Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Italy: Vols. XI–XIII. 1876–79.

Rome, Hills of

Hills of Rome

By Joachim du Bellay (1552–1560)

(From The Ruines of Rome)
Translated by Edmund Spenser

SHE, whose high top above the starres did sore,

One foote on Thetis, th’ other on the Morning,

One hand on Scythia, th’ other on the More,

Both heaven and earth in roundnesse compassing;

Iove fearing, least if she should greater growe,

The Giants old should once againe uprise,

Her whelm’d with hills, these Seven Hils, which be nowe

Tombes of her greatnes which did threate the skies:

Upon her head he heapt Mount Saturnal,

Upon her bellie th’ antique Palatine,

Upon her stomacke laid Mount Quirinal,

On her left hand the noysome Esquiline,

And Cælian on the right: but both her feete

Mount Viminal and Aventine doo meete.