Love
Vita Nuova: 'I felt a spirit of love begin to stir'
Translated by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1861; text of the Ellis and Elvey edition, 1899) · From La Vita Nuova
I felt a spirit of love begin to stir
Within my heart, long time unfelt till then;
And saw Love coming towards me, fair and fain
(That I scarce knew him for his joyful cheer),
Saying, “Be now indeed my worshipper!”
And in his speech he laugh’d and laugh’d again.
Then, while it was his pleasure to remain,
I chanced to look the way he had drawn near,
And saw the Ladies Joan and Beatrice
Approach me, this the other following,
One and a second marvel instantly.
And even as now my memory speaketh this,
Love spake it then: “The first is christen’d Spring;
The second Love, she is so like to me.”
Cite this poem
MLA
Dante Alighieri. “Vita Nuova: 'I felt a spirit of love begin to stir'.” Translated by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dante/16/.
Chicago
Dante Alighieri. “Vita Nuova: 'I felt a spirit of love begin to stir'.” Translated by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dante/16/.
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