Coutumes des grands | Jouir et abandonner

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by Giulio Strozzi (1583 - 1660)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Costume di grandi

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: FRE

Godere e lasciare
costuman gl'amanti,
bugiardi, incostanti,
le cose più care.
Onde chi mente più spera più lode,
s'inganna e si gode.
Con ladri comandi
si ruba il piacere.
Sprezzare e godere
costume è de' grandi.
Onde chi ruba più spera più lode,
s'inganne e si gode.
Al grande e saputo
non mai si conviene
goder e dir bene
del ben ch'ha goduto.
Onde chi biasma più spera più lode,
s'inganna e si gode.

Text Authorship:

by Giulio Strozzi (1583 - 1660), "Costume di grandi" [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 Barbara Strozzi (1619 - 1677), "Costume di grandi", op. 2 no. 4, published 1651 [soprano, continuo and 2 violins], from Cantate, ariette, e duetti, no. 4, Gardano, Venice [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Coutumes des grands", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-05-24
Line count: 18
Word count: 74

Coutumes des grands

Language: French (Français) after the Italian (Italiano)

Jouir et abandonner,
c'est la coutume des amants
menteurs, inconstants,
des choses les plus chères.
Ainsi plus on ment, plus on espère de louange,
il trompe et s'amuse.
Avec des ordres de voleurs
on vole le plaisir.
Dédaigner et s'en amuser,
c'est la coutume des grands.
Ainsi plus on vole, plus on espère de louange,
il trompe et s'amuse.
Au grand et au sage
il ne convient jamais
de s'amuser et d'en dire du bien
du bien qu'il a goûté.
Ainsi plus on blâme,  plus on espère de louange,
il trompe et s'amuse.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to French (Français) copyright © 2017 by Guy Laffaille, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giulio Strozzi (1583 - 1660), "Costume di grandi"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-06-10
Line count: 18
Word count: 93