S'Amore o Morte non dà qualche stroppio
a la tela novella ch'ora ordisco,
et s'io mi svolvo dal tenace visco,
mentre che l'un coll'altro vero accoppio,
i' farò forse un mio lavor sí doppio
tra lo stil de' moderni e 'l sermon prisco,
che, paventosamente a dirlo ardisco,
infin a Roma n'udirai lo scoppio.
Ma però che mi mancha a fornir l'opra
alquanto de le fila benedette
ch'avanzaro a quel mio dilecto padre,
perché tien' verso me le man' sí strette,
contra tua usanza? I' prego che tu l'opra,
e vedrai rïuscir cose leggiadre.
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If Love or Death do not bring some flaw
to this new cloth that I now weave,
and if I can keep free of clinging lime,
while I twine the one truth with the other,
perhaps I will create a double work
in modern style but with ancient content,
so that, I'm fearful of saying it too boldly,
you'll hear the noise even as far as Rome.
But since, to finish the labour, I lack
some of those sacred threads revealed
in those works of my beloved teacher,
why do you close your hand to me,
against your custom? I beg you to open it,
and you'll see something beautiful appear.
Note:
Augustine is the beloved teacher. Petrarch
is presumably seeking copies of his works.
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