The Infinite

By Count Giacomo Leopardi

This solitary hill has always been dear to me

And this hedge, which prevents me from seeing most of

The endless horizon.

But when I sit and gaze, I imagine, in my thoughts

Endless spaces beyond the hedge,

An all encompassing silence and a deeply profound quiet,

To the point that my heart is almost overwhelmed.

And when I hear the wind rustling through the trees

I compare its voice to the infinite silence.

And eternity occurs to me, and all the ages past,

And the present time, and its sound.

Amidst this immensity my thought drowns:

And to flounder in this sea is sweet to me.

Displayed with the kind permission of Kenneth David Westcopyright 2003 copying for other than personal use strictly forbidden.