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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) Gentil mia donna, i' veggio - Some Love Songs
Gentil mia donna, i’ veggio - Francesco Petrarch, Some Love Songs [1915]Edition used:Some Love Songs of Petrarch, translated and annotated with a Biographical Introduction by William Dudley Foulke (Oxford University Press, 1915).
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- Ode to Petrarch
- Introduction and Biography
- Love Songs of Petrarch
- Era Il Giorno Ch’al Sol Si Scoloraro
- Ballad I: Lassare Il Velo O Per Sole O Per Ombra
- Orso, E’ Non Furon Mai Fiumi Nè Stagni
- Mille Fiate, O Dolce Mia Guerrera
- Non Al Suo Amante Più Dïana Piacque
- Nova Angeletta Sovra L’ale Accorta
- Or Vedi, Amor, Che Giovenetta Donna
- Il Mio Adversario, In Cui Veder Solete
- Due Rose Fresche E Còlte In Paradiso
- In Mezzo Di Duo Amanti, Onesta, Altera
- Quando Fra L’altre Donne Ad Ora Ad Ora
- Sestine I: A Qualunque Animale Alberga In Terra
- E Perchè Un Poco Nel Parlar Mi Sfogo
- Già Fiammeggiava L’amorosa Stella
- Gentil Mia Donna, I’ Veggio
- La Donna Che ’l Mio Cor Nel Viso Porta
- L’aspetto Sacro De La Terra Vostra
- Padre Del Ciel; Dopo I Perduti Giorni
- La Bella Donna Che Cotanto Amavi
- Poi Che Voi Et Io Più Volte Abbiam Provato
- Io Son Sì Stanco Sotto Il Fascio Antico
- Passa La Nave Mia Colma D’oblio
- Per Ch’ Al Viso D’amor Portava Insegna
- Fuggendo La Pregionc Ove Amor M’ebbe
- Quando Giunse a Simon L’alto Concetto
- Volgendo Gli Occhi Al Mio Novo Colore
- Quel Vago Impallidir, Che ’l Dolce Riso
- Per Mezz’ I Boschi Inospiti E Selvaggi
- Di Pensier In Pensier, Di Monte In Monte
- Ovunque Gli Occhi Volgo
- Chiare, Fresche E Dolci Acque
- Pommi Ove ’l Sole Occide I Fiori E L’erba
- I’ Vidi In Terra Angelici Costumi
- In Qual Parte Del Ciel, In Quale Idea
- Amor Et Io Sì Pien’ Di Meraviglia
- Stiamo, Amor, a Veder La Gloria Nostra
- In Nobil Sangue Vita Umile E Queta
- Quanto Più M’avicino Al Giorno Extremo
- Pace Non Trovo, E Non Ho Da Far Guerra
- Erano I Capei D’oro a L’aura Sparsi
- Beato In Sogno, E Di Languir Contento
- Qual Paura Ho Quando Mi Torna a Mente
- Solea Lontana In Sonno Consolarme
- Oimè Il Bel Viso, Oimè Il Soave Sguardo
- Quanta Invidia Io Ti Porto, Avara Terra
- Occhi Miei, Oscurato è ’l Nostro Sole
- Rotta è L’alta Colonna E ’l Verde Lauro
- Zefiro Torna, E ’l Bel Tempo Rimena
- Nè Per Sereno Ciel Ir Vaghe Stelle
- Sento L’aura Mia Antica, E I Dolci Colli
- Tutta La Mia Fiorita E Verde Etade
- Amor, Se Vuo’ Ch’ I’ Torni Al Giogo Antico
- S’ Io Avesse Pensato Che Sì Care
- Solea Da La Fontana Di Mia Vita
- Il Dì Che Costei Nacque, Eran Le Stelle
- Quel Rosigniuol, Che Sì Soave Piagne
- Vago Augelletto Che Cantando Vai
- Ite, Rime Dolenti, Al Duro Sasso
- Ripensando a Quel Ch’ Oggi Il Cielo Onora
- Dolce Mio Caro E Precïoso Pegno
- Deh Qual Pietà, Qual Angel Fu Sì Presto
- Levommi Il Mio Penser In Parte Ov’ Era
- Li Angeli Eletti, E L’anime Beate
- I’ Vo Piangendo I Miei Passati Tempi
- Vergine Bella, Che Di Sol Vestita
- Voi Ch’ Ascoltate In Rime Sparse Il Suono
- Appendix I Laura
- Appendix Ii ‘epistle to Posterity’ 1
- Appendix Iii Catalogue of Petrarch’s Works
- Index of First Lines
Gentil mia donna, i’ veggio
- O gentle lady mine,
- Within your eyes a gracious light I see;
- The path that leads to heaven it showeth me!
- Deep in those spheres divine
- Where I am wont to sit with love alone,
- All visibly your burning heart doth shine
- And lights me to fair deeds. To glory’s throne
- It points the way and from the ignoble throng
- Doth draw my soul apart. No tongue can tell
- The pure delights that to those orbs belong
- Nor the rapture that they bring,
- Both when the frost of winter clothes the earth,
- And when the year again renews its birth,
- (Then first I loved you) in the smiling spring.
- And I reflect, ‘Up there
- Where the Eternal Mover of every star
- Hath deigned to show us what His glories are,
- If all His other works are half so fair,
- Fling wide the prison door
- That doth restrain me from my heavenward way!’
- And then I turn me to my strife on earth,
- Blessing the happy day that gave me birth,
- Which hath reserved me for such sovereign bliss,
- And praising her who raised me from the abyss
- To such high hopes. Till I saw her I lay
- In self-abasement chilled;
- But in that hour I woke to joy. She filled
- With lofty thoughts and sweet idolatry
- The heart whereof her fair eyes hold the key.
- For never yet did Love and fickle chance
- Such happiness bestow
- On him for whom their friendship most they show,
- That I would change it for a single glance
- From those dear eyes whence cometh my repose
- As the tree grows
- From roots within the soil—angelic rays
- That streaming, shed their joy
- Upon my soul when Love doth light the blaze
- That sweetly doth consume me and destroy!
- As every other glory doth depart
- Wherever yours doth shine,
- So from my heart,
- Whene’er your tender eyes on me incline,
- All other hopes, all other thoughts are gone
- And Love with you remaineth there alone.
- However sweet the grace
- That in the heart of happy lovers lies,
- Yet if it all were gathered in one place,
- ’Twere naught to what I feel
- When from those dreamy eyes
- Between the black and white the soft rays steal
- Wherein love sports and plays.
- And I believe that from my infancy
- Kind heaven did provide this remedy
- For all my weakness and my evil days.
- Oft-times your veil doth wrong me, that doth screen
- Your face, and the fair hands that pass between
- My one supreme delight
- And eyes of mine that flow both day and night
- With passionate longing from an ardent breast
- Cheered by your love, by your disdain oppressed.
- Since I with sorrow see
- That nature to my soul was mean and hard,
- Nor made me worthy of such dear regard,
- Therefore I strive to be
- A man more fit for such felicity,
- And for the gentle flame wherewith I burn;
- And thus with patient care my soul doth learn
- To be slow to evil, swift to all good things,
- Spurning the idle joys the vain world brings.
- Perchance if this I do
- ’Twill help me to her favour kind and true,
- And the end of all my woe
- Shall come (full well my sorrowing heart doth know)
- From the sweet trembling of relenting eyes
- A faithful lover’s last and dearest prize.
lxxii
Sometimes Laura relents and awakens the liveliest expressions of joy from her lover, as in the following:
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