Love
Sonnet XI (In Life): He Hopes That Time Will Render Her More Merciful
Translated by Rev. Francis Wrangham (in Bohn, 1879) · From To Laura in Life
If o'er each bitter pang, each hidden throe
Sadly triumphant I my years drag on,
Till even the radiance of those eyes is gone,
Lady, which star-like now illume thy brow;
And silver'd are those locks of golden glow,
And wreaths and robes of green aside are thrown,
And from thy cheek those hues of beauty flown,
Which check'd so long the utterance of my woe,
Haply my bolder tongue may then reveal
The bosom'd annals of my heart's fierce fire,
The martyr-throbs that now in night I veil:
And should the chill Time frown on young Desire.
Still, still some late remorse that breast may feel,
And heave a tardy sigh--ere love with life expire.
Cite this poem
MLA
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet XI (In Life): He Hopes That Time Will Render Her More Merciful.” Translated by Rev. Francis Wrangham. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/11/.
Chicago
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet XI (In Life): He Hopes That Time Will Render Her More Merciful.” Translated by Rev. Francis Wrangham. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/11/.
Read this poem with the Codex →
More by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch)
- Sonnet II (In Life): How He Became the Victim of Love
- Sonnet LVIII (In Life): He Desires Only That Memmi Had Been Able to Impart Speech to His Portrait of Laura
- Sonnet CXVIII (In Life): He is Led by Love to Reason
- Sonnet CLXXXVIII (In Life): The Misery of His Love
- Sonnet XXIX (In Death): The Union of Beauty and Virtue is Dissolved by Her Death