| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882). Complete Poetical Works. 1893. | | | | Translations | From the Italian.
Seven Sonnets and a Canzone.
VI. To Vittoria Colonna |
| | | WHEN the prime mover of my many sighs | |
| Heaven took through death from out her earthly place, | |
| Nature, that never made so fair a face, | |
| Remained ashamed, and tears were in all eyes. | |
| O fate, unheeding my impassioned cries! | 5 |
| O hopes fallacious! O thou spirit of grace, | |
| Where art thou now? Earth holds in its embrace | |
| Thy lovely limbs, thy holy thoughts the skies. | |
| Vainly did cruel death attempt to stay | |
| The rumor of thy virtuous renown. | 10 |
| That Lethe’s waters could not wash away! | |
| A thousand leaves, since he hath stricken thee down, | |
| Speak of thee, nor to thee could Heaven convey, | |
| Except through death, a refuge and a crown. | | | | |
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