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
Spirto felice che sí dolcemente
volgei quelli occhi, piú chiari che 'l sole,
et formavi i sospiri et le parole,
vive ch'anchor mi sonan ne la mente:

già ti vid'io, d'onesto foco ardente,
mover i pie' fra l'erbe et le vïole,
non come donna, ma com'angel sòle,
di quella ch'or m'è piú che mai presente;

la qual tu poi, tornando al tuo fattore,
lasciasti in terra, et quel soave velo
che per alto destin ti venne in sorte.

Nel tuo partir, partí nel mondo Amore
et Cortesia, e 'l sol cadde del cielo,
et dolce incominciò farsi la morte.
Happy spirit that glanced so sweetly
from those eyes, brighter than the sun,
and formed the sighs and speech,
so alive they still echo in my mind:

I once saw you, burning with virtue's fire,
moving your feet among the grass and flowers,
not like a woman, but as the angels do,
a form that is more vivid to me than ever:

which you then left on earth, the sweet veil
that came to you at birth by high destiny,
in order to return to your Maker.

At your parting, Love and Courtesy departed
from the world, the sun fell from the sky
and death itself began to seem so sweet.


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

A Merentha Entertainment Project


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