Love

Sonnet CLXXI (In Life): He Rejoices at Being on Earth with Her, as He is Thereby Enabled Better to Imitate Her Virtues

by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) 1304–1374

Translated by Major Macgregor (in Bohn, 1879) · From To Laura in Life

Love

Soul! with such various faculties endued
To think, write, speak, to read, to see, to hear;
My doting eyes! and thou, my faithful ear!
Where drinks my heart her counsels wise and good;
Your fortune smiles; if after or before,
The path were won so badly follow'd yet,
Ye had not then her bright eyes' lustre met,
Nor traced her light feet earth's green carpet o'er.
Now with so clear a light, so sure a sign,
'Twere shame to err or halt on the brief way
Which makes thee worthy of a home divine.
That better course, my weary will, essay!
To pierce the cloud of her sweet scorn be thine,
Pursuing her pure steps and heavenly ray.

MLA

Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet CLXXI (In Life): He Rejoices at Being on Earth with Her, as He is Thereby Enabled Better to Imitate Her Virtues.” Translated by Major Macgregor. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/203/.

Chicago

Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet CLXXI (In Life): He Rejoices at Being on Earth with Her, as He is Thereby Enabled Better to Imitate Her Virtues.” Translated by Major Macgregor. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/203/.

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