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La fortuna di Roma A debil filo appesa A momenti attendea l'ultima offesa. Coriolano irritato Dall'infelice e forse ingiusto esiglio In vendetta cangiato Havea l'amor di cittadin, di figlio. De Volsci unito al bellicoso ardire, De le tende nemiche Sovra il Tebro stendea l'ombre guerriere, Venian gl’amici a schiere Per frenar del suo cor l'ardire insano, I più famosi eroi Chiedevano pietà, ma tutto invano, Che il giovane superbo Al suo campo seguace un guardo gira E rispondon per lui fortuna ed ira.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Alessandro Scarlatti (1659 - 1725), "La fortuna di Roma", 1689?, first performed 1689? [ voice and basso continuo ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "Rome's fortune", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2020-04-15
Line count: 17
Word count: 83
Rome's fortune, Hung [from a] weak thread, [For some] moments awaited the final offense. Coriolano, angered [By his] unhappy and perhaps unjust exile, Had changed to revenge The love of [his] citizens, of [his] son. From the Volsci united in warmongering audacity, From the enemy tents, Hostile shadows spread out above the Tiber. [His] allied troops came In order contain the insane courage of his heart; The most famous heroes Begged for mercy, but all in vain, For the arrogant youth In his camp turns aside, And they respond, for him [only] fate and fury.
From "Il Coriolano," which tells the story of the Roman general Coriolanus who is said to have in the 5th century BCE. After being exiled over a disagreement with the Roman senate and the plebeian class, he defected to Rome's enemy the Volsci, leading their troops to besiege Rome and destroy the property of the plebeians. The second half of the text refers to the Roman ambassadors and priests unsuccessfully appealing to Coriolanus for mercy at his camp on the outskirts of Rome.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Benedetto Pamphili (1653 - 1730)
This text was added to the website: 2020-04-15
Line count: 17
Word count: 95