Zefiro torna, e'l bel tempo rimena

Zefiro torna, e'l bel tempo rimena,
e i fiori e l'erbe, sua dolce famiglia,
e garrir Progne, e pianger Filomena,
e primavera candida e vermiglia.

Ridono i prati, e'l ciel si rasserena;
Giove s'allegra di mirar sua figlia;
l'aria, e l'acqua, e la terra è d'amor piena;
ogni animal d'amar si riconsiglia.

Ma per me, lasso!, tornano i più gravi
sospiri, che del cor profondo tragge
quella ch'al ciel se ne portò le chiavi;

e cantar augelletti, e fiorir piagge,
e'n belle donne oneste atti soavi
sono un deserto, e fere aspre e selvagge.

Translation(s): ENG FRE

List of language codes

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship

• by Francesco Petrarca (1304 - 1374), no title, appears in Canzoniere (Rerum vulgarium fragmenta) , in 2. Rime In morte di Madonna Laura, no. 310 [ 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 Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), "Zefiro torna, e 'l bel tempo rimena", op. 74a (Due sonetti del Petrarca) no. 1 (1933), published 1934. [ sung text not verified ]
• by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643), "Zefiro torna", published 1614 [ vocal quintet], from Libro VI de madrigali, no. 2, madrigal [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643), "Zefiro torna", published 1651 [chorus], from Libro IX: Madrigali e canzonette a due e tre voci, no. 2, madrigal [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

• ENG English (A. S. Kline) , no title, copyright © 2002, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Francisque Reynard) , "Canzone CCCX Zefiro torna"

Text added to the website: 2004-04-21T00:00:00.
Last modified: 2014-06-16T10:02:05
Line count: 14
Word count: 94

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Canzone CCCX Zefiro torna

Zéphir revient, et il ramène le beau temps,
et les fleurs et les herbes, sa douce famille ;
et les gazouillements de Progné, et les plaintes de Philomèle ;
et le printemps candide et vermeil.

Les prés rient et le ciel se rassérène ;
Jupiter se réjouit de voir sa fille ;
l'air et l'eau, et la terre, tout est plein d'amour ;
tous les animaux se remettent à aimer.

Mais pour moi, hélas ! reviennent plus pesants
les soupirs que tire du plus profond de mon cœur
celle qui en emporta les clefs au ciel.

Et les petits oiseaux qui chantent, et les coteaux qui fleurissent,
et les belles dames honnêtes au suave maintien,
sont un désert et des bêtes cruelles et sauvages.

Submitted by Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

Authorship

• by Francisque Reynard (1835 - ?), "Canzone CCCX Zefiro torna" [ author's text checked 1 time]

• a text in Italian (Italiano) by Francesco Petrarca (1304 - 1374), no title, appears in Canzoniere (Rerum vulgarium fragmenta) , in 2. Rime In morte di Madonna Laura, no. 310 ENG
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Claudio Monteverdi. Go to the text.

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

[ None yet in the database ]

Text added to the website: 2011-10-22T00:00:00.
Last modified: 2014-06-16T10:04:39
Line count: 14
Word count: 124