Contents
That wandering paleness which conceals
Love, Fortune and my mind, shy of what
If the thought that torments me,
I must turn these sorrowful verses,
My Italy, though words cannot heal
Love leads me on, from thought to thought,
Since the path to Mercy’s closed to me,
I would sing of love in so new a way
What do I feel if this is not love?
Love placed me as a target for his arrow,
I find no peace, and yet I make no war:
Whatever varied and strange thing
Wicked one, may heaven’s fire rain down
Greedy Babylon has crammed the bag
Fountain of sorrows, house of anger,
O sweet crowd of friends, the more
Love that lives and reigns in my thought
As at times in hot sunny weather
Into the sweet shade of the lovely leaves
When I hear you speak so sweetly,
I’ve never seen so beautiful a sunrise
Set me where the sun burns flowers and grass,
O noble soul decked out with burning virtue,
When my passion, that leads and rules me,
Not Ticino, Po, Varo, Arno, Adige or Tiber
From time to time they are less harsh to me
‘What do you think, my soul? Will I ever have peace?
No weary helmsman ever fled for harbour
This humble creature, with bear’s or tiger’s heart,
Go, warm sighs, to her frozen heart,
The stars, the sky, the elements employed
Jupiter and Caesar were never so moved,
That day, always bitter and always honoured
Where ever I turn my weary eyes or rest them,
From what part of the heavens, from what idea
Love and I, as full of amazement
O wandering steps, O swift and errant thoughts,
Happy, fortunate flowers, herbs born in grace,
Love, who sees all my thoughts revealed,
Now that the sky and the earth and the wind are silent
When her white foot through the fresh grass
If I had stayed firmly in the cave
When Love inclines her lovely eyes to earth
Love sends me a sweet thought,
Full of a wandering thought that separates me
Many times now, with my true thought,
Love’s caught me in a lovely harsh embrace,
O Envy enemy to virtue, that willingly
Gazing at the sunlight of those calm lovely eyes,
Cruel the star (if the heavens have power
When the time and place come to my thoughts
Through the midst of inhospitable, wild woods,
Love has shown me a thousand hills and streams
Love spurs me on and reins me back, in one,
Geri, one comfort’s granted me sometimes,
River Po, you are quick to carry my body
Love spread his graceful net of gold and pearls
Love that lights burning eagerness in the heart,