I

CANNOT be at peace yet need not fight,

I fear, I hope, I burn, I suffer cold,

I fall to earth, I scale the Heavens in flight,

Have empty hands and yet all things do hold;
I am not free though unconstrained, although
None holdeth me I may not cast my
chains;
Love harms me not, yet will not let me go,
Will neither slay me nor console my pains;

I plead for mercy yet desire the end,
I speak without a tongue, see without eyes,
I love another yet myself despise,

I eat my bread in bitterness and blend

Laughter and tears, I hate both death and life;
Through thee, Madonna, I endure this strife!

N what celestial sphere, by whom inspired,

Did Nature find the cast from which she drew

This lovely face wherein she hath aspired

To manifest below what Heaven can do?
Upon the breeze these tresses of pure gold
What goddess of the woods, what water-fay
Hath lavished thus? What other heart could hold
These virtues which have made my life their prey
Of godly beauty he is unaware

Who hath not gazed into my Lady's eyes,

Nor gathered her sweet glances here on earth;
He knoweth not Love's Hell nor Paradise

Who never heard her sighs as light as air,
The gentle music of her speech and mirth.

?

IETI fiori e felici e ben nate erbe,

Lehe madonna, pensando, premer sòle,

piaggia ch' ascolti sue dolci parole,
e del bel piede alcun vestigio serbe,
schietti arboscelli e verdi frondi acerbe,
amorosette e pallide vïole,

ombrose selve, ove percote il sole,
che vi fa co' suoi raggi alte e superbe,
o soave contrada, o puro fiume,

che bagni il suo bel viso e gli occhi chiari, e prendi qualità dal vivo lume,

quanto v' invidio gli atti onesti e cari ! non fia in voi scoglio omai che per costume d'arder co la mia fiamma non impari.

R che 'l cielo e la terra e 'l vento tace, e le fere e gli augelli il sonno affrena, notte il carro stellato in giro mena, e nel suo letto il mar senz' onda giace, vegghio, penso, ardo, piango, e chi mi sface sempre m' è innanzi per mia dolce pena; guerra è 'l mio stato, d' ira e di duol piena, e sol di lei pensando ho qualche pace.

Così sol d'una chiara fonte viva

move 'l dolce e l' amaro ond' io mi pasco; una man sola mi risana e punge.

E perchè 'l mio martìr non giunga a riva, mille volte il dì moro e mille nasco;

tanto da la salute mia son lunge.

FORTUNATE fields through which Madonna goes,

Ond

And you, O happy, happy flowers and sweet,

O upland who her gentle accent knows

And bears the dainty imprint of her feet,
O saplings lithe and early, verdant sprays,
O love-lorn violets pale, O forest dim
Which beauty's sun hath pierced with his rays
And drawn in proud florescence unto him;
O limpid stream that laves her lovely face,
Her luminous eyes, and doth their radiance share,
O primrose path, I envy you the grace
Of tender, loyal servitude you bear!
In you no single pebble now remains

That is not kindled with my passionate pains.

N

ow silence reigneth over earth and sky,

The wind is still and bird and beast do sleep, Night in her starry chariot whirleth by,

The slumb'rous sea is laid in cradle deep;
I think, I see, love, weep; my grief who willed
Is ever with me to my tender pain;

I am at strife, with spite and anguish filled,
My thoughts in her alone find peace again.

From one sole clear and living fountain flows
The sweet and bitter draughts that nourish me;
No hand save hers to heal and hurt me knows ;
My ship of passion tarrieth out at sea;
A thousand times a day I live and die,
So far away doth my salvation lie!

CCHI miei, oscurato è 'l nostro sole,

anzi è salito al cielo ed ivi splende ; ivi il vedremo ancora, ivi n' attende e di nostro tardar forse gli dole. Orecchie mie, l' angeliche parole sonano in parte ov'è chi meglio intende. Piè miei, vostra ragion là non si stende ov' è colei ch' esercitar vi sòle.

Dunque perchè mi date questa guerra ? Già di perdere a voi cagion non fui vederla udirla e ritrovarla in terra.

Morte biasmate; anzi laudate Lui

che lega e scioglie, e 'n un punto apre e serra, e dopo 'l pianto sa far lieto altrui.

ALLE che de' lamenti miei se' piena,

fiume che spesso del mio pianger cresci,

fere silvestre, vaghi augelli, e pesci

che l' una e l' altra verde riva affrena,
aria, de' miei sospir calda e serena,
dolce sentier che sì amaro riesci,
colle che mi piacesti, or mi rincresci,
ov' ancor per usanza Amor mi mena,

ben riconosco in voi l' usate forme, non, lasso, in me, che di sì lieta vita son fatto albergo d' infinita doglia. Quinci vedea 'l mio bene; e per queste orme torno a vedere ond' al ciel nuda è gita, lasciando in terra la sua bella spoglia.

O

EYES of mine, our sun is overcast,

Is risen in Paradise and there doth shine,

But we shall look upon her at the last

Who doth perchance through our long tarrying pine; O ears of mine, now her angelic speech

Is culled by those who its full meaning know;

O feet of mine, you have not power to reach
Her on whose errands you were wont to go!

Why thus torment me? Through no fault of mine
She hath passed out of hearing and of sight
And doth no longer dwell upon the earth;
Blame death alone and worship God divine,
Who binds and frees, in darkness kindleth light
And giveth after sorrowing His mirth.

O

VALLEY, filled with my despairful words,
O river that my tears have richly fed,

O creatures of the forest, happy birds,
O fishes that green banks have prisonèd;
Breath of desire, serene and passionate,
O pleasant path grown wearisome, O hill
That once I counted dear but now do hate,
Where, as of old, Love doth entice me still;
You are not changed whom I remember well,
But I am otherwise, O misery,

Who from delight to bitterest sorrow fell!
Here where I loved I do return and see.
Madonna's spirit wafted to the skies,
Whilst upon earth her lovely body lies.