by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation © by Carl Ratner

Star vicino
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  ENG POR
Star vicino al bell'idol che s'ama,
È il più dolce diletto d'amor,
È un incanto, un'ebbrezza, una brama,
Che due cori congiunge in un cor.

Fortunato chi intende gli accenti
Di un affetto sincero e fedel!
Egli prova vivendo i contenti
Sol concessi ai beato nel ciel!

A che giova l'estate fiorita?
Ogni bene che il cielo ne diè
Non si conti fra i giorni di vita
Quel che scorso in amando non è.

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):

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

  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Débora Letícia Batista) , title 1: "Estar próximo", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Carl Ratner) , title 1: "To stay near", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 74

To stay near
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
To stay near the beautiful idol that is loved1,
Is the sweetest delight of love.
It is an enchantment, an intoxication, a longing,
That joins two hearts into one heart. 

Fortunate is he who understands2 the accents
Of a sincere and faithful affection! 
He experiences while he lives the satisfactions
Only granted to those blessed in heaven! 

What use is the flowering summer? 
[Or] Every good that heaven bestows[?]
Not among the days of one's life
Should be counted that day not spent in loving.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 "To be near the lovely object of one's affection"
2 in other words, "is able to hear," i.e. whose lover is sincere and faithful

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2010 by Carl Ratner, (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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2010-01-01
Line count: 12
Word count: 88