NO mortal thing enthralled these longing eyes
When perfect peace in thy fair face I found;
But far within, where all is holy ground,
My soul felt Love, her comrade of the skies:
For she was born with God in Paradise;
Nor all the shows of beauty shed around
This fair false world her wings to earth have bound:
Unto the Love of Loves aloft she flies.
Nay, things that suffer death, quench not the fire
Of deathless spirits; nor eternity
Serves sordid Time, that withers all things rare.
Not love but lawless impulse is desire:
That slays the soul; our love makes still more fair
Our friends on earth, fairer in death on high.
Notes
Translated by John Addington Symonds
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Comments
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his poems are very confusing and hard to read...
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yes indeed it is
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is this michaelangelo actually the michaelangelo?
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i must admit that this particular piece of work really helps me set the pace 4 my next story. It fits just right.
fabulously crafted and well stated. -
Wow I'm not sure really what to say. This poem is so powreful, it captures so much beauty. I love it, I'm absolutly speachless!!!
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I would hug you michelangelo if you were alive,or if i could go back to your time of 14th century in the time machine. Such an amazing talent you had. Originally the poem must be in italian and in translations always the genuine feelings become less shiny, even though the gist exists.
i love the following lines the best from this celestial love.
This fair false world her wings to earth have bound:
Unto the Love of Loves aloft she flies.
Nay, things that suffer death, quench not the fire
Of deathless spirits; nor eternity
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Beautiful, as is all of his work. I would love to hear it read alound in it's original language. I wouldn't know the meaning of a single word but I know that it would reach to the inner depths and awaken the senses.
Catch -
a fellow awakened soul....a mind of exceptional ability... a genius of that time...as showen here in his write about real love..i would love to sit and talk with him...but alas now he is someone else somewhere else
dark search -
Premier. . . I didn't know that Michelangelo wrote poetry. . . I guess one learns something new each day. I love the form of English used. . . I'd much more prefer this form to modern English. While I don't like rhyme, the scheme wasn't surmounting the message of the poem. Truly beautiful.
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I wasn't aware he wrote poetry. I learned something new today. I wonder what the original read like. When translated, poems always lose something. It very much depends on the translator. This seems pretty good though.
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how wonderful..*awe*
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This poem sort of reminds me of a frescoe... maybe it's part of the fact that it's an "old poem" written by a poet long gone, but it conveys many things... sort of the beauty of a thing so pure, so different.... it's very hard to describe, but it's very meaningful and insightful in a way. Like describing the grace and poise of a well-mannered, cultured woman... you can't quite find the words to describe what's so special about it. It's like trying to write about the essence of why you love someone, and coming up with lots of reasons of why they're wonderful and why they're special, but not the true meaning of it. Oh well, just a thought... or twenty.
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this is a beautiful poem. I love it. I would like to meet this poet in person but too bad because he is dead. I really think he had some great poetry and this one definetly shows it. i like how he is talking about lasting love and everything like that. well I g2g
Love always
megan -
dead but, still alive with his poem... this is realy good...
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What a lovly poem! I liked it flowed well!
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I am speechless. I dunt know what to say.
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this is beautiful. iknow that your dead and all but i just want you to know that your a beautiful poet.i love your work
clare
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(speechless for many a moment) (whispers) wow...
Sin, tamarack1pines -
He is so capable of creating such vivid imagery. He must have seen these images very clearly in his mind. That was how he was able to create such amazing artwork. Angels. He was be soaring with them now.
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there's something about this that makes me think the author is just lulling around outside, finds a cloud, and writes about it and all of its beauty in the sky. it also reminds me a little of the Virgin Mary.
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