| Samuel Waddington, comp. The Sonnets of Europe. 1888. | | | | Ye Airs! Sweet Airs | | By Lodovico Paterno |
| | Translated by Henry Francis Cary
Aure, O Aure! che’l ciel nudo e sereno.
YE 1 airs! sweet airs, that through the naked sky | |
| Fan your aurelian wings in wanton play; | |
| Or shedding quiet slumber, as ye fly, | |
| ’Mid the dim forest murmuring urge your way; | |
| To you these garlands, and this basket high | 5 |
| Piled up with lily-bells and roses gay, | |
| And fragrant violets of purplest dye, | |
| Icon, all fainting in the noontide ray, | |
| Scatters, a votive offering to your power: | |
| And oh! as ye receive the balmy spoil, | 10 |
| Temper the inclement beam; and while his flail | |
| He plies unceasing through the sultry hour, | |
| Hoarse Echo answering ever to his toil, | |
| Dispel the parted chaff with brisker gale. | |
| | Note 1. This sonnet by Lodovico Paterno is a paraphrase from the Latin of Navagero:—| | “Auræ quæ levibus percurritis aëra pennis, |
| Et strepitis blando per nemora alta sono; |
| Serta dat hæc vobis, vobis hæc rusticus Idmon |
| Spargit odorato plena canistra croco. |
| Vos lenite æstum, et paleas sejungite inanes, |
| Dum medio fruges ventilat ille die. |
| | “A vous trouppe legere |
| Qui d’aile passagere |
| Par le monde volez, |
| Et d’un sifflant murmure |
| L’ ombrageuse verdure |
| Doucement esbranlez |
| J’ offre ces violettes, |
| Ces lis et ces fleurettes, |
| Et ces roses icy |
| Ces vermeillettes roses, |
| Tout freschement éclauses, |
| Et ces œillets aussi. |
| De vostre douce haleine |
| Evantez ceste pleine, |
| Evantez ce sejour: |
| Cependant que j’ ahanne |
| A mon blé, que je vanne |
| A la chaleur du jour.” |
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