Cursed be the looks | Cursed be the looks

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by Allen Shearer

Maledetto sia l'aspetto

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Maledetto sia l'aspetto
Che m'arde tristo me!
Poich'io sento rio tormento
Poich'io moro ne ristoro
Ha mia fè sol per te.
Maledetto sia l'aspetto
Che m'arde tristo me!

Maledetta la saetta
Ch'impiago ne morro;
Così vuole il mio sole
Così brama chi disama
Quanto può - che farò?
Maledetta la saetta
Ch'impiago ne morro.

Donna ria morte mia
Vuol così chi ferì.
Prende gioco del mio foco;
Vuol ch'io peni, che mi sveni;
Morrò quì, fiero dì;
Donna ria morte mia
Vuol così chi ferì.

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643), "Maledetto sia l'aspetto", SV 246, published 1632, from Scherzi musicali cioè arie et madrigali, no. 1. [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Allen Shearer) , "Cursed be the looks", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Maudite soit l'apparence", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 84

Cursed be the looks

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

Cursed be the looks
that have set my heart on fire.
Alas! unhappy me, for I suffer 
cruel torment and will surely die,
nor can any but you ease my suffering.
Cursed be the looks 
that have set my heart on fire.

Cursed be the arrow
that has wounded me, of which I'll die.
She wills it so,  my sun,
she wills it,  who despises me with all her might.
What shall I do?
Cursed be the arrow
that has wounded me, of which I'll die.

The pitiless lady, death to me,
who dealt this blow would have it so.
She makes light of my ardor,
wishes me to suffer pain and death.
Here I'll die this grievous day.
The pitiless lady, death to me,
who dealt this blow would have it so.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2005 by Allen Shearer, (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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2005-09-02
Line count: 21
Word count: 133