A Daily Countdown to 700 Years with the “colpi d’Amor”
“Benedetto sia ‘l giorno, et ‘l mese, et l’anno, / et la stagione, e’l tempo, et l’ora, e ‘l punto…” — Rvf 61
“Blessed be the day, and the month, and the year, and the season, and the time, and the hour, and the moment…”(Kline).
Volgendo gli occhi al mio novo colore
che fa di morte rimembrar la gente,
pietà vi mosse; onde, benignamente
salutando, teneste in vita il core.
La fraile vita, ch’ancor meco alberga,
fu de’ begli occhi vostri aperto dono,
et de la voce angelica soave.
Da lor conosco l’esser ov’io sono:
ché, come suol pigro animal per verga,
cosí destaro in me l’anima grave.
Del mio cor, donna, l’una et l’altra chiave
avete in mano; et di ciò son contento,
presto di navigare a ciascun vento,
ch’ogni cosa da voi m’è dolce honore.
Turning your eyes on my strange colour
that sets people thinking of death,
pity moved you: so that, greeting me
with kindness, you have kept my heart alive.
That frail life, that still exists in me
was the clear gift of your lovely eyes,
and your voice, angelically sweet.
I recognise my being comes from them:
for like a lazy beast stirred by a stick,
they likewise woke my heavy mind.
Lady, you have both the keys of my heart
in your hand: and I am content,
ready to sail with every breeze:
everything of yours is sweet honour to me.