Tirsi morir volea

General information

One of Guarini's poems (Madrigali 151), the erotic Tirsi morir volea, recounting the amorous encounter of a shepherd and a nymph, was set to music as a madrigal more often than any other pastoral poem of the era. The ensembles singing the madrigals of that time consisted of noble men and women or educated burghers. In particular in the Ferrarese and Mantuan courts Guarini's poem was immediately set to music, which created a hype that not many composers could resist. The other famous poet at the Ferrarese court Torquato Tasso could not resist making his own version of this very popular theme (Rime per Lucretia Bendidio 378), which was set to music by a.o Luca Marenzio: Nel dolce seno.

Settings by composers

• Andrea Gabrieli SATTTTB
• D'Incerto SSTTTB
• Gioseppe Caimo SSATB
• Carlo Gesualdo SATTB
• Luca Marenzio SATTB
• Leonard Meldert SATTB
• Benedetto Pallavicino SSATTB
• Ascanio Trombetti SATB
• Willem Verkaik SSATB
• Giaches de Wert SSAATTB
• Camillo Zanotti SSATB

Text and translations

Italian text Tirsi morir volea, Gl'occhi mirando di colei ch'adora; Quand'ella, che di lui non meno ardea, Gli disse: "Ahimè, ben mio, Deh, non morir ancora, Che teco bramo di morir anch'io." Frenò Tirsi il desio, Ch'ebbe di pur sua vit'allor finire; E sentea morte,e non poter morire. E mentr'il guardo suo fisso tenea Ne' begl'occhi divini E'l nettare amoroso indi bevea, La bella Ninfa sua, che già vicini Sentea i messi d'Amore, Disse, con occhi languidi e tremanti: "Mori, cor mio, ch'io moro." Cui rispose il Pastore: "Ed io, mia vita, moro." Cosi moriro i fortunati amanti Di morte si soave e si gradita, Che per anco morir tornaro in vita.

English translation Thyrsis desired death, looking into the eyes of the girl he adored, when she, who burned no less for him, said to him, "Alas, my dear, oh, do not die yet, for I desire to die with you." Thyrsis reined in his desire to end his life alone; but he felt death in not being able to die. And while he kept his gaze fixed on those beautiful divine eyes and drank the amorous nectar, his beautiful nymph, who felt love's beckonings drawing nigh, said with languid and trembling eyes, "Die, my heart, for I die." The shepherd answered her, "And I, my life, die." So the fortunate lovers died so sweet and welcome a death, that they returned to life to die again.

Dutch translation Thyrsus verlangde te sterven, starend in de ogen van zijn beminde, toen zij, niet minder hitsig dan hij, tot hem zei: “oh, mijn liefste, oh, sterf nog niet, want ik wil samen met jou sterven”. Thyrsus bedwong zijn aandrang om alleen zijn eigen leven te beëindigen; hij voelde het einde, maar kon niet sterven. En hij hield zijn blik gericht op haar goddelijk mooie ogen, en dronk de amoureuse nectar. Zijn mooie nimf, die het einde van de liefde nabij voelde komen, sprak met een waas voor haar trillende ogen: “Sterf, mijn lief, want ik sterf”. Waarop de herder antwoordde: “En ik, mijn schat, sterf ook”. Aldus sterven gelukkige minnaars een aangename en welkome dood, om weer tot leven gekomen opnieuw te sterven.