Petrarch (113 page)

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Authors: Mark Musa

BOOK: Petrarch
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A regal nature, angels intellect

Ashamed at times that I still have not praised

As long as both my temples are not white

Aspro core et selvaggio et cruda voglia

As sometimes when the sun shines bright

As soon as he has let the bowstring go

As soon as her white foot through the fresh grass

At a tree’s crash just torn up from the ground

A thousand slopes and rivers Love has shown me

A thousand times, O my sweet warrior

At times some of my thoughts would get together

Aura che quelle chiome blonde et crespe

Aventuroso più d’altro terreno

A young maiden beneath the green of laurel

Beato in sogno et di languir contento

Beautiful soul, now loosened from that knot

Because life is so short

Because she bore Love’s colors in her face

Beneath those hills (where she had first adorned

Benedetto sia ’l giorno e ’l mese et ’l anno

Ben mi credea passar mio tempo omai

Ben sapeva io che natural consiglio

Between two lovers I could see a lady

Blest in my dreams and satisfied to languish

Both Jove and Caesar never were so moved

Breeze that surrounds those blond and curling locks

Broken are the lofty column and green laurel

But now that the sweet smile, humble, serene

Caesar, the time that the Egyptian traitor

Cantai, orpiango; et non men di dolcezza, 229

“Cara la vita, et dopo lei mi pare

Cercato ò sempre solitaria vita

Cesare, poi che ’l traditor d’Egitto

Che debb’ io far, che mi consigli, Amore?

