Soul of great Pompey | Soul of great Pompey

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by Giacomo Francesco Bussani (flourished 1673-1680)

Translation © by Andrew Schneider

Alma del gran Pompeo

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG

Alma del gran Pompeo,
che al cenere suo d'intorno
invisibil t'aggiri,
fur'ombre i tuoi trofei,
ombra la tua grandezza, 
e un'ombra sei:
così termina al fine il fasto umano;
ieri che vivo occupò un mondo in guerra,
oggi risolto in polve un'urna serra.
Tal di ciascuno, ahi lasso!
il principio è di terra, 
e il fine è un sasso.
Misera vita! oh, quanto è fral tuo stato!
Ti forma un soffio, 
e ti distrugge un fiato.

Text Authorship:

by Giacomo Francesco Bussani (flourished 1673-1680) [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 Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759), "Alma del gran Pompeo", HWV 17 (1724), first performed 1724, from the opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto, no. 8. [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Andrew Schneider) , "Soul of great Pompey", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-06-02
Line count: 15
Word count: 76

Soul of great Pompey

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

Soul of great Pompey,
which invisibly wanders round about his ashes,
your trophies are but shades,
your grandeur a shade,
and so are you.
Thus it is that the pomp and splendour
of human existence ends:
Yesterday, he who embroiled
a whole world in warfare
is today lying in the dust,
and his urn is now covered.
Thus with everyone, alas!
Our beginnings on earth,
but our end a mere stone.
Wretched life! oh, how frail are you!
A breath forms you,
and a breeze destroys you.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2018 by Andrew Schneider, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giacomo Francesco Bussani (flourished 1673-1680)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-08-18
Line count: 17
Word count: 87