Mentre’io mirava fiso
de la mia donna gli occhi ardenti e e belli,
due vaghi spiritelli
fiammeggiando n’usciro a l’improvviso
e leggiadretti e snelli
facendo mille scherzi e mille giri,
mille fughe d’intorno
e mille agguati dentro al seno adorno,
mi trassero dal cor mille sospiri:
onde, con dolci ed amorosi lai
«Pietà, pietà», gridai.
English translation
As I gazed intently
in my mistress' passionate and beautiful eyes,
two little pretty spirits
burst out as suddenly as flames
and, graceful and nimble,
with a thousand cheers and flutters,
a thousand turns and
a thousand ambushes in her lovely bosom,
drew a thousand sighs out of my heart:
thence with sweet and loving laments
'Pity! pity!', I cried.
French translation
Lorsque je regardais fixement
les beaux et ardents yeux de mon amante,
deux beux petits esprits
en flamboyant en sortirent subitement
et, gracieux et agiles,
en faisant mille farces et mille tours,
mille fugues et mille pièges
tendant dans son sein charmant,
tirèrent de mon cœur mille soupirs:
dont, avec doux et amoureux laments,
je criais « Pitié! Pitié! »