That bond my blest fate protected me by Quel nodo, in cui la mia beata sorte
That bond my blest fate protected me by
to my deep grief has been untied, dissolved,
by that sudden brutal and cruel event
that the world calls death. The anxiety,

the fright were so heavy, so strong, I could
scarcely breathe, all my pleasure in life was
gone. If reason had not calmed wildness, I
would have made my lifespan short, ended it.

Only the fear of not being able
to reach where his beautiful radiant face
above all the splendid stars stilled the grief

no genius or art had any power
over. My soul's hope to see paradise
and his now unearthly beauty helps me hold on.

Quel nodo, in cui la mia beata sorte
per ordine del Ciel legommi e strinse,
con grave mio dolor sciolse e devinse
quella crudel che 'l mondo chiama Morte,

e fu l'affanno sė gravoso e forte
che tutti i miei piaceri a un tratto estinse,
e, se non che ragione alfin pur vinse,
fatto avrei mie giornate e brevi e corte,

Ma tema sol di non andar in parte
troppo lontana a quella ove 'l bel viso
risplende sopra ogni lucente stella

mitigato ha 'l dolor, che 'ngegno od arte
far nol potea, sperando in Paradiso
l'alma veder oltra le belle bella.

Sources:

Ruscelli-VG 14:16; Rizzardi 19:19; Chiapetti 17:21; 1995 Bullock 28:86-87. Previous translation: Stortoni and Lille 32-33. For Key see A Note on the Italian texts

Comments:

This was probably written very soon after her husband's death (August 26, 1518). See 1995 Bullock pp. 87-88n. for commentary, variants and paraphrase. In "Ne Videatur Strepere Anser Iner Olores", Veronica Gambara e la Poesia del Suo Tempo, Giorgio Dilemmi remarks that this poem is modelled on elements in in a poem on the death of his brother in Alma Cortese by Bembo, p. 32n.
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