Edition notes: Transcribed from the 1581 Gardane edition of "Il primo libro de' madrigali a 4 voci." Musica ficta applied to cadences - all sharps added by the editor.
Se'l tuo partir mi spiacque
Hor' il tornar m'è noia.
Dunque'ogni tuo piacer
vuol pur ch'io muoia.
Mancar di tua presenza,
Non ti veder ogni hora
Mi pars' un tempo'assai torment'e doglia
Poi che per la tua'assenza
Era di quel duol fora.
Torn'hor co'l tuo tornar l'antica voglia
E'n tal desio m'invoglia
Che ben non so quel che vivend'acquisti
S'hor partend' hor tornando mi contristi.
Bereft although I felt to see you leaving,
Turmoil is my lot on your return.
Nothing, alas, could give you greater pleasure
Than to let me die without concern.
Your absence once appeared distress sufficient -
Not to have you oft before my eyes -
Since at least the pain caused by your presence
Ceased, and that must be my only prize.
Now with your return returns my longing,
Filling me with such unquenched desire
That what you gain exceeds my understanding
By setting me so hopelessly on fire:
Despond engulfs me utter and entire.
Translator's note: I wondered whether 'Era' in line 9 should read 'Ero', but the editor informs me that 'Era' is definitely in the source.
[ Finale 2010]
Italian text
English translation
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