“What boots recounting feats and gestes notorious 1
Of cel’ebrate Capitaynes and grand campaigns,
Where vaunting Death boasts asp’erous might victorious
O’er alien will he bendeth as he fain ’is?
Let others sing and say the deeds memorious
Achieved by Conq’uerors on their battle-plains:
Let it be mine (if worlds will hear) to tell
How by a pair of eyes’ mere force I fell.”
2
Não foi pouco aprazivel a Velloso
Tratar-se esta materia, vigiando;
Que com quanto era duro e bellicoso,
Amor o tinha feito manso e brando.
Tão concertado vive este enganoso
Moço co’ a natureza, que tratando
Os corações tão doce e brandamente,
Não deixa de ser forte quem o sente.
No little pleasure to Velloso gave 2
So fair a subject watch and ward to ’guile,
For as dure warfare made him dour and brave,
So gentled Love his breast by soft’ening wile.
Such is the cunning of this Cupid-knave,
So Art with Nature can he reconcile,
While mortal hearts with blandness it endowereth,
Lovers with double pow’er his will empowereth.
3
“Contai (disse) senhor, contai de amores
As maravilhas sempre acontecidas,
Que ainda de seus fios cortadores
No peito trago abertas as feridas.”
Concederam os mais vigiadores,
Que alli fossem de todos referidas
As historias que já do amor passaram;
E assi sua vigia começaram.
“Recount” (quoth he), “recount of Love, fair Sir! 3
And of the wondrous chances Love befel,
Still his sharp arrows this sad bosom stir
That may not hurt of open wound dispel.”
With him agreed each watchful mariner,
That all and ev’ery, then and there, should tell
Their tales of Love, and how the ventures farèd:--
Thiswise its watch to keep the crew preparèd.
4
“Disse então Leonardo: “Não espere
Ninguem, que conte fabulas antigas:
Que quem alheias lagrimas refere,
Das proprias vive isento, e sem fadigas.
Porque, despois que Amor co’ os olhos fere,
Nunca por tão suaves inimigas,
Como a mi só no mundo tem ferido
Pyramo, nem o nadador de Abido.
Then quoth Le’onardo: “Here let no man wot 4
From me to gather fables known of yore:
Whoso would quote the tears of alien lot
Himself exempted hath no tears in store.
Sith Love with magick eye-glance mortals smote
Those dearest en’emies mine smote none so sore
’Mid men as me; nor Pyramus nor him
Who from Abydos Helle’s stream did swim.
5
“Fortuna, que no mundo póde tanto,
Me deitou longe já da patria minha,
Onde tão longo tempo vivi, quanto
Bastou para perder hum bem que tinha.
Livre vivia então; mas não me espanto,
Sendo que sendo livre, não sostinha
Deixar de ser captivo, que o cuidado,
Sem porque, tive sempre namorado.”
“Fortune, who vaunteth o’er the world her might 5
Already drave me far from Fatherland,
Where I long time had lived, sufficient quite
To lose a blessing which I held in hand.
Yes, free I lived; yet nought astounds my sprite
Save that my freedom I could not command,
But changed for prison, since mine every thought,
Would I or nould I, boon of Love besought.”