Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, S. 161, No. 5 (Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année: Italie)


A piece for solo piano by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) from his second "Années de pèlerinage" (Years of Pilgrimage) suite, which was composed between 1839 and 1846. This piece was inspired by a sonnet by the Italian humanist writer and poet Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), also known as Petrarch.


Pianist: André Laplante


Italian text of the sonnet:

Pace non trovo, e non ho da far guerra ;
E temo e spero, ed ardor e son un ghiaccio ;
E volo sopra'l cielo e giaccio in terra ;
E nullo stringo, e tutto il mondo abraccio.

Tal m'ha in prigion, che non m'apre, nè serra ;
Nè per suo mi riten, nè scioglie il laccio ;
E non m'ancide Amor, e non mi sferra ;
Nè mi vuol vivo, nè mi trae d'impaccio.

Veggio senz'occhi ; e non ho lingua e grido,
E bramo di perir, e cheggio aita ;
Ed ho in odio me stesso ed amo altrui :

Pascomo di dolor, piangendo rido ;
Equalmente mi spiace morte e vita :
In questo stato son, Donna, per Vui.


English translation:

Warfare I cannot wage, yet know not peace;
I fear, I hope, I burn, I freeze again;
Mount to the skies, then bow to earth my face;
Grasp the whole world, yet nothing can obtain.
Pris'ner of one who deigns not to detain,
I am not made his own, nor giv'n release.
Love slays me not, nor yet will he unchain;
Nor life allot, nor stop my harm's increase.

Sightless I see my fair; though mute, I mourn;
I scorn existence, yet I court its stay;
Detest myself, and for another burn;
By grief I'm nurtured; and, though tearful, gay;
Death I despise, and life alike I hate:
Such, lady, do you make my wretched state!

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