My Confession by Šišmundo (Šiško) Menčetić

If ‘tis confession then which cleanses white each wrong,
my conscience now must be as snow,
for each of Venus’ deeds which I’ve sent in secret done,
I did disclose and so cry woe.
And thus I do entreat of him who knows love’s pain
with me her joys now to repent,
for I, you see, do view this life as one short dream,
a summer rose that brief endures.

From: Miletich, John S. (transl.) and Slamnig, Ivan (ed.), “The Lute and the Lattice: Croatian Poetry of the 15^th and 16^th Centuries” in Brücke, 1971 (25), p. 26.
(http://croatian-literature-in-english.com/documents/-%20Ranjinas%20Miscellany.pdf)

Date: 15^th century (original in Croatian); 1971 (translation in English)

By: Šišmundo (Šiško) Menčetić (1457-1527)

Translated by: John S. Miletich (19??- )

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Tags: 15th century, 1971, if ‘tis confession then which cleanses white each wrong, john s miletich, my confession, poetry, šišmundo (šiško) menčetić