What potions have I drunk of Siren tears
Language: English
What potions have I drunk of Siren tears,
Distill'd from limbecks foul as hell within,
Applying fears to hopes, and hopes to fears,
Still losing when I saw myself to win!
What wretched errors hath my heart committed,
Whilst it hath thought itself so blessed never!
How have mine eyes out of their spheres been fitted,
In the distraction of this madding fever!
O benefit of ill! now I find true
That better is, by evil still made better;
And ruin'd love, when it is built anew,
Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater.
So I return rebuk'd to my content,
And gain by ill thrice more than I have spent.
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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
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This text was added to the website: 2010-08-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 113
Che pozioni ho bevuto di lacrime di...
Language: Italian (Italiano) after the English
Che pozioni ho bevuto di lacrime di sirena,
Distillate da alambicchi immondi come l'inferno,
associando a paure ogni speranza vana,
Perdendo ancora quando di vincere credevo!
Che sciagurati errori ha commesso il mio cuore,
credendo di aver raggiunto il sommo della gioia!
Con gli occhi fuorusciti dalle loro sfere,
per un delirio febbrile divenuto follia!
Oh benefico male! Apprendo ora
che ogni miglior cosa è resa dal male migliore,
E che un amore in rovina, può ricostruirsi ancora
ricrescendo più bello, più forte e ancor maggiore.
Così faccio ritorno, pentito, a chi mi ha sempre amato
guadagnando, dal male, più di quanto avevo perduto.
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Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2025 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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.
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This text was added to the website: 2025-07-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 104
