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Mother of Love, Venus the fair,
Why did you not take under your care
Fair May, the vigorous month?
If April has captured your tender heart,
At least your son Love should take
Sweet May’s amorous time.
May, who not only outdoes
April in sweetness and delight,
But who alone is still worth more
Than all the rest the year endures,
Spoiled by heat or by cold,
So gentle and gracious are you;
May, the fairest month of the year,
Show your head crowned
With a spring of fragrant flowers,
Lead your joyful band,
Laughter, Play, and Youth:
Chase away care and sorrows.
Although April boasts of Venus,
Who celebrates and acknowledges him,
Yet you surpass him as much
As the closed rosebud
Is less than the opened rose
That spreads its flower to the sun;
As much as chill hope
Is less than enjoyment,
Between two lovers well taught;
As much as my lady surpasses,
Perfect in every good grace,
The beauties of rarest worth.
Jean-Antoine de Baïf
Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.
Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-aubade-for-may-jean-antoine-de-baif/