Love
Sonnet XXXIV (In Life): Her Return Gladdens the Earth and Calms the Sky
Translated by Major Macgregor (in Bohn, 1879) · From To Laura in Life
But when her sweet smile, modest and benign,
No longer hides from us its beauties rare,
At the spent forge his stout and sinewy arms
Plieth that old Sicilian smith in vain,
For from the hands of Jove his bolts are taken
Temper'd in Ætna to extremest proof;
And his cold sister by degrees grows calm
And genial in Apollo's kindling beams.
Moves from the rosy west a summer breath,
Which safe and easy wafts the seaward bark,
And wakes the sweet flowers in each grassy mead.
Malignant stars on every side depart,
Dispersed before that bright enchanting face,
For which already many tears are shed.
Cite this poem
MLA
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet XXXIV (In Life): Her Return Gladdens the Earth and Calms the Sky.” Translated by Major Macgregor. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/41/.
Chicago
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch). “Sonnet XXXIV (In Life): Her Return Gladdens the Earth and Calms the Sky.” Translated by Major Macgregor. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/petrarch/41/.
Read this poem with the Codex →
More by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch)
- Sonnet XXX (In Life): He Complains of the Veil and Hand of Laura, That They Deprive Him of the Sight of Her Eyes
- Sonnet XCI (In Life): Leaving Rome, He Desires Only Peace with Laura and Prosperity to Colonna
- Sonnet CLIV (In Life): He Fears That He is Incapable of Worthily Celebrating Her
- Sonnet CCXXII (In Life): The Beauty of Laura is Peerless
- Sonnet LX (In Death): He Prays That She Will Be Near Him at His Death, Which He Feels Approaching