Lovely and learned lady you have charmed O del la nostra etade unica gloria
Lovely and learned lady you have charmed
our age, and cast a unique radiance.
All who deserve a place in history
will bow to you today with real respect.

You shall be forever remembered on earth
time won't be able to sully your name,
to prey on you, destroy you maliciously,
but will fully vindicate your victory fully

Women ought to build a noble sacred
temple to you, made of marble and gold
as if to Athena and Apollo.

Since you model integrity and every strength
I wish I could praise you as much as I
respect and love you. Lady, I bow before you.

O de la nostra etade unica gloria,
donna saggia, leggiadra, anzi divina,
a la qual reverente oggi s'inchina
chinunque è degno di famosa istoria:

ben fia eterna di voi qua giù memoria,
né potrà il tempo con la sua ruina
far del bel nome vostro empia rapina,
ma di lui porterete alma vittoria.

Il sesso nostro un sacro e nobil tempio
dovria, come già a Palla e a Febo, farvi,
di ricchi marmi e di finissim'oro,

e, poiché di virtù sete l'esempio,
vorrei, Donna, poeter tanto lodarvi
quanto vi rvierisco, amo, ed adoro.

Sources:

Rizzardi 2:2; Chiapetti 2:4; 1995 Bullock 42:103-4. Previous translations: Jerrold 161; Stortoni and Lille 28-29. Gambara puns in the fourth line ("ampia vittoria"). For Key see A Note on the Italian texts

Comments:

Gambara wrote this in response to Colonna's rebuke, "Lascia non posso i miei saldi pensieri" (I can't let go the deeply-rooted faith") to Gambara's Mentre da vaghi, e giovenil pensieri" (Upon young, erring thoughts I too once fed"). So Colonna wrote once more, this time graciously praising Gambara, "Di novo il Cielo de l'antica gloria" (Once more Heaven renews the golden age) in such a way as to acknowledge Gambara's strength and predilection for poetry in Sannazaro's tradition, perhaps her Stanze, and to play upon a number of Gambara's lines. See 1995 Bullock pp. 103- 4n. for variants, commentary and paraphrase.
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