Sonnets, Songs, and Triumphs

...closed in his heart; Filelfo original: "phō"; referring to Francesco Filelfo (1398–1481), a prominent humanist scholar who wrote a widely printed commentary on Petrarch. adds: Of those sighs, it is said by way of simile that they nourished the heart, just as we see the body nourished by foods conforming to its nature. Thus, the soul, frequently impassioned, nourishes itself with sighs and tears, as the Psalmist says:

My tears were my food night and day, while it was said to me, "Where is your God?" original: "furon a me le lachryme mio cibo di notte & di giorno fin che a tãto a me se dice doue e il dio tuo." From Psalm 42:3.

In my first youthful error: Referring to line 3 of Sonnet I. he says this in his own excuse, because error is characteristic of the youthful age, as has been written. According to the opinion of many learned men, and first among them Solomon, who identified four things more wandering than any others, the ends of which could never be understood: namely, the way of a ship in the sea; that of the eagle original: "qla"; likely an abbreviation for aquila (eagle). in the air; Did you not say four things about the swans? original: "Cigni ne dixti in quatuor" that of the serpent upon the rocks; and he says that the way of a young man in his youth is, above all others, the most difficult to understand. When I was in part another man from what I am now: this can refer to the change of age, because in that part of his life he was another man—that is, of a different age, opinion, and judgment than he was when he composed this sonnet. As Seneca says: "None of us is today what he was yesterday; even as I say these things are changed, I myself am changed." original: "nullo de noi e hoggi qllo che heri fu: io fra tãto che dico qste cose eẽre mutate mutato sono." A paraphrase of Seneca’s Epistulae Morales 58.22. Of the varied style in which I weep and reason: he calls it "varied" because the style is not all of one form, as we see in the books of many poets who maintain a continuous style; rather, it is changed variously in his sonnets and songs. I weep for pain; I reason for hope; yet he says: Between vain hopes and vain grief: this is in accordance with the nature of love, which has no stable purpose but is always saddened or comforted by vain things. This should be understood as a love that is less than honest, because according to learned men, "just love"—where true friendship proceeds—is founded upon virtue and does not suffer any vain change. Thus, in Terence, the servant responds to his enamored master: "That thing which has no counsel or measure within itself cannot be governed by counsel; in love, all these vices are present: truces, suspicions, enmities, injuries, and peace following them." original: "Quella cosa che nõ ha cõsiglio r mõ i se con cõsiglio non se po regere: in lamore sono tutti questi vitij: triegue: suspitiõe: inimicitie: iniurie: & pace: doppo quella." A translation of Terence’s Eunuchus, Act I, Scene 1. Wherever there is one who understands love through experience, I hope to find pity as well as pardon: because such love is inexcusable, he hopes to find pity and pardon from those who have been similarly impassioned. He says "he hopes" because he is not certain, since no one can be rightfully certain of pardon for wrongdoing. But I see well now how I was a source of gossip to all the people for a long time: in this final part, the author, as was said above, seeing that his love is not worthy of excuse, says freely that he understands his error. He recognizes how at other times, because of this effect, he had been a "fable" A "fable" or "gossip" (Italian: favola), meaning he was the subject of public talk. to all the people. It is not the act of a wise man to cause public customs to revolve around oneself due to some novelty, let alone an illicit one. Therefore, professing his defect, he adds: Wherefore I am often ashamed of myself within. And of my wandering, shame is the fruit: and of whatever defect, shame is its fruit, just as honor is the fruit of virtue. Repenting is a proper sign of past error, because a person never repents of doing good; where penance follows, it is a sign that ignorance preceded it. And to know clearly that whatever pleases the world is a brief dream: the author makes this conclusion not only to reproach himself but also as a teaching for all listeners, that they should not set their souls on any worldly pleasure, but rather withdraw to the contemplation of God and the virtues. Whatever pleases the world is a brief dream: "brief" in respect to the eternity of celestial goods and the fame acquired through virtue. "Dream": because just as unreal things appear while sleeping, so these worldly pleasures are false and vain in appearance compared to those celestial things which are contemplated with the intellect and a good soul.

SONNET II.

It was the day when the sun's rays grew pale
Out of pity for its Creator;
When I was captured, and I did not guard myself:
For your beautiful eyes, Lady, bound me.
It did not seem to me a time to take shelter
Against the blows of love: therefore I went
Secure and without suspicion; whence my woes
Began amid the universal sorrow.
Love found me altogether disarmed,
And the way open through the eyes to the heart,

Francesco B. Likely referring to Francesco Berni or another commentator, or simply identifying the author, Francesco "B" [Petrarca].
IT WAS the day. The second sonnet of this first book begins here, although many place it in the third position. But if we wish to consider the beginning of his love with diligence, we will understand that this one ought to follow first after the aforementioned preface [Sonnet I]. Wishing, therefore, our eminent poet to demonstrate the grace and unheard-of beauty of the pilgrim and lovely Lady Laura, he declares the day that he first fell in love with her: which was Good Friday original: "venerdi sancto", on which that wicked and impious one appeared who, in the common and public...