Conobbi, quanto il ciel li occhi m'aperse,
quanto studio et Amor m'alzaron l'ali,
cose nove et leggiadre, ma mortali,
che 'n un soggetto ogni stella cosperse:
l'altre tante sí strane et sí diverse
forme altere, celesti et immortali,
perché non furo a l'intellecto eguali,
la mia debil vista non sofferse.
Onde quant'io di lei parlai né scrissi,
ch'or per lodi anzi a Dio preghi mi rende,
fu breve stilla d'infiniti abissi:
ché stilo oltra l'ingegno non si stende;
et per aver uom li occhi nel sol fissi,
tanto si vede men quanto piú splende.
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I knew, when Heaven opened my eyes,
when I learnt and Love unfurled my wings,
new gracious things, but mortal,
that the stars showered on one alone:
the rest of her was so other, so various
in form, noble, heavenly and immortal,
that my intellect was all unequal to it,
my weak sight could not endure it.
And whatever I have said of her or written,
so that now for that praise she prays to God
for me, was a little drop in an infinite ocean:
because our style cannot rise beyond our wit:
and when a man fixes his eyes on the sun,
the brighter it shines the less that he can see.
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