In qual parte del ciel, in quale idea
era l'exempio, onde Natura tolse
quel bel viso leggiadro, in ch'ella volse
mostrar qua giú quanto lassú potea?
Qual nimpha in fonti, in selve mai qual dea,
chiome d'oro sí fino a l'aura sciolse?
quando un cor tante in sé vertuti accolse?
benché la somma è di mia morte rea.
Per divina bellezza indarno mira
chi gli occhi de costei già mai non vide
come soavemente ella gli gira;
non sa come Amor sana, et come ancide,
chi non sa come dolce ella sospira,
et come dolce parla, et dolce ride.
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From what part of the heavens, from what idea
came the example, from which Nature took
that beautiful joyful face, in which she chose
to show down here what power she has above?
What nymph of the fountain, what goddess of the wood
loosed hair of such fine gold on the breeze?
How did a heart gather so much virtue to itself,
though the sum of it is guilty of my death?
He looks in vain for divine beauty
who has never yet seen how tenderly
she moves those eyes of hers around:
he does not know how Love heals, and how he kills,
who does not know how sweet her sighs are,
and how sweet her speech, and sweet her smile.
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