Candido leggiadretto e caro guanto (Luca Marenzio)
General Information
Title: Candido leggiadretto e caro guanto
Composer: Luca Marenzio
Lyricist: Francesco Petrarca
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Madrigal
Language: Italian
Instruments: a cappella
Published: Madrigali a 4 voci libro primo, 1585
External websites:
Original text and translations
Italian text
Candido leggiadretto et caro guanto,
che copria netto avorio et fresche rose,
chi vide al mondo mai sí dolci spoglie?
Cosí avess'io del bel velo altrettanto!
O incostantia de l'umane cose!
Pur questo è furto, et vien chi me ne spoglie.
English translation by A. S. Kline
White, graceful glove dear to me,
that hides polished ivory and fresh rose,
who ever saw such sweet spoils on earth?
If only I had as much of her lovely veil!
O the fickleness of human things!
But this is theft, and she comes whom I must not plunder.