text_original: Milan to him meant beauty, poetry ; gardened villas in which to pass a soft abandoned leisure ; women more fair than those of his kingdom ; churches and palaces which he, the great builder, knew how to value ; lax and subtle Lombard art. From the first days to the last of his life the thought of Milan haunted him like a passion, and to the shadow of unpossessed Italy he constantly sacrificed his substantial realm of France.
text_transcription: MILAN TO HIM MEANT BEAUTY POETRY GARDENED VILLAS IN WHICH TO PASS A SOFT ABANDONED LEISURE WOMEN MORE FAIR THAN THOSE OF HIS KINGDOM CHURCHES AND PALACES WHICH HE THE GREAT BUILDER KNEW HOW TO VALUE LAX AND SUBTLE LOMBARD ART FROM THE FIRST DAYS TO THE LAST OF HIS LIFE THE THOUGHT OF MILAN HAUNTED HIM LIKE A PASSION AND TO THE SHADOW OF UNPOSSESSED ITALY HE CONSTANTLY SACRIFICED HIS SUBSTANTIAL REALM OF FRANCE
phonemes: mɪlˈæn tə hˌɪm mˈɛnt bjˈuːɾi, pˈoʊɪtɹi ; ɡˈɑːɹdənd vˈɪləz ɪnwˌɪtʃ tə pˈæs ɐ sˈɔft ɐbˈændənd lˈiːʒɚ ; wˈɪmɪn mˈɔːɹ fˈɛɹ ðɐn ðoʊz ʌv hɪz kˈɪŋdəm ; tʃˈɜːtʃᵻz ænd pˈælɪsᵻz wˈɪtʃ hiː, ðə ɡɹˈeɪt bˈɪldɚ, nˈuː hˌaʊ tə vˈæljuː ; lˈæks ænd sˈʌɾəl lˈɑːmbɑːɹd ˈɑːɹt. fɹʌmðə fˈɜːst dˈeɪz tə ðə lˈæst ʌv hɪz lˈaɪf ðə θˈɔːt ʌv mɪlˈæn hˈɔːntᵻd hˌɪm lˈaɪk ɐ pˈæʃən, ænd tə ðə ʃˈædoʊ ʌv ʌnpəzˈɛst ˈɪɾəli hiː kˈɑːnstəntli sˈækɹᵻfˌaɪst hɪz səbstˈænʃəl ɹˈɛlm ʌv fɹˈæns.