by Pietro Antonio Domenico Bonaventura Trapassi (1698 - 1782), as Pietro Metastasio
Translation © by Garrett Medlock

Entra l'uomo, allor che nasce
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Available translation(s): CAT ENG FRE
Entra l'uomo, allor che nasce,
In un mar di tante pene,
Che s'avvezza dalle fasce
Ogni affanno a sostener.

Ma per lui sì raro è il bene,
Ma la gioia è così rara,
Che a soffrir mai non impara
Le sorprese del piacer.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Tutte le opere di Pietro Metastasio, Firenze, Tipografia Borghi e compagni 1832, page 546.

The text appears in "Isacco figura del redentore", parte II, Aria di Abramo


Authorship:

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

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Entra l’home, quan neix", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "Man enters, at the hour he is born", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Air d'Abraham", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 43

Man enters, at the hour he is born
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Man enters, at the hour he is born,
Into a sea of so many pains
That he grows accustomed to supporting the
Bands of every anxiety.

But for him goodness is so rare,
But joy is so rare,
That he never learns to suffer 
The surprises of pleasure.

Authorship:

  • Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2020-04-22
Line count: 8
Word count: 48