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What are you doing, love of my life?
What are you doing, love of my life,
what are you doing, far from me?
What are you doing, who leads you astray?
Come back, oh, retrace your steps,
come back to me like before.
What are you doing, love of my life?
I don’t know how to live without you
and I don’t know what I’ll die from,
from grief or from jealousy.
What are you doing, love of my life?
English translation by Paul Archer of the text of Che fai tu by Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (c1580-1651)) from Primo libro de villanelle con tablature di chitarrone (1610). See the copyright notice below.
Che fai tu
Che fai tu, vita mia,
che fai tu lontan da me?
Che fai tu chi ti desvia?
Torna, torn'ahi volg'il pie,
torna mia com' eri pria.
Che fai tu, vita mia?
Senza te star' più non sò,
nè più sò quel ch'io mi morrò
di dolor' di gelosia.
Che fai tu, vita mia?
Copyright notice. The translation is provided as an aid to musicians and audiences. Publication of the translation in print or digital formats is expressly forbidden unless permission from the author has been first obtained and acknowledgement of authorship is duly made. Permission will usually be granted so please contact Paul Archer with details of how you wish to make use of the translation.
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