“Che fai, alma? che pensi? avrem mai pace

Che fai? che pensi? ché pur dietro guardi

Chiare fresche et doIci acque

Chi è fermato di menar sua vita

Chi vuol veder quantunquepo Natura

Clear, cool, sweet, running waters

Come ’l candido pie’ per l’erba fresca

Come talora al caldo tempo sòle

Come va ’l mondo! or mi diletta et piace

Conobbi (quanto il Ciel li occhi m’aperse

Così potess’ io ben chiudere in versi

Could I but take my vengeance on the one

Cruel was the star beneath which I was born

Da più belli occhi, et dal più chiaro viso

Datemi pace, o duri miei pensieri? 274

Dear lord of mine, my every thought draws me

Death cannot change a sweet face into bitter

Death has put out the sun that dazzled me

Deh, porgi mano a l’affannato ingegno

Deh, qual pietà, qual angelfu sì presto

Del cibo onde ’l signor mio sempre abonda

De ’l empia Babilonia ond’ è fuggita

Del mar tirreno a la sinistra riva

Desire spurs me, Love sees and guides my way

Determined to take up graceful revenge

Diana never pleased her lover more

Dicemi spesso il mio fidato speglio

Dicesette anni à già rivolto il cielo

Di dì in dì vo cangiando il viso e ’l pelo

Di pensier in pensier, di monte in monte

Discolorato ài, Morte, il più bel volto

Di tempo in tempo mi si fa men dura

Dodici donne onestamente lasse

Dolce mio caro et prezioso pegno

Dolci durezze et placide repulse

Dolci ire, dolci sdegni et dolci paci

Donna che lieta col Principio nostro

Due gran nemiche inseme erano agiunte

Due rose fresche et colte in paradiso

D’un bel chiaro polito et vivo ghiaccio

During that time my heart by loving worms

Each day to me is like a thousand years

E’ mi par d’or in ora udire il messo

E’ questo ’l nido in che la mia fenice

Era il giorno ch’al sol si scoloraro

Erano i capei d’oro a l’aura sparsi

Escaping from the prison where Love kept me

“Eyes, come now, weep, accompany the heart

Far potess’ io vendetta di colei

Father of Heaven, after the lost days

Fearing my state of mind, I weep, I sing

Fera Stella (se ’l cielo à forza in noi

Fiamma dal Ciel su le tue trecciepiova

Flowers joyful and glad, fortunate grass

Fontana di dolore, albergo d’ira

For any animal that lives on earth

Forever more I shall detest the window

Fortune and love, and my own mind, which shuns

Fountain of sorrow, dwelling place of wrath

Fresco ombroso fiorito et verde colle

From day to day my face and hair are changing

From far away she would console my sleep

From lovely, polished, clear and living ice

From the most lovely eyes and brightest face

From those two lovely lights came living sparks

From thought to thought, mountain to mountain top

From time to time that form which is angelic

From what part of the heavens, from what Idea

From wicked Babylon, from which has fled

Fu forse un tempo dolce cosa amore

Fuggendo la pregione ove Amor m’ebbe

Full of a loving thought, that makes me stray

Full of that sweetness indescribable

Gentil mia Donna, i’ veggio

Geri, at times when my sweet enemy

Geri, quando talor meco s’adira

Già desiai con sì giusta querela

Già fiammeggiava l’amorosa Stella

Giovene donna sotto un verde lauro

Giunto Alessandro a la famosa tomba

Giunto m’à Amor fra belle et crude braccia

Give me some peace, O cruel thoughts of mine! 274

Gli occhi di ch’io parlai sì caldamente

Gloriosa Columna in cui s’appoggia

Glorious column upon whom there rests

Gluttony, sleep, pillows of idleness

Gone is the time now, O my grief, that I

Go now, my grieving verse, to the hard stone

Go now, my sighs of warmth, to her cold heart

Good fortune is both slow and late in coming

Grazie ch’ a pochi il Ciel largo destina

Green clothes, bright red or dark or purple ones

Green hill, a cool and shady flowering place

Had I decided to stay in the cave

Had it come any closer to my eyes

Hannibal won, but then did not know how

Happier than I there never came to land

“Happy yet sad, in company yet alone

Here where there’s only half of me, Sennuccio

He who made up his mind to lead a life

However many lovely, charming ladies

How fortunate for me that from one of

How many times I go to my sweet nest

How much I envy you, the greedy earth

How the world changes! Now I’m charmed and pleased

How well I knew that any human means

I always loved and still I love with passion

I am already weary of my thinking

I am so tired now of all this waiting

I am so weary under the old bundle

I am told often by my faithful mirror

I begli occhi ond’ i’ fui percosso in guisa,

I dì miei più leggier che nesun cervo

I’d like to sing of love so differently

I dolci colli ov’ io lasciai me stesso

If, counting all the hours with blind desire

I fear so that attack of lovely eyes

I feel the aura of old times, sweet hills

I felt within my heart already failing

If end and middle answer to the start

If ever I said it, then may she hate me

If fire by fire has never been extinguished

If I had thought the sound of my voice sighing

I find no peace, and I am not at war

If I thought that by death I would be lightened

If it’s not love, then what is it I feel

If Love does not give me some new advice

If Love or Death does not come to cut short

If love that’s virtuous can merit mercy

If loving faithfulness, unfeigning heart

If my life can resist the bitter anguish

If only I could close as well in verse

If only those sweet-flowing aura’s sighs

If sound of birds complaining or green leaves

If that sweet glance of hers can make me die

If the illustrious branch that can control

If the mountain closing in this valley most

If this thought paining me

If Virgil and if Homer could have seen

If you were able by some angry signs—

I go my way lamenting those past times

I go on thinking, and I’m seized in thought

I have begged Love and I beg him again

I have filled with my sighs all of this air

I keep on listening but I hear no news

I knew—so much had Heaven opened my eyes

Il cantar novo e ’I pianger delli augelli

Il figliuol di Latona avea già nove

Il mal mi preme et mi spaventa il peggio

Il mio adversario in cui veder solete

Il successor di Carlo, che la chioma,

I’m crushed by ills and terrified by worse

I’ mi soglio accusare, et or mi scuso

I’ mi vivea di mia sorte contento

In dubbio di mio stato, or piango or canto

I never saw the sunrise look so lovely

I never want to sing the way I used to

In her loveliest age, while in full bloom

In mezzo di duo amanti onesta altera

In nobil sangue vita umile et queta

In noble blood a quiet, humble life

In qual parte del Ciel, in quale Idea

In quel bel viso ch’i’ sospiro et bramo,

In quella parte dove Amor mi sprona

In such a star I saw two lovely eyes

In sun or shade I’ve never seen you, lady

In tale Stella duo belli occhi vidi

In that direction which love urges me

In the sweet season of my early years

Into my weary sleep my sacred aura

Io amai sempre, et amo forte ancora

Io avrò sempre in odio la fenestra

Io canterei d’Amor si novamente

I often would accuse, but now excuse myself

Io mi rivolgo indietro a ciascun passo

Io non fu’ d’amar voi lassato unquanco

I’ ò pien di sospir quest’aere tutto

I’ ò pregalo Amor, e ’l ne riprego

Io sentia dentr’ al cor già venir meno

Io son de l’aspettar omai sì vinto

Io son già stanco di pensar sì come

Io son sì stanco sotto ’l fascio antico

Io temo sì de’ begli occhi l’assalto

I’ pensava assai destro esser su l’ale

I’ piansi, or canto; ché ’l celeste lume

I’ pur ascolto, et non odo novella

I sang once, now I weep, and no less sweetness

I saw on earth angelic qualities

I see, my gracious lady

Is this the nest where that phoenix of mine

Italia mia, ben che ’l parlar sia indarno

Ité, caldi sospiri, al freddo core

Ite, rime dolenti, al duro sasso

I thought by now that I could live my life

I thought my wings were strong enough to soar

It is the time the rapid heavens bend

It was the day the sun’s ray had turned pale

I used to leave behind my life’s own fountain

I’ve always sought a solitary life—

I’ve never found a place where I could see

I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi

I’ vo pensando, et nel penser m’assale

I’ vo piangendo i miei passati tempi

I wanted once by means of just complaint

I was alive and happy with my fate

I wept and now I sing: that living sun

Just as eternal life is seeing God

La bella donna che cotanto amavi

La donna che ’l mio cor nel viso porta

Lady, now happy in our Maker’s presence

L’aere gravato et l’ importuna nebbia

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