Francisco de Aldana

Soneto XII

"¿Cuál es la causa, mi Damón, que estando
en la lucha de amor juntos trabados
con lenguas, brazos, pies y encadenados
cual vid que entre el jazmín se va enredando

y que el vital aliento ambos tomando
en nuestros labios, de chupar cansados,
en medio a tanto bien somos forzados
llorar y suspirar de cuando en cuando?"

"Amor, mi Filis bella, que allá dentro
nuestras almas juntó, quiere en su fragua
los cuerpos ajuntar también tan fuerte

que no pudiendo, como esponja el agua,
pasar del alma al dulce amado centro,
llora el velo mortal su avara suerte."



Sonnet #XII

"What is the cause, my Damon, that as we
together in love's tussle are combined
with tongues and arms and feet, and all enchained
like grapevines that in jasmine get entwined,

and, taking both of us the breath of life
in through our lips, worn out from sips sublime,
amidst such joy we find ourselves compelled
to groan and sigh out loud from time to time?"

"Love, my Phyllis fair, who deep inside
our souls did bind, within his forge aspires
our bodies to conjoin with force as great,

and since it can't — like water with a sponge —
pass into the beloved soul's sweet core,
the mortal veil bemoans its shabby fate." 

                     (©Alix Ingber, 1995)



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Revisions contributed by Dr. William Ferguson, Clark University.



E-mail your comments and questions to:

Alix Ingber
Professor of Spanish
Sweet Briar College

ingber@sbc.edu



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