Petrarch (113 page)
Authors: Mark Musa
A regal nature, angels intellect
Ashamed at times that I still have not praised
As long as both my temples are not white
Aspro core et selvaggio et cruda voglia
As sometimes when the sun shines bright
As soon as he has let the bowstring go
As soon as her white foot through the fresh grass
At a tree’s crash just torn up from the ground
A thousand slopes and rivers Love has shown me
A thousand times, O my sweet warrior
At times some of my thoughts would get together
Aura che quelle chiome blonde et crespe
Aventuroso più d’altro terreno
A young maiden beneath the green of laurel
Beato in sogno et di languir contento
Beautiful soul, now loosened from that knot
Because she bore Love’s colors in her face
Beneath those hills (where she had first adorned
Benedetto sia ’l giorno e ’l mese et ’l anno
Ben mi credea passar mio tempo omai
Ben sapeva io che natural consiglio
Between two lovers I could see a lady
Blest in my dreams and satisfied to languish
Both Jove and Caesar never were so moved
Breeze that surrounds those blond and curling locks
Broken are the lofty column and green laurel
But now that the sweet smile, humble, serene
Caesar, the time that the Egyptian traitor
Cantai, orpiango; et non men di dolcezza, 229
“Cara la vita, et dopo lei mi pare
Cercato ò sempre solitaria vita
Cesare, poi che ’l traditor d’Egitto
Che debb’ io far, che mi consigli, Amore?
“Che fai, alma? che pensi? avrem mai pace
Che fai? che pensi? ché pur dietro guardi
Chi è fermato di menar sua vita
Chi vuol veder quantunquepo Natura
Clear, cool, sweet, running waters
Come ’l candido pie’ per l’erba fresca
Come talora al caldo tempo sòle
Come va ’l mondo! or mi diletta et piace
Conobbi (quanto il Ciel li occhi m’aperse
Così potess’ io ben chiudere in versi
Could I but take my vengeance on the one
Cruel was the star beneath which I was born
Da più belli occhi, et dal più chiaro viso
Datemi pace, o duri miei pensieri? 274
Dear lord of mine, my every thought draws me
Death cannot change a sweet face into bitter
Death has put out the sun that dazzled me
Deh, porgi mano a l’affannato ingegno
Deh, qual pietà, qual angelfu sì presto
Del cibo onde ’l signor mio sempre abonda
De ’l empia Babilonia ond’ è fuggita
Del mar tirreno a la sinistra riva
Desire spurs me, Love sees and guides my way
Determined to take up graceful revenge
Diana never pleased her lover more
Dicemi spesso il mio fidato speglio
Dicesette anni à già rivolto il cielo
Di dì in dì vo cangiando il viso e ’l pelo
Di pensier in pensier, di monte in monte
Discolorato ài, Morte, il più bel volto
Di tempo in tempo mi si fa men dura
Dodici donne onestamente lasse
Dolce mio caro et prezioso pegno
Dolci durezze et placide repulse
Dolci ire, dolci sdegni et dolci paci
Donna che lieta col Principio nostro
Due gran nemiche inseme erano agiunte
Due rose fresche et colte in paradiso
D’un bel chiaro polito et vivo ghiaccio
During that time my heart by loving worms
Each day to me is like a thousand years
E’ mi par d’or in ora udire il messo
E’ questo ’l nido in che la mia fenice
Era il giorno ch’al sol si scoloraro
Erano i capei d’oro a l’aura sparsi
Escaping from the prison where Love kept me
“Eyes, come now, weep, accompany the heart
Far potess’ io vendetta di colei
Father of Heaven, after the lost days
Fearing my state of mind, I weep, I sing
Fera Stella (se ’l cielo à forza in noi
Fiamma dal Ciel su le tue trecciepiova
Flowers joyful and glad, fortunate grass
Fontana di dolore, albergo d’ira
For any animal that lives on earth
Forever more I shall detest the window
Fortune and love, and my own mind, which shuns
Fountain of sorrow, dwelling place of wrath
Fresco ombroso fiorito et verde colle
From day to day my face and hair are changing
From far away she would console my sleep
From lovely, polished, clear and living ice
From the most lovely eyes and brightest face
From those two lovely lights came living sparks
From thought to thought, mountain to mountain top
From time to time that form which is angelic
From what part of the heavens, from what Idea
From wicked Babylon, from which has fled
Fu forse un tempo dolce cosa amore
Fuggendo la pregione ove Amor m’ebbe
Full of a loving thought, that makes me stray
Full of that sweetness indescribable
Geri, at times when my sweet enemy
Geri, quando talor meco s’adira
Già desiai con sì giusta querela
Già fiammeggiava l’amorosa Stella
Giovene donna sotto un verde lauro
Giunto Alessandro a la famosa tomba
Giunto m’à Amor fra belle et crude braccia
Give me some peace, O cruel thoughts of mine! 274
Gli occhi di ch’io parlai sì caldamente
Gloriosa Columna in cui s’appoggia
Glorious column upon whom there rests
Gluttony, sleep, pillows of idleness
Gone is the time now, O my grief, that I
