Thou, who hast fled from life’s enchanted bowers, In youth’s gay spring, in beauty’s glowing morn, Leaving thy bright array, thy path of flowers, For the rude convent-garb and couch of thorn; Thou that, escaping from a world of cares, Hast found thy haven in devotion’s fane, As to the port the fearful bark repairs To shim the midnight perils of the main-- Now the glad hymn, the strain of rapture pour, While on thy soul the beams of glory rise! For if the pilot hail the welcome shore With shouts of triumph swelling to the skies, Oh! how shouldst _thou_ the exulting pæan raise, Now heaven’s bright harbour opens on thy gaze! TORQUATO TASSO. “Negli anni acerbi tuoi, purpurea rosa.” Thou in thy morn wert like a glowing rose To the mild sunshine only half display’d, That shunn’d its bashful graces to disclose, And in its veil of verdure sought a shade: Or like Aurora did thy charms appear, (Since mortal form ne’er vied with aught so bright,) Aurora, smiling from her tranquil sphere, O’er vale and mountain shedding dew and light. Now riper years have doom’d no grace to fade; Nor youthful charms, in all their pride array’d, Excel, or equal, thy neglected form. Thus, full expanded, lovelier is the flower, And the bright day-star, in its noontide hour, More brilliant shines, in genial radiance warm. BERNARDO TASSO. “Quest’ ombra che giammai non vide il sole.” This green recess, where through the bowery gloom Ne’er, e’en at noontide hours, the sunbeam play’d, Where violet-beds in soft luxuriance bloom Midst the cool freshness of the myrtle shade; Where through the grass a sparkling fountain steals, Whose murmuring wave, transparent as it flows, No more its bed of yellow sand conceals Than the pure crystal hides the glowing rose; This bower of peace, thou soother of our care, God of soft slumbers and of visions fair! A lowly shepherd consecrates to thee! Then breathe around some spell of deep repose, And charm his eyes in balmy dew to close, Those eyes, fatigued with grief, from tear-drops never free. PETRARCH. “Chi vuol veder quantunque può natura.”