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Petrarch's Canzoniere - Scattered Rhymes - A New Verse Translation by Francesco Petrarch

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Petrarch's Canzoniere - Scattered Rhymes - A New Verse Translation

Author
Francesco Petrarch
Narrator
Ed Ashley
Publisher
Barbican Press
Publish Date
1 September 2022
Run Time
7 hours 34 minutes
Format
Audiobook
Genre
Classic and pre-20th century poetry, Ancient, classical and medieval texts, Poetry
$13.95

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What to expect

<p><b>Francesco Petrarch's <i>Canzoniere</i> (translated in English as 'Scattered Rhymes') is a collection of 14th century poems famed for their deep exploration of love, grief, spirituality and nature. Written over the course of forty years (approximately between 1328-1368), this collection includes 317 sonnets, 29 canzoni, 9 sestine, 4 madrigals and 7 ballate.</b></p><p>These Scattered Rhymes almost always return to Laura, a women who Petrarch loves deeply, whom he first saw on a Good Friday. On this same day, some years later, Laura died. But Petrarch's love does not wane, in fact at points it burns brighter. <i>Il Canzoniere</i> also serves as a valuable contemporary insight into 14th century religion and the role of the papacy in Christendom.</p><p>Petrarch's work is one of civilization's most immaculate achievements. Michael R. G. Spiller regards <i>Il Canzoniere</i> as 'the single greatest inspiration for the love poetry of Renaissance Europe until well into the seventeenth century'.</i></p><p>Following his acclaimed translation of Dante's Inferno, which 'immediately joins ranks with the very best available in English' (Dr Richard Lansing), Peter Thornton brings the poetry of Petrarch to the 21st Century in direct and luminous verse.</i></p><p>Here's a madrigal, number 52 in the sequence.</p><p><b>52</b></p><p><b><i>However much Diana may have pleased<br>the lover who by like chance spied her bare<br>amid the frigid water, I no less</i></b></p><p><b><i>delighted in the shy hill shepherdess<br>washing a wisp of veil to keep her hair,<br>glinting with gold, protected from the breeze. </i></b></p><p><b><i>And even now, when the sky burns above,<br>she makes me shiver with a chill of love.</i></b></p>

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Details
Author
Francesco Petrarch
Narrator
Ed Ashley
Duration
7 hours 34 minutes
Release Date
1 September 2022
ISBN
9781909954724
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Barbican Press
Genre
Classic and pre-20th century poetry, Ancient, classical and medieval texts, Poetry

Synopsis

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Francesco Petrarch&#39;s &lt;i&gt;Canzoniere&lt;/i&gt; (translated in English as &#39;Scattered Rhymes&#39;) is a collection of 14th century poems famed for their deep exploration of love, grief, spirituality and nature. Written over the course of forty years (approximately between 1328-1368), this collection includes 317 sonnets, 29 canzoni, 9 sestine, 4 madrigals and 7 ballate.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;These Scattered Rhymes almost always return to Laura, a women who Petrarch loves deeply, whom he first saw on a Good Friday. On this same day, some years later, Laura died. But Petrarch&#39;s love does not wane, in fact at points it burns brighter. &lt;i&gt;Il Canzoniere&lt;/i&gt; also serves as a valuable contemporary insight into 14th century religion and the role of the papacy in Christendom.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Petrarch&#39;s work is one of civilization&#39;s most immaculate achievements. Michael R. G. Spiller regards &lt;i&gt;Il Canzoniere&lt;/i&gt; as &#39;the single greatest inspiration for the love poetry of Renaissance Europe until well into the seventeenth century&#39;.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Following his acclaimed translation of Dante&#39;s Inferno, which &#39;immediately joins ranks with the very best available in English&#39; (Dr Richard Lansing), Peter Thornton brings the poetry of Petrarch to the 21st Century in direct and luminous verse.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here&#39;s a madrigal, number 52 in the sequence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;52&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;However much Diana may have pleased&lt;br&gt;the lover who by like chance spied her bare&lt;br&gt;amid the frigid water, I no less&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;delighted in the shy hill shepherdess&lt;br&gt;washing a wisp of veil to keep her hair,&lt;br&gt;glinting with gold, protected from the breeze. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;And even now, when the sky burns above,&lt;br&gt;she makes me shiver with a chill of love.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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