Love is a fire that burns yet burns unseen

Love is a fire that burns yet burns unseen
by Luís de Camões, translated by Fidelino de Figueiredo
2372096Love is a fire that burns yet burns unseenFidelino de FigueiredoLuís de Camões

Love is a fire that burns yet burns unseen,
A wound that injures, yet without distress,
A happiness that is not happiness,
Sorrow that is no sorrow yet is keen;
'Tis rather not to love than love, I ween;
To wander among men companionless,
To deem no blessing that which still doth bless
And count that gain which but our loss hath been.
Love is a voluntary imprisonment,
Service to one who is not victor rendered,
Loyalty to one upon our death intent.
Yet since love to itself hath not surrendered,
How can its favour breed in men content,
Or in their hearts find service freely tendered?

 This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

Translation:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1967, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 56 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse