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S'una fede amorosa, un cor non finto,
un languir dolce, un desiar cortese;
s'honeste voglie in gentil foco accese,
un lungo error in cieco laberinto;
se ne la fronte ogni penser depinto,
od in voci interrotte a pena intese,
hor da paura, hor da vergogna offese;
s'un pallor di viola et d'amor tinto;
s'haver altrui piu caro che se stesso;
se lagrimar e sospirar mai sempre,
pascendosi di duol, d'ira e d'affanno,
s'arder da lunge et agghiacciar da presso
son le cagion ch'amando i mi distempre,
vostro, donna, e'l peccato, et mio fia 'l danno. Petrarca, Canzoniere 224
English translation
If loving faith, an undeceiving heart,
sweet yearning, and courteous desire:
if chaste wishes burning in a noble fire,
long wandering in the blind labyrinth:
if a brow that pictures every thought,
or a voice broken by the pain within,
or troubled by fear or by shame:
if a loving pallor tinged with purple:
if holding something dearer than oneself:
if sighing and weeping every day,
fed by grief, by anger and distress:
if burning from afar, and freezing near,
are the reasons why love makes me ill,
mine is the hurt lady, and yours the guilt. Translation A.S.Kline
Italian text
English translation