by Louise Labé (1526 - 1566)
Translation © by Peter Low

Quand i’aperçoy ton blond chef couronné
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Quand i’aperçoy ton blond chef couronné
 D’un laurier verd, faire un Lut si bien pleindre,
 Que tu pourrois à te suiure contreindre
 Arbres & rocs : quand ie te vois orné.

Et de vertus dix mile enuironné,
 Au chef d’honneur plus haut que nul ateindre :
 Et des plus hauts les louenges esteindre :
 Lors dit mon cœur en soy passionné :

Tant de vertus qui te font estre aymé,
 Qui de chacun te font estre estimé,
 Ne te pourroient aussi bien faire aymer ?

Et aioutant à ta vertu louable
 Ce nom encor de m’estre pitoyable.
 De mon amour doucement t’enflamer ?

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Œuvres de Louise Labé. Texte établi par Charles Boy, Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, éditeur, 1887, pages 98-99.


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  • ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2020-03-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 97

When I behold your blond head crowned in...
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
When I behold your blond head crowned in laurels,
and your hands play the lute so charmingly
as almost to compel the crags and forests
to bow themselves and follow ... when I see

you clothed in virtues and a thousand graces,
reaching the highest honourable station
and stealing from the great their share of praises,
then my heart says inwardly with passion:

"The many virtues which make people love you,
for which they value few, if any, above you,
surely ought to make you love as well,

and win for you the further quality
of mercy (in which you do not yet excel)
by causing you to burn with love for me."

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 by Peter Low, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2022-07-11
Line count: 14
Word count: 112