ChoralWiki:Translations/Charles Marshall

These translations by Charles Marshall of madrigals from Monteverdi's Il Quarto Libro dei Madrigali do not use a literal, word-for-word account of the texts because of the impossibility of retaining the original music of the poetry in a translation from late sixteenth and early seventeenth century Italian to modern English. Instead, they provide paraphrastic translations that faithfully relate the sense of the originals, but re-cast that sense so that, in keeping with Monteverdi's intentions with the Seconda Prattica, the words of his madrigals live for an English-speaking audience.

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==Original text and translations==
{{Text|Latin}}

<Latin text goes here>

{{Translation|English}}
''Translation supplied by [[User:CharlesMarshall65|Charles Marshall]]''

<English text goes here>

Volgea l'anima mia soavemente (Battista Guarini; from Rime 62)

She came to me in the simple dress of love, and her eyes said, Lie with me for I am beautiful; the breeze put down its leaves and listened, clouds slowed, the evening blushed. She grasped my chest then snatched her hand away whereupon that sullen child, my self, turned towards her face which seemed to say, Give me your heart, I live for nothing else! Hearing this, my heart, all needy, rushed towards that source of loveliness and light so that I gasped and cried out, Desperate and without heart, who now will give me life? Bringing me gently to her breasts she sighing whispered, I will, for I am your heart.

Volgea l'anima mia soavemente quel suo caro e lucente sguardo, tutto beltà , tutto desire, verso me scintillando, e parea dire: Dam' il tuo cor, ché non altrond' i' vivo. E mentr' il cor sen vola ove l'invita quella beltà infinita, sospirando gridai: Misero e privo del cor, chi mi dà vita? Mi rispos' ella in un sospir d'amore: Io, che son il tuo core.