Alas, if you love so much | Alas, if you love so much

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by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 - 1612)

Translation © by Barbara Miller

Ohimè! se tanto amate

(Sung text for setting by C. Monteverdi)

See base text

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ohimé, se tanto amate 
di sentir dir Ohimè, deh perché fate
chi dice Ohimè morire?
S'io moro un sol potrete 
languido, e doloroso Ohimè sentire;
Ma se, cor mio, volete
che vita abbia da voi, e voi da me,
avrete mille e mille dolci Ohimè.

Composition:

Claudio Monteverdi

Libro IV de madrigali

Text Authorship:

by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 - 1612), from Rime, without number.

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Barbara Miller) , "Alas, if you love so much", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Hélas ! si vous aimez tant", copyright © 2013, (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: 8
Word count: 47

Alas, if you love so much

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Monteverdi)

See original

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

Alas, if you love so much
as to feel like saying "alas", then why do you make
him who says "alas" die?
If I die you can only one
languid and sorrowful "alas" feel;
But if, my heart, you wish
that I should have life in you, and you in me,
You will have that sweet "alas" thousands and thousands times over.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2004 by Barbara Miller, (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 Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 - 1612), from Rime, without number.
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This text was added to the website: 2004-04-26
Line count: 8
Word count: 62