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M. DE VOLTAIRE's PARAPHRASE

OF THE

FIRST

STANZA,

Chiare, fresche, e dolci acque &c.

LAIRE fontaine, onde aimable, onde pure,

CLAIRE

Ou la beautè qui confume mon cœur,

Seule beautè, qui foit dans la nature,

Des feux du jour evite la chaleur ;

Arbre heureux, dont le feuillage

Agitè par les Zephirs

La couvris de fon ombrage,

Qui rappelles mes foupirs,

En rappellant fon image,

Ornemens

Ornemens de ces bords, et filles du matin,

Vous dont je fuis jaloufe, vous moins brillantes qu' Elle, Fleurs, qu'elle embelliffait, quand vous touchiez fon sein, Roffignols, dont la voix eft moins douce et moins belle,

Air devenu plus pur, adorable fejour,

Immortalifè par fes charmes,

Lieux dangereux et chers, ou de fes tendres armes

L'amour a bleffè tous mes fens,

Ecoutez mes derniers accens,

Recevez mes dernieres larmes.

LAURA,

AN ELEGY FROM PETRARCH.

N this fair season, when the whisp'ring gales

IN

Drop fhow'rs of fragrance o'er the bloomy vales,

From bow'r to bow'r the vernal warblers play;
The skies are cloudless, and the meads are gay;

IMITATIONS.

* Ver. 1. Petrarch. Sonnet. 270.

Zefiro torna, e'l bel tempo rimena,
E'i fiori, e l'erbe, fua dolce famiglia;
E garrir Progne, e pianger Filomela;
E primavera candida, e vermiglia:

Ridono

The nightingale in many a melting strain

Sings to the groves, "Here Mirth and Beauty reign;"

But me, for ever bath'd in gushing tears,

No mirth enlivens, and no beauty cheers:

The birds that warble, and the flow'rs that bloom,

Relieve no more this solitary gloom.

I fee, where late the verdant meadow smil'd,

A joyless defert, and a dreary wild.

For those dear eyes, that pierc'd my heart before,
Are clos'd in death, and charm the world no more:

IMITATION S.

Ridono i prati, e'l ciel fi rafferena;

Giove s'allegra di mirar fua figlia;

L'aria, è l'acqua, e la terra e d'amor piena ;
Ogni animal d'amar fi riconfiglia :

Ma per me, laffo, tornano i piu gravi
Sofpiri, che del cor profondo tragge
Quella ch'al ciel fe ne porto le chiavi :

E cantar' augelletti, e fiorir piagge,

E'n belle donne onefte atti foavi,

Sono un deferto, e fere afpre e felvagge.

Loft

Loft are those treffes, that outfhone the morn,

And pale those cheeks, that might the fkies adorn.
* Ah death! thy hand has crop'd the fairest flow'r,

That shed its smiling rays in beauty's bow'r;
Thy dart has lay'd on yonder fable bier

All my foul lov'd, and all the world held dear,
Celestial sweetness, love-inspiring youth,

Soft-ey'd benevolence, and white-rob'd truth.

Hard fate of man, on whom the heav'ns beftow A drop of pleasure for a sea of wo!

IMITATIONS.

* Ver. 17. Sonnet. 243.

Discolorato ai, morte, il piu bel volto

Che mai fi vede, e'i piu begli occhi spenti;
Spirto piu accefso di virtuti ardenti

Del piu leggiadro, e piu bel nodo ai fciolto!

Ver. 28. Sonnet. 230.

O noftra vita, ch'e fi bella in vista!

Com' perde agevolmente in un' mattina

Quel che'n molt' anni a gran pena s'acquista.

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