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by Torquato Tasso (1544 - 1595)
Translation by Edward Fairfax (1580 - 1635)

Qual musico gentil
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Qual musico gentil, prima che chiara
altamente la lingua al canto snodi,
a l'armonia gli animi altrui prepara
con dolci ricercate in bassi modi,
così costei, che ne la doglia amara
già tutte non oblia l'arti e le frodi,
fa di sospir breve concent' in prima 
per dispor l'alma in cui le voci imprima. 

Poi cominciò: "Non aspettar ch'io preghi,
crudel, te, come amante amante deve. 
Tai fummo un tempo; or se tal esser neghi,
e di ciò la memoria anco t'è greve, 
come nemico almen ascolta: i preghi
d'un nemico talor l'altro riceve. 
Ben quel ch'io chieggio è tal che darlo puoi,
e integri conservar gli sdegni tuoi.

"Se m'odii, e in ciò diletto alcun tu senti,
non te 'n vengo a privar: godi pur d'esso.
Giusto a te pare, e siasi. Anch'io le genti
cristiane odiai, no 'l nego, odiai te stesso.
Nacqui pagana, usai vari argomenti 
che per me fosse il vostro imperio oppresso;
te perseguii, te presi, e te lontano 
da l'arme trassi in loco ignoto e strano. 

"Aggiungi a questo ancor quel ch' a maggiore
onta tu rechi et a maggior tuo danno:
t'ingannai, t'allettai nel nostro amore;
empia lusinga certo, iniquo inganno,
lasciarsi còrre il virginal suo fiore, 
far de le sue bellezze altrui tiranno, 
quelle ch' a mille antichi in premio sono
negate, offrire a novo amante in dono! 

Sia questa pur tra le mie frodi, e vaglia
si di tante mie colpe in te il difetto 
che tu quinci ti parta, e non ti caglia
di questo albergo tuo già si diletto.
Vattene, passa il mar, pugna, travaglia,
struggi la fede nostra: anch'io t'affretto.
Che dico nostra? ah non più mia! Fedele
sono a te solo, idolo mio crudele."

Text Authorship:

  • by Torquato Tasso (1544 - 1595) [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 Giaches de Wert (1535 - 1596), "Qual musico gentil", 1586, published 1586, from L'ottavo libre de madrigali a cinque voci [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

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

  • ENG English (Edward Fairfax) , title 1: "As cunning singers"


Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 287

As cunning singers
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
As cunning singers, ere they strain on high
In loud melodieus tunes their gentle voice,
Prepare the hearers' ears to harmony, 
With feignings sweet, low notes and warble choice;
So she, not having yet forgot pardie 
Her wonted shifts and sleights in Cupid's toys,
A sequence first of sighs and sobs forth cast 
To breed compassion dear, then spoke at last:- 

Suppose not, cruel! that I come to woo 
Or pray, as ladies do their loves and lords.
Such were we late, if thou disdain it now, 
Or scorn to grant such grace as love affords,
At least yet as an en'my listen thou, 
Sworn foes sometime will talk and chaffer words;
For what I ask thee may'st thou grant right well,
And lessen nought thy wrath and anger fell.

If me thou hate, and in that hate delight, 
I come not to appease thee, hate me still;
It's like for like; I bore great hate and spite
'Gainst Christians all, chiefly I wish'd thee ill:
I was a pagan born, and all my might 
Against Golfredo bent, mine art and skill; 
I follow'd thee, took thee, and bore thee far 
To this strange isle, and kept thee safe from war;

And more, which more thy hate may justly move,
More to thy loss, more to thy shame and grief,
I thee enchanted and allur'd to love; 
Wicked deceit, craft worthy sharp reprief!
Mine honour gave I thee, all gifts above, 
And of my beauty made thee lord and chief,
And to my suitors old what I denay'd, 
That gave I thee, my lover new, unpray'd:

But reckon that among my faults, and let 
Those many wrongs provoke thee so to wrath
That hence thou run, and that at nought thou set
This pleasant house, so many joys which hath:
Go, travel, pass the seas, fight, conquest get,
Destroy our faith; what, shall I say our faith?
Ah no! no longer ours; before thy shrine
Alone I pray, thou cruel saint of mine.

Text Authorship:

  • by Edward Fairfax (1580 - 1635), "As cunning singers" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in Italian (Italiano) by Torquato Tasso (1544 - 1595)
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 333

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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