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Little songbird
Little songbird
Forever
Chasing your love
From beech tree to pine;
With your lovely music-making
You temper with your song
My laments.
My Sun is too proud
And looks down
On my heartache -
My beloved and beautiful Chloris
Hates me, ungrateful,
Hard-hearted, spurning my entreaties.
O that she be harsh
To me no more, I would die
If she were;
Hush, hush, for now sweetly
She brings her kisses
To my lips, my dawn.
So now, little bird,
Don't refuse
To make
A new song;
Out of your loving breast
Give full vent
To your joy, and my delight.
English translation by Paul Archer of the text of Augellin by Stefano Landi (1587-1639). See the copyright notice below.
Augellin
Augellin
Che'l tuo amor
Segui ogn'hor
Dal faggio al pin;
E spiegando i bei concenti
Vai temprando
Col tuo canto i miei lamenti.
Il mio Sol troppo fier,
Troppo altier,
Del mio gran duol
Clori amata, Clori bella,
M'odia ingrata
A' miei prieghi empia e rubella.
Non sia più
Cruda no, morirò
S'ella è qual fù;
Taci, taci, che già pia
Porge i baci,
Al mio labro l'alba mia.
Segui augel
Né sdegnar
Di formar
Canto novel;
Fuor del seno amorosetto
Mostra à pieno
La tua gioia, il mio diletto.
Recording. Marco Beasley and L'Arpeggiata.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwaw3NIPK1U
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.
For more translations into English of early music texts, go to:
Translations of early music texts. |
