Sonnet III — The repentant author asks forgiveness from the Lord our God for having praised human subjects with her works rather than praising His divinity and His saints
A translation into English of Soneto III - Pide la autora arrepentida perdón a Dios nuestro Señor de haber alabado algunos sujetos humanos con sus versos y que no fueran todos alabanzas divinas y loores de sus santos, a soneto by Soror Violante do Céu. Translation by Kennady Dial and W. F. Carr.
Translation
If I wrote, if I sang of human subjects
and not always of thee, thou Divine Object,
in the publicity of such a fault is
my profane error well and duly punished.
When all my thought is judged simple and silly
for having thought another’s esteem worthy,
‘tis punishment that comes from the approval
that I perhaps preferred to Thy good blessing.
I strove to not be seen in violation
of laws of art that I in vain have followed,
and thus betrayed the highest, holiest object.
But if in all this, Lord, I was unrighteous,
judge as sufficient penalty these losses:
the public’s good opinion, and my pleasure.