Upon the shores of murky Lethe | Upon the shores of murky Lethe

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by Pietro Antonio Domenico Bonaventura Trapassi (1698 - 1782), as Pietro Metastasio

Translation © by Andrew Schneider

Su le sponde del torbido Lete

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG

Su le sponde del torbido Lete,
mentre aspetta riposo e vendetta,
freme l'ombra d'un padre e d'un re.

Fiera in volto la miro, l'ascolto
che t'addita l'aperta ferita
in quel seno che vita ti diè.

Text Authorship:

by Pietro Antonio Domenico Bonaventura Trapassi (1698 - 1782), as Pietro Metastasio, appears in Artaserse [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 Pasquale Anfossi (1727 - 1797), "Su le sponde del torbido Lete" [sung text checked 1 time]
by Carl Heinrich Graun (1704 - 1759), "Su le sponde del torbido Lete", GraunWV B:I:8, first performed 1743 [ 2 horns, tenor voice, strings ], from opera Artaserse [sung text checked 1 time]
by Leonardo Vinci (1690 - 1730), "Su le sponde del torbido Lete", HelN 78 no. 3 (1730), first performed 1730 [ strings, tenor voice, and continuo ], from opera Artaserse, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Andrew Schneider) , "Upon the shores of murky Lethe", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-04-21
Line count: 6
Word count: 35

Upon the shores of murky Lethe

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

Upon the shores of murky Lethe,
the shade of a father and of a king
trembles whilst he awaits
his final repose and for vengeance.

I see that proud ghost,
and I hear it pointing out 
the open wound which perforates 
that breast which gave you life.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2018 by Andrew Schneider, (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 Pietro Antonio Domenico Bonaventura Trapassi (1698 - 1782), as Pietro Metastasio, appears in Artaserse
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-06-26
Line count: 8
Word count: 47