"Sonnet XXIV" de Louise Labé

"Sonnet XXIV" de Louise Labé

Today, I’m going to read the poem Sonnet 24 by Louise Labé, the first recognized French poetess. She was born in Lyon, between 1520 and 1525. She was raised during one of the most interesting centuries in literature's history. The Middle Ages were over, and the Italian renaissance was creating a revolution in France’s artistic life. The message of the poem is simple and still so very modern: love and its torments...I will read the poem once slowly so you can repeat after me, then I’ll read it faster with a personal interpretation.

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labe1 - Poem in old French

Ne reprenez, Dames, si j'ay aymé :
Si j'ay senti mile torches ardentes,
Mile travaus, mile douleurs mordentes :
Si en pleurant, j'ay mon tems consumé,

Las que mon nom n'en soit par vous blamé.
Si j'ay failli, les peines sont presentes,
N'aigrissez point leurs pointes violentes :
Mais estimez qu'Amour, ê point nommé,

Sans votre ardeur d'un Vulcan excuser,
Sans la beauté d'Adonis acuser,
Pourra, s'il veut, plus vous rendre amoureuses :

En ayant moins que moy d'occasion,
Et plus d'estrange et forte passion.
Et gardez vous d'estre plus malheureuses.

2 - Traduction

You will find the English translation of this poem in the Dual-Language Book presented here, as well as a short biography of the poet. I will be reading many poems (in the public domain) from this book.