by Bion of Smyrna (flourished 100 BCE)
Translation by Giacomo Leopardi (1798 - 1837)
O caro amabil Espero
Language: Italian (Italiano) after the Greek (Ελληνικά)
O caro amabil Espero, O luce aurea di Venere, Sacra di notte immagine, Seconda il mio desir. Tu della luna argentea Sol cedi al chiaro splendere; Ascolta, astro carissimo, Ascolta, ascolta i miei sospir. Oscurità sovrastane; Che già la luna pallida, La luna ch’oggi nacquesi, Vicina è a tramontar. Sul mio cammino propizia Spargi tua luce tacita; Col mio pastor amabile Io vado a conversar. Al passeggier pacifico, Che viaggia in notte placida, Non tendo occulte insidie Non a rubar io vo! Amo! Amo! Amo! Amo, ed amor trasportami; Vo pel mio ben sollecito, Lo cerco, io vò ch’egli amimi, E pago allor sarò.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Giacomo Leopardi (1798 - 1837), title 1: "Idillio", title 2: "Espero", subtitle: "Romanza" [an adaptation] [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Bion of Smyrna (flourished 100 BCE), no title
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Lefebvre (1843 - 1917), "Invocazione" [ voice and piano ], from Six mélodies - 2ème recueil, no. 5, Éd. G. Hartmann [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carlo Rossaro (1827 - 1878), "Espero" [ voice and piano ], from 15 Romanze e Contemplazioni in chiave di Sol con accompagnamento di Pianoforte, no. 1, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Jakob Mähly (1828 - 1902) , "An den Abendstern" ; composed by Erkki Gustaf Melartin.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-16
Line count: 25
Word count: 104