UPON HIS TRANSLATION OF MALVEZZI MY Lord, In every trivial work 'tis known, Translators must be masters of their own And of their author's language, but your task A greater latitude of skill did ask; For your Malvezzi first requir'd a man To teach him speak vulgar Italian; His matter's so sublime, so new his phrase, So far above the style of Bembo's days, Old Varchi's rules, or what the Crusca yet For current Tuscan mintage will admit, As I believe your Marquess by a good Part of his natives' hardly understood. You must expect no happier fate; 'tis true He is of noble birth, of nobler you: So nor your thoughts nor words fit common ears; He writes, and you translate, both to your peers. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FOR THE INVESTITURE by CECIL DAY LEWIS LETTER TO JOSEPH WARREN by ROBERT FROST EXPLICATION OF AN IMAGINARY TEXT by JAMES GALVIN GLAMOUR by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON GOAL by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON GOOD-BYE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON DOWN BY THE CARIB SEA: 1. SUNRISE IN THE TROPICS by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON |