| Petrarca: Love Sonnets |
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Part 2: Bound to Love
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"I am always forgetting how to say 'I miss you'. Is it 'Mi manchi'? Any tips on how to remember?"
MELMAL
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In the history of the Italian language Petrarca was one of a triad of Florentine literary artists who best summarized Italian thought and feeling of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance (Dante and Boccaccio being the other two). Laura, whose name he was to immortalize in his lyrics, inspired him with a passion that has become proverbial for its constancy and purity.
Benedetto sia 'l giorno, et 'l mese, et l'anno,
et la stagione, e 'l tempo, et l'ora, e 'l punto,
e 'l bel paese, e 'l loco ov'io fui giunto
da'duo begli occhi che legato m'anno;
et benedetto il primo dolce affanno
ch'i' ebbi ad esser con Amor congiunto,
et l'arco, et le saette ond'i' fui punto,
et le piaghe che 'nfin al cor mi vanno.
Benedette le voci tante ch'io
chiamando il nome de mia donna ò sparte,
e i sospiri, et le lagrime, e 'l desio;
et benedette sian tutte le carte
ov'io fama l'acquisto, e 'l pensier mio,
ch'è sol di lei, sí ch'altra non v'à parte.
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Oh blessed be the day, the month, the year,
the season and the time, the hour, the instant,
the gracious countryside, the place where I was
struck by those two lovely eyes that bound me;
and blessed be the first sweet agony
I felt when I found myself bound to Love,
the bow and all the arrows that have pierced me,
the wounds that reach the bottom of my heart.
And blessed be all of the poetry
I scattered, calling out my lady's name,
and all the sighs, and tears, and the desire;
blessed be all the paper upon which
I earn her fame, and every thought of mine,
only of her, and shared with no one else.
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Overrated but Don't Forget!
Sure Valentine's Day is over-rated - but try and tell that to your loved one! Celebrate Valentine's Day at About, where you can learn about the history of Valentine's Day, download romantic recipes for a special meal, or pick out a refreshing red wine. For dessert, sample the magical effects of chocolate.
For the truly adventurous, consider a romantic getaway in Italy in such towns as Venice, the romantic and mysterious city on the lagoon known as La Serenissima or visit a castle built for love.
Petrarca: Love Sonnets > Page 1, 2
