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Once more Heaven renews the golden age, one more decrees its decay--through your voice: placed among us your beauty conquers two realms--two victories are yours; and I make but another Victoria--you are the argument of your history, a beautiful lady we bow to for poems from a beautiful inner life engraved on every memory. Bright spirit, you dwell in an immortal temple; you turn paper to marble, ink to gold--for truth always compels praise. Death's jaws, time's wreckage have bit but cannot take from you this rich treasure, this poem shall live forever. |
An image of the Italian text from Visconti's 1840 edition |
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Notes: From V I:138. See also B E13:209; R CXIIII:330. Translation: Stortoni & Lillie 73. Veronica Gambara answered VC's "Lasciar non posso" ("I can't let go the deeply-rooted faith") with the 2nd in her series, "O de la nostra etade unica gloria" ("Oh wise and charming lady, you cast a unique radiance across our age"; see Rizzardi, 2:2; Chiappeti 2:4). Key |
