Firstpublished:1591 in Il decimo libro de madrigali a 5 voci (Venice: Angelo Gardano press) Description:
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Original text and translations
Italian text
Datemi pace, o duri miei pensieri:
non basta ben ch'Amor, Fortuna et Morte
mi fanno guerra intorno e 'n su le porte,
senza trovarmi dentro altri guerreri?
Et tu, mio cor, anchor se' pur qual eri,
disleal a me sol, che fere scorte
vai ricettando, et se' fatto consorte
de' miei nemici sí pronti et leggieri?
In te i secreti suoi messaggi Amore,
in te spiega Fortuna ogni sua pompa,
et Morte la memoria di quel colpo
che l'avanzo di me conven che rompa;
in te i vaghi pensier' s'arman d'errore:
perché d'ogni mio mal te solo incolpo.
English translation
O harsh thoughts of mine, grant me peace:
is it not enough that Love, Fate and Death
make war on me around, and at, the gates,
without me finding other battles within?
And you, my heart, are you still what you were,
disloyal only to me, receiving wild company,
and forging alliances, so quickly
and so readily with my enemies?
In you Love hides his secret messages,
in you Fate reveals all his triumph,
and Death the memory of that blow
that must shatter all my advances:
in you wrong thought arms itself with error:
so I charge you alone with all my ills. Translation by A.S. Kline, (c) 2004, non-commercial use only
Italian text
English translation