Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)

Sonnet 1

Voi ch'ascoltate in rime sparse it suono

You who hear in thin poetry the sound

di quei sospiri ond'io nudriva'l corernita

of those sighs with which I nourished my heart

in sul mio primo giovenile errore

in my first error as a youth

quand'era in parte altr'uom da quel ch'i'sono,

when I was in part a different man than now,

del vario stile in ch'io piango e ragiono

Of the various ways in which I weep and rage

fra le vane speranze e'l van dolore,

Between the empty hopes and empty sorrow,

ove sia chi per prova intenda amore,

wherever there's someone who, through experience, understands love,

spero trovar pietá, non che perdóno.

I hope to find compassion, and forgiveness as well.

Ma ben veggio or sí come al popol tutto

But I have seen well that to all people

favola fui gran tempo, onde sovente

I have been someone's story for a long time, so that often

di me medesmo meco mi vergogno;

I feel ashamed of myself;

e del mio vaneggiar vergogna è'l frutto,

and shame is the fruit of my delirium,

e'l pentersi, e'l conoscer chiaramente

And I repent it, and clearly recognize

che quanto piace al mondo è breve sogno.

Whatever pleases the world is fleeting dreams.

Sonnet 16

Movesi il vecchierel canuto e bianco

The old man, white-haired and pale, moves himself

del dolce loco ov'ha sua etá fornita

from the sweet place where he's spent his age

e da la famigliola sbigottita

and from his little family, who stay dismayed

che vede il caro padre venir manco;

to see their dear father disappear.

indi traendo poi l'antico fianco

Then dragging his old sides

per l'estreme giornate di sua vita,

Throught the last days of his life

quanto piú pò, col buon voler s'aita,

As much as he can help with good will,

rotto dagli anni e dal cammino stanco;

Broken by years and weary from the road.

e viene a Roma, seguendo il desio,

And he comes to Rome, obeying his desire,

per mirar la semblianza di colui

to see there the image of him

ch'ancor lassú nel ciel vedere spera:

whom he hopes to see up there, in the sky:

cosí, lasso! talora vo cercand'io,

Just so, alas, sometimes I go searching,

Donna, quando è possibile, in altrui

Lady, whenever possible, in others

la disiata vostra forma vera.

That desired true form of yours.