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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) Chiare, fresche e dolci acque - Some Love Songs
Chiare, fresche e dolci acque - 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
Chiare, fresche e dolci acque
- Clear, fresh, sweet waters,
- Where she who seems to me
- The only one among earth’s daughters
- Hath laid her dainty limbs; thou stately tree,
- (I sigh remembering it) she made of thee
- A shaft whereon her gracious form might lean;
- O flowers and herbage green
- The which (with her angelic bosom fair)
- Her graceful gown did hide;
- And thou, soft air,
- Calm, holy and serene
- Where Love with those bright eyes did open wide
- The portals to my heart; give heedful ears
- To these my last wild words of grief and tears.
- If it be fate and heaven’s firm decree
- That Love shall close my weary eyelids weeping,
- Some grace it still shall be,
- When back to its own goal
- Returns my naked soul,
- That gives my poor frail body to your keeping.
- Death will have less
- Of pang and bitterness
- If to its dark defile that hope I bring;
- For never spirit faint with heavy wing
- From the tormented flesh could flee or stir
- In port more calm, more tranquil sepulchre.
- The time perchance draws on apace
- When to the old familiar place
- That creature wild
- Will come once more, all beautiful and mild
- And turn her gaze with longing, nay with glee
- To where she saw me on that happy day,
- And seek my face again; but woe is me!
- Seeing among the rocks I am but clay,
- Love may inspire her such a way
- That she will softly sigh
- And ask me as a guerdon from the sky
- Till heaven perforce must yield, the while she dries
- With her fair veil her weeping eyes.
- Ah! sweet in memory! from these branches fair
- Upon her gracious lap there fell soft showers
- Of fluttering flowers!
- Yet sat she there,
- Lowly and meek amid that pageant proud,
- All covered with a radiant cloud
- Of love! One flower did stray
- Upon her garment’s hem; one on her curls
- That to my sight that day
- Were made of burnished gold and shining pearls.
- One rested on the earth; one on the stream;
- Another, lingering slow, did softly move
- And turn again, then wandering, did seem
- To speak and say, ‘Here reigneth Love.’
- How many times I said,
- Inspired with reverent dread,
- ‘This creature sure was born in Paradise!’
- Her port divine, her eyes,
- Her angel’s face,
- Her soft words, and the grace
- Of her laughter did so bear me down
- With sweet forgetfulness and drown
- My thoughts in dear illusions, I did sigh
- And questioning cry,
- ‘How came I here, and when?’
- And thought I was in heaven, and from then
- Till now I so have loved this greensward fair
- That I can find no joy nor peace elsewhere.
- O song of mine, hadst thou the graces meet
- To match thy keen desire and eager mind,
- Forth from the forest couldst thou turn thy feet
- And walk with fearless step among mankind.
cxxvi
It was the custom of every troubadour to remind his mistress of the long period of his devotion, and Petrarch follows this usage in a number of his sonnets, one of which, written fifteen years after he first met her, is here given. In this poem, however, he also imitates a well-known ode of Horace (Book I, Ode 22) to the ‘sweetly laughing Lalage’, expanding the thought of that poem with considerable elaboration.
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