariosto's more famous work, Orlando furioso.

Orlando Furioso has been known to the English-speaking world for centuries. John Harington's first translation into English in 1591 has been followed by numerous others. Though the Cinque Canti, [Five Cantos,] is closely related to the Orlando Furioso, no one has so far seen fit to translate it into English. Its importance is not doubted by Italian scholars, who continue a lively debate on various aspects of the form, sources, date and meaning of the Cinque Canti in the interpretation of Ariosto's work.

1. the Text

The first Italian edition of the Cinque Canti appeared posthumously in 1545, appended to the Orlando Furioso in a Minuzio edition. A Giolito edition appeared in...