Sonnet XVIII
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Sonnet XVIII Lyrics
THE PRAISES OF LAURA TRANSCEND HIS POETIC POWERS.
Ashamed sometimes thy beauties should remain
As yet unsung, sweet lady, in my rhyme;
When first I saw thee I recall the time,
Pleasing as none shall ever please again.
But no fit polish can my verse attain,
Not mine is strength to try the task sublime:
My genius, measuring its power to climb,
From such attempt doth prudently refrain.
Full oft I oped my lips to chant thy name;
Then in mid utterance the lay was lost:
But say what muse can dare so bold a flight?
Full oft I strove in measure to indite;
But ah, the pen, the hand, the vein I boast,
At once were vanquish'd by the mighty theme!
Nott.
Ashamed at times that I am silent, yet,
Lady, though your rare beauties prompt my rhyme,
When first I saw thee I recall the time
Such as again no other can be met.
But, with such burthen on my shoulders set.
My mind, its frailty feeling, cannot climb,
And shrinks alike from polish'd and sublime,
While my vain utterance frozen terrors let.
Often already have I sought to sing,
But midway in my breast the voice was stay'd,
For ah! so high what praise may ever spring?
And oft have I the tender verse essay'd,
But still in vain; pen, hand, and intellect
In the first effort conquer'd are and check'd.
Ashamed sometimes thy beauties should remain
As yet unsung, sweet lady, in my rhyme;
When first I saw thee I recall the time,
Pleasing as none shall ever please again.
But no fit polish can my verse attain,
Not mine is strength to try the task sublime:
My genius, measuring its power to climb,
From such attempt doth prudently refrain.
Full oft I oped my lips to chant thy name;
Then in mid utterance the lay was lost:
But say what muse can dare so bold a flight?
Full oft I strove in measure to indite;
But ah, the pen, the hand, the vein I boast,
At once were vanquish'd by the mighty theme!
Nott.
Ashamed at times that I am silent, yet,
Lady, though your rare beauties prompt my rhyme,
When first I saw thee I recall the time
Such as again no other can be met.
But, with such burthen on my shoulders set.
My mind, its frailty feeling, cannot climb,
And shrinks alike from polish'd and sublime,
While my vain utterance frozen terrors let.
Often already have I sought to sing,
But midway in my breast the voice was stay'd,
For ah! so high what praise may ever spring?
And oft have I the tender verse essay'd,
But still in vain; pen, hand, and intellect
In the first effort conquer'd are and check'd.
Macgregor.
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- 1.Sonnet I
- 2.Sonnets II
- 3.Sonnets III
- 4.Sonnets IV
- 5.Sonnets V
- 6.Sonnets VI
- 7.Sonnets VII
- 8.Sonnet VIII
- 9.Sonnet IX
- 10.Sonnet X
- 11.Ballat I
- 12.Sonnet XI
- 13.Sonnet XII
- 14.Ballata II
- 15.Sonnet IV
- 16.Sonnet XIV
- 17.Sonnet XV
- 18.Sonnet XVI
- 19.Sonnet XVII
- 20.Sonnet XVIII
- 21.Sonnet XIX
- 22.Sestina I
- 23.Canzone I
- 24.Sonnet XX
- 25.Sonnet XXI
- 26.Sonnet XXII
- 27.Sonnet XXIII
- 28.Canzone II
- 29.Canzone III
- 30.Sestina II
- 31.Sonnet XXIV
- 32.Sonnet XXV
- 33.Sonnet XXVI
- 34.Sonnet XXVII
- 35.Sonnet XXVIII
- 36.Sonnet XXIX
- 37.Canzone IV
- 38.Sonnet XXX
- 39.Sonnet XXXI
- 40.Sonnet XXXII
- 41.Sonnet XXXIII
- 42.Sonnet XXXIV
- 43.Sonnet XXXV
- 44.Sonnet XXXVI
- 45.Sonnet XXXVII
- 46.Sonnet XXXVIII
- 47.Sonnet XXXIX
- 48.Sonnet XL
- 49.Sonnet XLI
- 50.Canzone V
- 51.Sonnet XLII
- 52.Madrigale I
- 101.Sestina VII
- 102.Sestina VIII
- 103.Sonnet CCI
- 104.Sonnet CCII
- 105.Sonnet CCIII
- 106.Sonnet CCV
- 107.Sonnet CCVI
- 108.Sonnet CCVIII
- 109.Sonnet CCIX
- 110.Sonnet CCX
- 111.Sonnet CCXI
- 112.Sonnet CCXII
- 113.Sonnet CCXIII
- 114.Sonnet CCXIV
- 115.Sonnet CCXV
