When my love swears that she is made of...
Language: English
When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor'd youth,
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue;
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O! love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told:
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flatter'd be.
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This text was added to the website: 2010-08-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 117
Quando il mio amore giura d’essere...
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the English
Quando il mio amore giura d’essere sincera,
io voglio crederle, pur sapendo che mente,
perché possa pensarmi un’anima immatura,
inesperta del mondo e delle sue false apparenze.
Così, per vanità fingo una ingenuità dovuta a giovinezza,
anche se, che non sono più giovane, lei lo conosce bene
e faccio mostra di fidarmi di ogni sua parola falsa
con l’effetto che entrambi viviamo nella finzione.
Ma perché lei non vuole ammettere di essere infedele?
E perché io dei miei anni non voglio parlare?
E’ perché l’amore migliora se non è sempre leale,
e, in amore, di vecchiaia non si ama parlare.
Per questo ci inganniamo a vicenda facendo all’amore,
e su ogni nostro difetto ci lusinga mentire.
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Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2025 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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: 2025-07-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 116