Saturday Rave: Trova à Maneira Antiga by Francisco de Sá de Miranda

 Francisco de Sá de Miranda 1481- 1558 had an easy life, for a poet. 

In fact, he seems to have had an easy life.

He was born in Portugal into a rich and well-connected family, spent his childhood by the River Mondego, followed this with university, and then had a stint at the royal court where he was notable for his poems, Then, for a change, he went to Italy to visit other poets, came back to court again, made friends with the king, bought an estate and retired to it with his wife, and lived to the age of seventy six.

 As far as I know no poems of Francisco de Sá de Miranda have been translated into English, but here's my (approximate, I'm afraid) attempt at a poem I've found. The verse form is called a trova, and the title means The Old Way.

Comigo me desavim,
sou posto em todo perigo;
não posso viver comigo
nem posso fugir de mim.
(...)
Que meio espero ou que fim
do vão trabalho que sigo,
pois que trago a mim comigo,
tamanho inimigo de mim?

My friend, I am in 

Every possible danger; 

I can't live with me, nor can 

I run away from myself. 

(...) 

How can I have any hope? 

What will be the outcome of all my labour 

When I bring with me 

A life-sized enemy?

**

Personally, I know just how he feels.

Word To Use Today: enemy. This word comes from the Latin word inimīcus, hostile, which is itself from in- plus amīcus, which means friend.