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Volume 9 (2003) No. 1

Jeffrey Kurtzman

Deconstructing Gender in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo

Appendix
Rosa del ciel, Text and Translation

Rosa del ciel,
vita del mondo,
e degna Prole di lui
che l’universo affrena;
Sol, che’l tutto circondi
e’l tutto miri
Da gli stellanti giri,
Dimmi, vedestù mai
Di me più lieto e fortunato Amante?
Fu ben felice il giorno,
Mio ben, che pria ti vidi;
E più felice l’hora
Che per te sospirai,
Poi ch’al mio sospirar tu sospirasti.
Felicissimo il punto
Che la candida mano,
Pegno di pura fede,
à me porgete.
Se tanti cori havessi
Quant’occhi ha’l ciel eterno,
e quante chiome
Han questi colli ameni
il verde maggio,
Tutti colmi sarieno e traboccanti
Di quel piacer
ch’oggi mi fa contento.
Rose of heaven,
life of the world,
and worthy progeny of him
who governs the universe;
Sun, who circumscribes everything
and sees everything,
From your starry rounds,
Tell me, did you ever see
than I a happier and more fortunate lover?
Happy was the day,
My love, that first I saw you;
And even happier the hour
That I sighed for you,
Since at my sigh, you sighed.
Happiest the moment
That your white hand,
A pledge of pure faith,
to me you offered.
If I had as many hearts
As heaven has eternal eyes,
and as many leaves
as have these pleasant hills
this green May,
All would be filled and overflowing
With that pleasure
that today makes me content.

Return to paragraph 6.1.