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
Lasso, che mal accorto fui da prima
nel giorno ch'a ferir mi venne Amore,
ch'a passo a passo è poi fatto signore
de la mia vita, et posto in su la cima.

Io non credea per forza di sua lima
che punto di fermezza o di valore
mancasse mai ne l'indurato core;
ma cosí va, chi sopra 'l ver s'estima.

Da ora inanzi ogni difesa è tarda,
altra che di provar s'assai o poco
questi preghi mortali Amore sguarda.

Non prego già, né puote aver piú loco,
che mesuratamente il mio cor arda,
ma che sua parte abbia costei del foco.

Alas, how unprepared I was at first
that day when Love came to wound me,
and step by step made himself the lord
of my life, and took his place at the head.

I did not think that rasping power of his
could ever lessen by a jot the firmness
or the strength of my well-tempered heart:
but so it is when we overestimate the truth.

From now on all defence comes too late,
other than to prove whether Love
listens to mortal prayers much, or little.

I do not pray, since there is no purpose,
that my heart should ever burn less fiercely,
but only that she might share part of the fire.


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

A Merentha Entertainment Project


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