Love

Sonnet CIII (In Life): Love's Armoury

by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) 1304–1374

Translated by Rev. Dr. Nott (in Bohn, 1879) · From To Laura in Life

Love

Love makes me as the target for his dart,
As snow in sunshine, or as wax in flame,
Or gale-driven cloud; and, Laura, on thy name
I call, but thou no pity wilt impart.
Thy radiant eyes first caused my bosom's smart;
No time, no place can shield me from their beam;
From thee (but, ah, thou treat'st it as a dream!)
Proceed the torments of my suff'ring heart.
Each thought's an arrow, and thy face a sun,
My passion's flame: and these doth Love employ
To wound my breast, to dazzle, and destroy.
Thy heavenly song, thy speech with which I'm won,
All thy sweet breathings of such strong controul,
Form the dear gale that bears away my soul.

MLA

Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet CIII (In Life): Love's Armoury.” Translated by Rev. Dr. Nott. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/132/.

Chicago

Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet CIII (In Life): Love's Armoury.” Translated by Rev. Dr. Nott. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/132/.

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