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Monday, June 14, 2010

Petrarch contemplating Laura













Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)


Petrarch contemplating Laura
(No information on this picture is available)

Canzoniere (Rerum vulgarium fragmenta) VII

Rime In vita di Madonna Laura
[Spanish and English translation below. From Wikisource]

"La gola e 'l sonno et l'otïose piume
ànno del mondo ogni vertú sbandita,
ond'è dal corso suo quasi smarrita
nostra natura vinta dal costume;

et è sí spento ogni benigno lume
del ciel, per cui s'informa humana vita,
che per cosa mirabile s'addita
chi vòl far d'Elicona nascer fiume.

Qual vaghezza di lauro, qual di mirto?
Povera et nuda vai philosophia,
dice la turba al vil guadagno intesa.

Pochi compagni avrai per l'altra via:
tanto ti prego piú, gentile spirto,
non lassar la magnanima tua impresa."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gula, modorra y edredón ocioso
tal la virtud del mundo han desterrado,
que ya su natural casi ha olvidado
el hombre uncido al hábito vicioso;

y tan oscuro está todo astro hermoso,
por el que el ser humano es informado,
que se tiene por caso celebrado
quien vierte en Helicón caudal precioso.

Y mirto y laurel ya, ¿quién los desea?
«Pobre y desnuda vas, filosofía»
dice la turba por el lucro obsesa.

Pocos contigo irán por la otra vía;
¡oh espíritu gentil, jamás te vea
dejar tu noble y generosa empresa!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Greed and sleep and slothful beds
have banished every virtue from the world,
so that, overcome by habit,
our nature has almost lost its way.

And all the benign lights of heaven,
that inform human life, are so spent,
that he who wishes to bring down a stream
from Helicon is pointed out as a wonder.

Such desire for laurel, and for myrtle?
'Poor and naked goes philosophy',
say the crowd intent on base profit.

You'll have poor company on that other road:
So much the more I beg you, gentle spirit,
not to turn from your great undertaking.





















Laura de Noves (1310 - 1348)
Possibly, the woman who inspired Petrarch's Canzoniere

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