Ich stimme die Lyra | Ich stimme die Lyra. Um Mars zu lobpreisen

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by Giambattista Marino (1569 - 1625)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Tempro la cetra

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: FRE GER

Tempro la cetra, e per cantar gli onori
Di Marte alzo talor lo stil e i carmi.
Ma invan la tento e impossibil parmi
Ch'ella già mai risoni altro ch'amore.

Così pur tra l'arene e pur tra' fiori
Note amorose Amor torna a dettarmi,
Né vuol ch'io prend' ancora a cantar d'armi,
Se non di quelle, ond'egli impiaga i cori.

Or umil plettro a i rozzi accenti indegni,
Musa, qual dianzi, accorda, in fin ch'al canto
De la tromba sublime il Ciel ti degni.

Riedi a i teneri scherzi, e dolce intanto
Lo Dio guerrier, temprando i feri sdegni,
In grembo a Citerea dorma al tuo canto.

Text Authorship:

by Giambattista Marino (1569 - 1625) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643), "Tempro la cetra", published 1619 [chorus with instrumental ensemble (5)], from Libro VII de madrigali, no. 1, madrigal [ sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "J'accorde ma lyre", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Ich stimme die Lyra", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 107

Ich stimme die Lyra

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Italian (Italiano)

Ich stimme die Lyra. Um Mars zu lobpreisen,
zuweilen ich höherer Kunst mich besinne;
doch schlag' ich umsonst sie, nie wird sich's erweisen,
dass je sie erklinge für andres denn Minne.

So heißet mich Amor, in Lauben, auf Plätzen,
nichts andres zu spielen als Cupidos Weise:
er will nicht, dass andere Waffen ich preise
als jene, mit denen er Herzen verletzet.

Mit Demut, o Muse, wie einst, musiziere
mit Zartheit und Würde, dass gleich der Posaune
erhabenem Klange der Himmel dich ziere.

Heb an dein zart' Spielen, dass Mars, Gott des Krieges,
den Jähzorn bezähmend besänftigt mag schlafen
zu deinem Gesange im Schoß Aphrodites.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2007 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giambattista Marino (1569 - 1625)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-31
Line count: 14
Word count: 104