Original text (Italian)
Never a man unblemished virtue shows,
Save when he is the butt of fortune's blows.
Whoe'er he be, none more than human deem,
And each may speak as good to him doth seem.
Nor power nor pleasure e'er can be enjoyed,
What time they with suspicion are alloyed.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.
To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.
Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.
Love seldom haunts the breast where learning lies,
And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise.
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Francesco Berni (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.