Eran le vostre lagrime (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina)
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- (Posted 2016-04-17) CPDL #39359:
Finale 2014 
- Editor: Willem Verkaik (submitted 2016-04-17). Score information: Letter, 6 pages, 365 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: Transposed down a fourth from G-mixolydian
General Information
Title: Eran le vostre lagrime
Composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 5vv Voicing: SSTTB
Genre: Secular, Madrigal
Language: Italian
Instruments: A cappella
Published: 1600 in Floridi Virtuosi d'Italia, printed by Pietro Phalesio in Antwerp.
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
Italian text
Eran le vostre lagrime nel viso,
Donna quel dì à vederle,
Qual' in vermiglio vel candide perle,
Et io gridava ahi occhi che farete,
Se con l'humor m'ardete,
Quando fra'l pianto lampeggiando un riso,
Noi, Noi disser in un luoco,
Habbiamo l'acque'el fuoco,
Ma col fuoco immerghiamo,
E con l'acqua abbruggiamo
Perche abbagli l'amante e si confunda,
Fra la fiamme e fra l'onda,
Ne fia forza mortal che si difenda,
Ove il fuoco sommerg'e l'acque incenda.
English translation
by Mick Swithinbank
That day, my lady, the tears on your face
were like white pearls on a scarlet veil,
and I cried out: ‘Alas, what are you doing, you eyes?
Would you burn me with your moisture?’
Then, as her weeping was shot through with a sudden smile,
her eyes replied: ‘In a single place we hold both water and fire,
but with our fire we inundate and with our water we scorch,
to confuse the lover between the flames and the flood,
so that no mortal strength may suffice for him to defend himself
where the fire submerges and the waters burn.’