Quasi vermiglia rosa (Luca Marenzio)

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(Posted 2024-08-03) CPDL #81484:

Editor: Allen Garvin (submitted 2024-08-03). Score information: Letter, 3 pages, 67 kB Copyright: CC BY NC

Edition notes:

(Posted 2021-06-06) CPDL #64681:

Editor: Gerhard Weydt (submitted 2021-06-06). Score information: A4, 5 pages, 132 kB Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Quasi vermiglia rosa
Composer: Luca Marenzio
Lyricist: Aurelio Orsi^{create page}
Number of voices: 5vv Voicing: SSATB
Genre: Sacred, Madrigal

Language: Italian
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1584 in Libro primo de madrigali spirituali (Luca Marenzio), no. 6
Description: Marenzio perhaps got the text directly from the poet, because its first known print in Cesare Caporali's Le piacevoli Rime (Milan 1585) was published a year after Marenzio's book.

External websites:

Original text and translations

Italian text

Quasi vermiglia rosa
Humile, e in se nascosa,
Sedea la bella donna in atti schivi,
E in pensier casti e divi,
Quand’il ciel rise, e fu mirabil cosa:
Ch’io vidi nel bel seno
Lampeggiar un sereno,
Che Dio direste in esso; e ben fu Dio
Che scendendo nel grembo a lei s’unio.

German translation

Gleich einer roten Rose
demütig und in sich versunken,
saß die schöne Frau in demütiger Haltung
und in keuschen und frommen Gedanken,
als der Himmel zu lachen begann, und es war ein Wunder:
denn ich sah im schönen Leib
eine Klarheit leuchten,
dass man sagen könnte, Gott sei darin; und wohl war es Gott,
der hinabsteigend in den Schoß sich mit ihr vereint hat.

Translation by Gerhard Weydt

English translation

Like a red rose
humble, and closed in herself,
the beautiful woman sat there in coy demeanour
and in chaste and pious thoughts,
when the heaven smiled, and it was a wonder:
for I beheld in the beautiful belly
a serenity shining,
that on might say God was in it; and well it was God,
who descending into the womb united himself with her.