Love
Sonnet LIX (In Death): He Should Have Foreseen His Loss in the Unusual Lustre of Her Eyes
Translated by Major Macgregor (in Bohn, 1879) · From To Laura in Death
That glance of hers, pure, tender, clear, and sweet,
Methought it said, "Take what thou canst while nigh;
For here no more thou'lt see me, till on high
From earth have mounted thy slow-moving feet."
O intellect than forest pard more fleet!
Yet slow and dull thy sorrow to descry,
How didst thou fail to see in her bright eye
What since befell, whence I my ruin meet.
Silently shining with a fire sublime,
They said, "O friendly lights, which long have been
Mirrors to us where gladly we were seen,
Heaven waits for you, as ye shall know in time;
Who bound us to the earth dissolves our bond,
But wills in your despite that you shall live beyond."
Cite this poem
MLA
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet LIX (In Death): He Should Have Foreseen His Loss in the Unusual Lustre of Her Eyes.” Translated by Major Macgregor. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/329/.
Chicago
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet LIX (In Death): He Should Have Foreseen His Loss in the Unusual Lustre of Her Eyes.” Translated by Major Macgregor. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/329/.
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More by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch)
- Sonnet XV (In Life): His State When Laura is Present, and When She Departs
- Sonnet LXIX (In Life): He Paints the Beauties of Laura, Protesting His Unalterable Love
- Sonnet CXXXI (In Life): Night Brings Peace to All Save Him
- Sestina VII (In Life): He Despairs of Escape from the Torments by Which He is Surrounded
- Sonnet XLII (In Death): Returning Spring Brings to Him Only Increase of Grief