- 116.Sonnet CCXVI
- 117.Sonnet CCXVII
- 118.Sonnet CCXVIII
- 119.Sonnet CCXIX
- 120.Sonnet CCXX
- 121.Sonnet CCXXI
- 122.Sonnet CCXXII
- 123.Sonnet CCXXIII
- 124.Sonnet CCXXIV
- 125.Sonnet CLVI
- 126.Canzone XXI
- 127.Sonnet CCXXVI
- 128.Sonnet CCXXVII
- 129.Sonnet CLVII
- 133.Sonnet CLVIII
- 141.Sonnet CLIX
- 145.Sonnet CLX
- 149.Sonnet CLXI
- 157.Sonnet CLXII
- 158.Sonnet CLXIII
- 159.Sonnet CLXIV
- 160.Sonnet CLXV
- 161.Sonnet CLXVI
- 162.Sonnet CLXVII
- 163.Sonnet CLXVIII
- 164.Sonnet CLXIX
- 165.Sonnet CLXX
- 166.Sonnet CLXXI
- 167.Sonnet CLXXII
- 168.Canzone XIX
- 169.Canzone XX
- 170.Sonnet CLXXIII
- 171.Sonnet CLXXIV
- 172.Sonnet CLXXV
- 173.Sonnet CLXXVI
- 177.Sonnet CLXXVII
- 178.Sonnet CLXXVIII
- 182.Sestina VI
- 185.Sonnet CLXXIX
- 186.Sonnet CLXXX
- 187.Sonnet CLXXXI
- 188.Sonnet CLXXXII
- 189.Sonnet CLXXXIII
- 190.Sonnet CLXXXIV
- 191.Sonnet CLXXXV
- 192.Sonnet CLXXXVI
- 193.Sonnet CLXXXVII
- 194.Sonnet CLXXXIX
- 195.Sonnet CXC
- 196.Sonnet CXCI
- 197.Sonnet CXCII
- 198.Sonnet CXCIII
- 199.Sonnet CXCV
- 200.Sonnet CXCIV
- 201.Sonnet CXCVI
- 202.Canzone VI
- 203.Madrigale II
- 204.Ballata III
- 205.Sonnet XLIII
- 206.Sonnet XLIV
- 207.Sonnet XLV
- 208.Ballata IV
- 209.Sonnet XLVI
- 210.Sonnet XLVII
- 211.Sonnet XLVIII
- 212.Ballata V
- 213.Sonnet XLIX
- 214.Sonnet L
- 215.Sestina III
- 216.Sonnet LI
- 217.Sonnet LII
- 218.Sonnet LIII
- 219.Canzone VII
- 220.Canzone VIII
- 221.Canzone IX
- 222.Canzone X
- 223.Sonnet LIV
- 224.Sonnet LV
- 225.Sonnet LVI
- 226.Sonnet LVII
- 227.Sonnet LVIII
- 228.Sonnet LIX
- 229.Sestina IV
- 230.Sonnet LX
- 231.Sonnet LXI
- 232.Sonnet LXII
- 233.Sonnet LXIII
- 234.Sonnet LXIV
- 235.Sonnet LXV
- 236.Sonnet LXVI
- 237.Sonnet LXVII
- 238.Sonnet LXVIII
- 239.Sonnet LXIX
- 240.Sonnet LXX
- 241.Sonnet LXXI
- 242.Sonnet LXXII
- 243.Sonnet LXXIII
- 244.Sonnet LXXVII
- 245.Sonnet LXXV
- 246.Sonnet LXXVI
- 247.Sonnet CXLVII
- 248.Sonnet LXXVIII
- 249.Sonnet LXXIX
- 250.Sonnet LXXX
- 251.Sonnet LXXXI
- 252.Sonnet LXXXII
- 253.Sonnet LXXXIII
- 254.Canzone XI
- 255.Madrigale III
- 256.Sonnet LXXXIV
- 257.Sonnet LXXXV
- 258.Sonnet LXXXVI
- 259.Sonnet LXXXVII
- 260.Sonnet LXXXVIII
- 261.Sonnet LXXXIX
- 262.Sonnet XC
- 263.Sonnet XCI
- 264.Sonnet XCII
- 265.Sonnet XCIII
- 266.Sonnet CXCVII
- 267.Sonnet XCIV
- 268.Sonnet XCV
- 269.Canzone XII
- 270.Madrigale IV
- 271.Sonnet XCVI
- 272.Sonnet XCVII
- 273.Sonnet XCVIII
- 274.Sonnet XCIX
- 275.Canzone XIII
- 276.Canzone XIV
- 277.Canzone XV
- 278.Canzone XVI
- 279.Canzone XVII
- 280.Sonnet C
- 281.Sonnet CII
- 282.Sonnet CIII
- 283.Sonnet CIV
- 284.Canzone XVIII
- 285.Sonnet CV
- 286.Sonnet CVI
- 287.Sonnet CVII
- 288.Sonnet CVIII
- 289.Sonnet CIX
- 290.Sonnet CX
- 291.Sestina V
- 292.Sonnet CXI
- 293.Sonnet CXII
- 294.Sonnet CXIII
- 295.Sonnet CXIV
- 296.Sonnet CXV
- 297.Sonnet CXVI
- 298.Ballata VI
- 299.Sonnet CXVII
- 300.Sonnet CXVIII
- 301.Sonnet CXIX
- 302.Sonnet CXXI
- 303.Sonnet CXX
- 304.Sonnet CXXII
- 305.Sonnet CXCVIII
- 306.Sonnet CXCIX
- 307.Sonnet CC
- 309.Sonnet CXXIII
- 310.Sonnet CXXIV
- 311.Sonnet CCXXV
- 312.Sonnet CLII
- 313.Sonnet CLIII
- 314.Sonnet CLIV
- 315.Sonnet CCIV
- 316.Sonnet CXXV
- 317.Sonnet CXXVI
- 318.Sonnet CXXVII
- 320.Sonnet CXXVIII
- 321.Sonnet CXXIX
- 322.Sonnet CXXX
- 323.Sonnet CXXXI
- 324.Sonnet CXXXII
- 325.Sonnet CXXXIII
- 326.Sonnet CXXXIV
- 328.Sonnet CXXXV
- 329.Sonnet CXXXVI
- 330.Sonnet CXXXVII
- 332.Sonnet CXXXVIII
- 333.Sonnet CXXXIX
- 334.Sonnet CXL
- 336.Sonnet CXLI
- 337.Sonnet CXLII
- 338.Sonnet CXLIII
- 339.Sonnet CXLIV
- 340.Sonnet CXLV
- 341.Sonnet CXLVI
- 345.Sonnet CXLVIII
- 360.Sonnet CXLIX
- 361.Sonnet CL
- 362.Sonnet CLI
- 364.Sonnet CLV
- 378.Amor, quando fioria
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