O voi che sospirate (John Wall Callcott)
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- CPDL #18900: Sibelius 5
- Editor: Jonathan Goodliffe (submitted 2009-02-12). Score information: A4, 9 pages, 96 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: O voi che sospirate
Composer: John Wall Callcott
Lyricist: Francesco Petrarca (1304–1374)
Number of voices: 5vv Voicing: AATBB
or ATTBB
Genre: Secular, Madrigal
Language: Italian
Instruments: a cappella (originally). Piano accompaniment added by William Horsley (1774-1858).
Published: Not known
Description: A 5 part madrigal, possibly inspired by Luca Marenzio's setting of the same poem, also in 5 parts
External websites:
Original text and translations
Italian text
O voi che sospirate a miglior' notti,
ch'ascoltate d'Amore o dite in rime,
pregate non mi sia piú sorda Morte,
porto de le miserie et fin del pianto;
muti una volta quel suo antiquo stile,
ch'ogni uom attrista, et me pò far sí lieto.
Far mi pò lieto in una o 'n poche notti:
e 'n aspro stile e 'n angosciose rime
prego che 'l pianto mio finisca Morte.
English translation
Oh you who sigh for better nights,
who hear about Love or speak of him in rhyme,
pray he'll stop being deaf to me, O Death,
escape from misery and end to weeping:
pray that he'll change this time his usual style,
that makes men sad, and might make me happy.
He could make me happy in a single night:
So in rhyme full of bitterness and anguish,
I pray my tears will end in death.