Go now, my grieving verse, to the hard stone
Go now, my sighs of warmth, to her cold heart
Good fortune is both slow and late in coming
Grazie ch’ a pochi il Ciel largo destina
Green clothes, bright red or dark or purple ones
Green hill, a cool and shady flowering place
Had I decided to stay in the cave
Had it come any closer to my eyes
Hannibal won, but then did not know how
Happier than I there never came to land
“Happy yet sad, in company yet alone
Here where there’s only half of me, Sennuccio
He who made up his mind to lead a life
However many lovely, charming ladies
How fortunate for me that from one of
How many times I go to my sweet nest
How much I envy you, the greedy earth
How the world changes! Now I’m charmed and pleased
How well I knew that any human means
I always loved and still I love with passion
I am already weary of my thinking
I am so tired now of all this waiting
I am so weary under the old bundle
I am told often by my faithful mirror
I begli occhi ond’ i’ fui percosso in guisa,
I dì miei più leggier che nesun cervo
I’d like to sing of love so differently
I dolci colli ov’ io lasciai me stesso
If, counting all the hours with blind desire
I fear so that attack of lovely eyes
I feel the aura of old times, sweet hills
I felt within my heart already failing
If end and middle answer to the start
If ever I said it, then may she hate me
If fire by fire has never been extinguished
If I had thought the sound of my voice sighing
I find no peace, and I am not at war
If I thought that by death I would be lightened
If it’s not love, then what is it I feel
If Love does not give me some new advice
If Love or Death does not come to cut short
If love that’s virtuous can merit mercy
If loving faithfulness, unfeigning heart
If my life can resist the bitter anguish
If only I could close as well in verse
If only those sweet-flowing aura’s sighs
If sound of birds complaining or green leaves
If that sweet glance of hers can make me die
If the illustrious branch that can control
If the mountain closing in this valley most
If Virgil and if Homer could have seen
If you were able by some angry signs—
I go my way lamenting those past times
I go on thinking, and I’m seized in thought
I have begged Love and I beg him again
I have filled with my sighs all of this air
I keep on listening but I hear no news
I knew—so much had Heaven opened my eyes
Il cantar novo e ’I pianger delli augelli
Il figliuol di Latona avea già nove
Il mal mi preme et mi spaventa il peggio
Il mio adversario in cui veder solete
Il successor di Carlo, che la chioma,
I’m crushed by ills and terrified by worse
I’ mi soglio accusare, et or mi scuso
I’ mi vivea di mia sorte contento
In dubbio di mio stato, or piango or canto
I never saw the sunrise look so lovely
I never want to sing the way I used to
In her loveliest age, while in full bloom
In mezzo di duo amanti onesta altera
In nobil sangue vita umile et queta
In noble blood a quiet, humble life
In qual parte del Ciel, in quale Idea
In quel bel viso ch’i’ sospiro et bramo,
In quella parte dove Amor mi sprona
In such a star I saw two lovely eyes
In sun or shade I’ve never seen you, lady
In tale Stella duo belli occhi vidi
In that direction which love urges me
In the sweet season of my early years
Into my weary sleep my sacred aura
Io amai sempre, et amo forte ancora
Io avrò sempre in odio la fenestra
Io canterei d’Amor si novamente
I often would accuse, but now excuse myself
Io mi rivolgo indietro a ciascun passo
Io non fu’ d’amar voi lassato unquanco
I’ ò pien di sospir quest’aere tutto
I’ ò pregalo Amor, e ’l ne riprego
Io sentia dentr’ al cor già venir meno
Io son de l’aspettar omai sì vinto
Io son già stanco di pensar sì come
Io son sì stanco sotto ’l fascio antico
Io temo sì de’ begli occhi l’assalto
I’ pensava assai destro esser su l’ale
I’ piansi, or canto; ché ’l celeste lume
I’ pur ascolto, et non odo novella
I sang once, now I weep, and no less sweetness
I saw on earth angelic qualities
Is this the nest where that phoenix of mine
Italia mia, ben che ’l parlar sia indarno
Ité, caldi sospiri, al freddo core
Ite, rime dolenti, al duro sasso
I thought by now that I could live my life
I thought my wings were strong enough to soar
It is the time the rapid heavens bend
It was the day the sun’s ray had turned pale
I used to leave behind my life’s own fountain
I’ve always sought a solitary life—
I’ve never found a place where I could see
I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi
I’ vo pensando, et nel penser m’assale
I’ vo piangendo i miei passati tempi
I wanted once by means of just complaint
I was alive and happy with my fate
I wept and now I sing: that living sun
Just as eternal life is seeing God
La bella donna che cotanto amavi
La donna che ’l mio cor nel viso porta