JSCM 9.1: Murata

Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music, volume 9 (2003) no. 1
http://www.sscm-jscm.org/v9/no1/murata.html
ISSN: 1089-747X

Margaret Murata
“Singing,” “Acting,” and “Dancing” in Vocal Chamber Music of the Early Seicento

Text 6
“Amor la donna mia” from Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger, Libro primo di arie a una voce con l’intavolatura del chitarone
(Rome: Iacomo Christoforo ab Andlaw, 1612), 18; poet unknown

1 Amor la donna mia
rinchiude nel suo core
fra tregua et amore,
e tutto vuol che nel mio petto sia. My lady love has Cupid
enclosed within her heart
along with peace and love,
and all to mine she gladly would impart.

5 Porge amor s’ella ride;
tregua mostra se tace,
e con ira il cor mi sface.
Così m’avviva ogn’hor, così m’ancide. She offers love when she laughs,
peace appears if she’s silent,
and my heart melts when she’s violent.
Thus she makes me live, and thus she lets me die.

9                 Tal’hor tutto mi dona,
                ben sol mi niegh’ e vieta
                d’amor la dolce meta,
                ond’io sospiro e dico:                 Sometimes she gives me all,
                Even as she forbids me
                what of love is the sweet goal,
                which makes me sigh and say,

12                 “Ah, fere e crude voglie,
                 costei tutto mi dona e tutto toglie!”                 “Ah, my cruel and fierce desires,
                 that one gives me all and takes it all away!”

[Music score in example 11.]

Return to: Paragraph 8.1.

1	Amor la donna mia rinchiude nel suo core fra tregua et amore, e tutto vuol che nel mio petto sia.	My lady love has Cupid enclosed within her heart along with peace and love, and all to mine she gladly would impart.
5	Porge amor s’ella ride; tregua mostra se tace, e con ira il cor mi sface. Così m’avviva ogn’hor, così m’ancide.	She offers love when she laughs, peace appears if she’s silent, and my heart melts when she’s violent. Thus she makes me live, and thus she lets me die.
9	Tal’hor tutto mi dona, ben sol mi niegh’ e vieta d’amor la dolce meta, ond’io sospiro e dico:	Sometimes she gives me all, Even as she forbids me what of love is the sweet goal, which makes me sigh and say,
12	“Ah, fere e crude voglie, costei tutto mi dona e tutto toglie!”	“Ah, my cruel and fierce desires, that one gives me all and takes it all away!”