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
Come talora al caldo tempo sòle
semplicetta farfalla al lume avezza
volar negli occhi altrui per sua vaghezza,
onde aven ch'ella more, altri si dole:

cosí sempre io corro al fatal mio sole
degli occhi onde mi vèn tanta dolcezza
che 'l fren de la ragion Amor non prezza,
e chi discerne è vinto da chi vòle.

E veggio ben quant'elli a schivo m'ànno,
e so ch'i' ne morrò veracemente,
ché mia vertú non pò contra l'affanno;

ma sí m'abbaglia Amor soavemente,
ch'i' piango l'altrui noia, et no 'l mio danno;
et cieca al suo morir l'alma consente.

As at times in hot sunny weather
a guileless butterfly accustomed to the light,
flies in its wanderings into someone's face,
causing it to die, and the other to weep:

so I am always running towards the sunlight of her eyes,
fatal to me, from which so much sweetness comes
that Love takes no heed of the reins of reason:
and he who discerns them is conquered by his desire.

And truly I see how much disdain they have for me,
and I know I am certain to die of them,
since my strength cannot counter the pain:

but Love dazzles me so sweetly,
that I weep for the other's annoyance, not my hurt:
and my soul consents blindly to its death.


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

A Merentha Entertainment Project


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