Ausiàs March: Poem XXVIII "Dark Night of the Heart" (From Catalan)

Poem XXVIII: Dark Night of the Heart
By Ausiàs March
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

Day's terrified to lose her last bright features,
Seeing the night spread darkness overhead.
Small creatures dare not close their eyes for slumber.
The sick and weak ail even more in bed. 
Then evil men can freely do their worst,

They'd love a year of dark in which to crime.
Not I who am tormented as no other
Yet do no harm. I long for day to clime.   

I do no harm, and yet do worse than murder
A thousand guiltless men for ruthless fun:
I summon all my powers for self-betrayal
And do not count on clemency from dawn.
No, every night I blast my brain concocting
Treasonous plots planned out for all day long.
No fear of death or dungeon life deter me
From visiting against myself such wrong. 

Beauty of Prudence: I know it's my doing, 
Twisting the noose of love so tight round me. 
Here I go straight and right away to meet
My end, unless your mercy set me free. 


The Original:

Poema XXVIII

Lo jorn ha por de perdre sa claror
quan ve la nit que espandeix ses tenebres.
Pocs animals no cloen les palpebres
e los malalts creixen de llur dolor.
Los malfactors volgren tot l'any duràs
perquè llurs mals haguessen cobriment.
Mas jo, qui visc menys de par en turment
e sens mal fer, volgra que tost passàs.

E d'altra part faç pus que si matas
mil hòmens justs menys d'alguna mercè,
car tots mos ginys jo solt per trair-me.
E no cuideu que-l jorn me n'excusàs.
Ans, en la nit treball rompent ma pensa
perquè en lo jorn lo traïment cometa.
Por de morir o de fer vida estreta
no-m tol esforç per donar-me ofensa.

Plena de seny, mon enteniment pensa
com aptament lo llaç d'amor se meta.
Sens aturar, pas tenint via dreta,
Vaig a la fi si mercè no-m defensa.