“Ha ben ella gran forza, e non la cliiama
Possente Dia senza ragione il mondo :
Ma bisogna incontrarla, e farle vezzi,
Spianandole il sentiero; i neghittosi
Saran di rado fortunati mai.”
“Great is the power of Fortune; whom the world,
Not without reason, mighty Goddess calls :
But we must go to meet her, flatter her,
And smooth her path, and those who this neglect
Shall never bear the name of fortunate.”
“Ha due all la vita : il gaudio e il duolo;
L’amor la impenna, e Dio dirige il volo.”
“Life has two wings : one, sorrow; one, delight;
Love gives it pinions, God directs its flight.”
“Ha qualche volta un ortolan parlato
Cose molte a proposito à la gente;
E da un mantel rotto e sporco e stato
Molte volte coperto un uom prudente,”
“Ere now a simple tiller of the soil
Hath spoken words of wisdom to mankind;
A cloak all tattered and besmirched with toil
Hath ofttimes clothed a man of prudent mind.”
“Ha sue tempeste il core,
Elena, come il mar.”
“The heart its tempests hath,
Helen, as hath the sea.”
“Han gli stessi delitti un vario fato:
Quegli diventa Re, questi e impiceato.”
“The same misdeeds a varying fate attends:
This on the throne, that on the scaffold ends.”
“Han picciol vanto
Le gemme la dove n’abbonda il mare:
Son tesori fra noi percbe son rare.”
“Small value have the gems
That in abundance lurk beneath the waves:
We count them treasures in that they are rare.”
“Hanno le donne
Un arte soprafina,
E chi ci studia piu, men la indovina.”
“Women display
A genius superfine
Which those who study closest least divine.”
