But if you desire the flowers | But if you desire the flowers, know that in the end

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by Antonio Ottoboni (1646 - 1720)

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall

Mà se brami quei fior, pensa, che alfine

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG

Mà se brami quei fior, pensa, che alfine
Poco duran le Rose, assai le spine.

Text Authorship:

by Antonio Ottoboni (1646 - 1720) [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 Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757), "Mà se brami quei fior, pensa, che alfine", published 1713, from cantata Ah pensier, e perché voli, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "But if you desire the flowers", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2019-05-31
Line count: 2
Word count: 15

But if you desire the flowers

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

But if you desire the flowers, know that in the end
Roses live but briefly, and they have thorns.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2026 by Michael P Rosewall, (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 Antonio Ottoboni (1646 - 1720)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-13
Line count: 2
Word count: 19