How bitter my days have been, Love, Amor, quanto i mei giorni aspri sien stati
How bitter my days have been, Love,
and now more than ever I have no desire.
to speak. You know my distress, how I grieve
still. Is all this to test my strength?

I placed all my thoughts in him, closed myself
off from all else to adore a hard stone.
I hope to mitigate his fierce pride.
I now see how such vain designs must fail.

Everywhere you force on me cruel deceits
which join to this rigid hard deprivation.
Do you mean to lengthen cruel fears yet more?

If jasper lightened the torment, went back
to what he was, my pain would not cease,
I would just feel it more acutely.

Amor, quanto i mei giorni aspri sien stati
ed or più che mai sian, dir non tel voglio
che 'l sai e teco me ne dolsi e doglio.
Sol per prova che me diè in sorte i fati.

Ma avendo in lui li miei pensier locati
e ferma in adorarlo qual dur scoglio
sperava mitigar tuo fiero orgoglio,
ma vedo i van disegni esser fallati.

Ché ognor ti sforzi con crudeli inganni
Congioner a' miei di aspro e dur stento,
per far che lunghì sian miei crudi affanni.

Che se un diaspro allegerì il tormento,
per esser di chi fu: non li mei danni
cessati son, ma più aspri ognor sento.

Sources:

Costa 5:26-27; 1995 Bullock 7:62-63. For Key see A Note on the Italian texts

Comment:

Another of this group of early poems, found by Costa in the 16th century manuscript. This is yet another sonnet which uses the same rhyme scheme as Più volte il miser cor avea assaltato. See 1995 Bullock, pp. 62-63n for a general paraphrase.
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