Petrarch Laura Francesco Petrarch and Laura For a woman he would never know
For a woman he could never have
He should change the world forever
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Petrarch:The Canzoniere

Translated by: A.S.Kline
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Information on the sonnet is available here.
Looking for an analysis of a specific poem from the Canzoniere?
Read I go thinking an analysis of poem 264 by Holly Barbaccia.


ITALIAN ENGLISH
Sí come eterna vita è veder Dio,
né piú si brama, né bramar piú lice,
cosí me, donna, il voi veder, felice
fa in questo breve et fraile viver mio.

Né voi stessa com'or bella vid'io
già mai, se vero al cor l'occhio ridice:
dolce del mio penser hora beatrice,
che vince ogni alta speme, ogni desio.

Et se non fusse il suo fuggir sí ratto,
piú non demanderei: che s'alcun vive
sol d'odore, e tal fama fede acquista,

alcun d'acqua o di foco, e 'l gusto e 'l tatto
acquetan cose d'ogni dolzor prive,
i' perché non de la vostra alma vista?
Just as eternal life is seeing God,
longing for nothing greater, no longer longing,
so I'm made happy, my lady, by seeing you
in this brief and fragile life of mine.

I never saw you as lovely as today,
if my eyes truly reflect my heart:
sweet in my thought the hour, and blessed,
overcoming every other hope and wish.

And if it's flight were not so fast,
I'd ask no more: if there are creatures
that live only on air, and such things believed,

others on water or fire, their taste and touch
sated by things deprived of sweetness,
then why not I on the dear sight of you?


© Copyright 1999-2006
Peter Sadlon
Updated Sept 10th 2007

A Merentha Entertainment Project


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