TO THESE GARDENS GAVE

'Tis she that to these gardens gave
The wondrous beauty which they have;
She straightness on the woods bestows;
To her the meadow sweetness ows;
Nothing could make the river be
So crystal pure but only she;
She yet more pure, sweet, straight, and fair,
That gardens, woods, meads, rivers, are.

Therefore what first she on them spent,
They gratefully again present:
The meadow, carpets where to tread;
The garden, flowers to crown her head;
And for a glass the limpid brook,
Where she may all her beauties look;
But, since she would not have them seen,
The wood about her draws a screen.

-Andrew Marvell

This is by far my favorite Victorian portrait... It's much more beautiful when you look at the reproduction on print, rather than on the computer screen... The light looks more golden.

TRANSLATION OF AN ITALIAN SONG

This song was in my brother's blog, andersviking.blogspot, and I thought it was well worth a translation (of sorts). If anybody can improve it, please do!!

AMORE PERDUTE

Il fiume dei ricordi,
Il greto del passato;
Sta ritornando da me
Sta rivivendo per te
Ma dove ti troverò
Se tu non vuoi?

Risento i baci su di me...
I baci tuoi
I abbraci tuoi
Gli mi bruciano ancor
Che mi fanno languir
Che mi fanno morir

Il fiume dei ricordi
Il greto del passato
Sta ritornando da me
Sta rivivendo per te
Ma dove ti troverò
Se tu non vuoi?

E il mare che ti vide lì...
Il suo calor, il suo tepor,
Tramutare vorrei
In un gelido mar
In un buio mortal.

------

The rivers of memory,
The gravel of past things;
They are coming back to me,
They are returning for you
But where do I find you,
If you won't let me?

I feel your kisses once more...
Your kisses,
Your embraces
That still burn in me,
That make me languish
That make me die.

The rivers of memory,
The gravel of past things;
They are coming back to me,
They are returning for you
But where do I find you,
If you won't let me?

And the sea, who sees you there...
Would want to change
Its heat, its warmth
Into a freezing sea,
Into a mortal sadness.

Music: Tomaso Albinoni (Adagio in G minor)
Lyrics: Carolina Martinelli
Sung by José Carreras