To Every Hard-Pressed Soul, Dante, La Vita Nuova, III

To every hard-pressed soul and noble heart

in whose presence I tell you this,
writing out your own testimony—
health in your Creator, who is Love.
Already the first three hours of night were passed,
the time that every star shines down on us,
when Love appeared to me so suddenly,
whose essence I remember, to my distress.

Cheerful was the look of Love as they held
my heart in their hand, as in their arms
my lady lay wrapped as in a drape, sleeping.
Then they woke her up and burned her heart out,
she fearfully, humbly trembling.
When I saw them I saw them crying.

Dante, La Vita Nuova III

A ciascun’alma presa e gentil core
Nel cui cospetto ven lo dir presente,
In ciò che mi rescrivan suo parvente,
Salute in lor segnor, cioè Amore.
Già eran quasi che atterzate l’ore
Del tempo che onne stella n’e lucente,
Quando m’apparve Amor subitamente,
Cui essenza membrar mi dà orrore.
Allegro mi sembrava Amor tenendo
Meo core in mono, e ne le braccia avea
Madonna involta in un drappo dormendo.
Poi la svegliava, e d’esto core ardendo
Lei paventosa umilmente pascea:
Appresso gir lo ne vedea piangendo