The Sonnets of Louise Labé

Labé, Louise (c. 1524–c. 1566), translated by Kline, A. S. (contact-email)

Louise Labé’s sonnets, published with other verse in Lyon in 1555, set her alongside Maurice Scève, as an heir to Petrarch’s form and content, and exemplify the secular humanist advance of the French Renaissance. She asserts her literary skill, her wit, and her strength of mind, in sonnets which, while conceding nothing in terms of quality to those of her male peers, grant a fresh perspective on male-female relationship. In her own words:
‘The time having arrived…when the strict laws of men no longer prevent women from applying themselves to the arts and sciences, it seems to me that those who possess the means should employ this noble freedom, so coveted by our sex in the past, to pursue such things; and show men the wrong they have done us, in depriving us of the benefit, and the honour, that might bring us.’ (from the dedication, introducing the 1555 edition).

Author Details

Louise Charlin Perrin Labé, born c1524 in Lyon, France, was a notable Renaissance poetess. The daughter of Pierre Charly, a prosperous ropemaker, and Etiennette Roybet, Labé's educational background, probably in a convent school, included foreign languages (Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish) and music, particularly the lute.

She was known for her exceptional skills in horse riding and archery, earning her the nickname "la belle Amazone". She reportedly dressed in male attire and participated in military actions, including fighting on horseback in the siege of Perpignan under the Dauphin (later Henry II). She was also involved in tournament jousts in Lyon.

In the early 1540s, Labé married Ennemond Perrin, a fellow ropemaker, in accord with her father's will. The couple, residing in Lyon – the cultural hub of France during that era – acquired a townhouse and later, a country estate near Lyon.

Labé’s poetry was possibly influenced by Pernette du Guillet, while her works, published in 1555, included a collection of poems created by male contemporaries in her praise. She received royal protection for her publications from Henry II. Labé hosted a literary salon in Lyon, frequented by prominent poets and humanists of the time, including Maurice Scève and Clement Marot. The poet Olivier de Magny is believed to have inspired her love sonnets.

She faced health issues later in life and died on 25 April 1566. Labé is celebrated for her contribution to the sonnet form, particularly her direct expression of love and desire in verse written from the female perspective.

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Kline, A. S.

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