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
site map   contact  

  PETRARCH
  LAURA & OTHERS

  PICTURES
  WRITINGS
  BOOKS

  THE COLLECTION

  EVENTS
  PAPERS & ESSAYS
  MUSIC SETTINGS

  FAQs
  WEB LINKS
  SITE MAP

  CONTACT

Google


Search this Site
Search the Web



Petrarch:The Canzoniere

Translated by: A.S.Kline
Download them all in English or Italian
<<< PREVIOUS <<< Poem 173 of 366 >>> NEXT >>>
JUMP TO POEM

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
Mirando 'l sol de' begli occhi sereno,
ove è chi spesso i miei depinge et bagna,
dal cor l'anima stanca si scompagna
per gir nel paradiso suo terreno.

Poi trovandol di dolce et d'amar pieno,
quant'al mondo si tesse, opra d'aragna
vede: onde seco et con Amor si lagna,
ch'à sí caldi gli spron', sí duro 'l freno.

Per questi extremi duo contrari et misti,
or con voglie gelate, or con accese
stassi cosí fra misera et felice;

ma pochi lieti, et molti penser' tristi,
e 'l piú si pente de l'ardite imprese:
tal frutto nasce di cotal radice.
Gazing at the sunlight of those calm lovely eyes,
where he, who darkens and bathes mine, lives,
my weary soul is ready to leave my heart
to travel to its earthly paradise.

Then finding itself full of the bitter and the sweet,
its sees what the world weaves are spiders' webs:
so that it complains to itself, and Love,
that he has such keen spurs, so harsh a rein.

Between these two opposing, mixed extremes,
now with icy, now with hot desire,
it stands between misery and happiness.

not often joyful, and so often sad,
it regrets its eager ventures more deeply:
when such is the fruit born of such a root.


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

A Merentha Entertainment Project


PETRARCH LAURA PICTURES WRITINGS BOOKS EVENTS PAPERS SETTINGS FAQs CONTACT