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
I'pur ascolto, et non odo novella
de la dolce et amata mia nemica,
né so ch'i' me ne pensi o ch'i' mi dica,
sí 'l cor tema et speranza mi puntella.

Nocque ad alcuna già l'esser sí bella;
questa piú d'altra è bella et piú pudica:
forse vuol Dio tal di vertute amica
tôrre a la terra, e 'n ciel farne una stella;

anzi un sole: et se questo è, la mia vita,
i miei corti riposi e i lunghi affanni
son giunti al fine. O dura dipartita,

perché lontan m'ài fatto da' miei danni?
La mia favola breve è già compita,
et fornito il mio tempo a mezzo gli anni.

I listen closely, and I hear no news
of my sweet beloved enemy,
I do not know what to think or say
my heart's so torn between hope and fear.

Others have been harmed by being beautiful:
she is more noble, lovely, chaste than others:
perhaps God wishes to take so virtuous a friend
away from earth, and make her a star in heaven:

or a sun rather: and, if it is so, my life,
my brief repose and long trouble
have reached their end. O harsh departure,

why have you worked me harm from afar?
My brief tale is almost complete,
and, half-way through my years, my time is done.


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

A Merentha Entertainment Project


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