Francesco Petrarca - Aura che quelle chiome bionde e crespe/ Breeze that surrounds those blond and curling locks

Aura che quelle chiome bionde et crespe

cercondi et movi, et se' mossa da loro,
soavemente, et spargi quel dolce oro,
et poi 'l raccogli, e 'n bei nodi il rincrespe,

tu stai nelli occhi ond'amorose vespe
mi pungon sí, che 'nfin qua il sento et ploro,
et vacillando cerco il mio thesoro,
come animal che spesso adombre e 'ncespe:

ch'or me 'l par ritrovar, et or m'accorgo
ch'i' ne son lunge, or mi sollievo or caggio,
ch'or quel ch'i' bramo, or quel ch'è vero scorgo.

Aër felice, col bel vivo raggio
rimanti; et tu corrente et chiaro gorgo,
ché non poss'io cangiar teco vïaggio?
 

 

TRADUZIONE
 

Breeze that surrounds those blond and curling locks,

that makes them move and which is moved by them

in softness, and that scatters the sweet gold,

then gathers it in lovely knots recurling,

 

you linger in the eyes whence wasps of love

sting me - I feel it far as here and weep -

and staggering I try to find my treasure

the way a beast that shies and stumbles does;

 

I seem to find her now, now I'm aware

I'm far from her, relieved now, now deluded,

now I see what I yearn for, now the truth./

 

O happy air, remain with that alive

and lovely ray;and you, clear running stream,

why can I not exchange my course for yours?

 

 

Francesco Petrarca

Translation by Mark Musa