Yes or no | All women act like this

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by Michele Palazzolo

Translation © by Luk Laerenbergh

Sì o no

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG

Tutte le femmine fanno così:
Oggi non t'amano, domani sì.
Sono volubili quanto si può;
Oggi vi adorano, domani no.
Gli amanti miseri passano i dì
Nel duro equivoco d'un no, d'un sì.
Dunque, mia Fillide, sentire io vo'
La chiara sillaba: o sì o no.

Le brutte temono restarsi lì,
Ond'è che dicono subito sì;
Ed io da Fillide che mai dovrò
Adunque attendermi altro che un no?
Parla: una sillaba in o in i...
Scelga l'oracolo del no del sì.
Ma no: sospendilo... già il cor mancò;
Meglio è che dubiti, non dirmi no.

Text Authorship:

by Michele Palazzolo [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 Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848), "Sì o no", from Dernières glânes musicales [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Luk Laerenbergh) , "Yes or no", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Luk Laerenbergh

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 96

Yes or no

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

 All women act like this:
 Today they don't love you, tomorrow they do.
 They are as fickle as possible;
 Today they adore you, tomorrow they don't.
 Their poor lovers pass their days
 In the hard uncertainty of a no or a yes.
 So, my Phyllis, I want to hear
 One clear syllable: either yes or no.
 
 The ugly girls are afraid to be left behind,
 So they immediately say yes;
 And what can I from Phyllis possibly
 Therefore expect other than a no?
 Speak: a syllable ending in o or es...
 Let the oracle choose no or yes.
 But no: hold it... my heart can't take it;
 It is better that I doubt, don't say me no.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © by Luk Laerenbergh, (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 Michele Palazzolo
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 117