187. ‘Giunto Alexandro a la famosa tomba’

Sighing before the famous tomb

of fierce Achilles, Alexander said:

‘O fortunate one, who found so clear

a voice to write of you so nobly!’

But this pure white dove of mine

whose equal the world will never know,

gains little enough glory from my frail style:

so is his fate fixed for every man.

She most worthy of Homer or Orpheus,

or the shepherd that Mantua still honours,

that they would have sung of her alone,

is cruelly entrusted by unfortunate stars

to him who adores her lovely name,

but perhaps diminishes her praise by speaking.