Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Il bianco e dolce cigno cantando more, ed io piangendo, giung' al fin del viver mio. Stran' e diversa sorte, ch'ei more sconsolato, Ed io moro beato. Morte che nel morire M'empie di gioia tutt' e di desire; Se nel morir' altro dolor non sento, Di mille mort' il di sarei contendo.
The text shown is a variant of another text. [ View differences ]
It is based on
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giovanni Guidiccioni (1480 - 1541) and misattributed to Alfonso d'Avalos d'Aquino, 4th Marchese di Pescara e del Vasto (1502 - 1546)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jacob (aka Jacques or Jachet) Arcadelt (c1505 - c1568), "Il bianco e dolce cigno", published 1539 [ chorus ], madrigal [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Orazio Vecchi (1550 - 1605), "Il bianco e dolce cigno", published 1589 [ chorus ], madrigal [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Tinelot Wittermans) , "De witte en lieflijke zwaan", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Tinelot Wittermans) , "The white and lovely swan", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Anton Gatscha) , "Der weiße, stille Schwan"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 52
The white and lovely swan dies singing, and crying I reach the end of my life. Strange is it that the swan dies without comfort And that I die joyfully. A death that fulfills me With happiness and longing Because I don't feel other misery (when I die) I would be happy to die a thousand deaths a day.
Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © by Tinelot Wittermans, (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:
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Not Applicable [an adaptation]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giovanni Guidiccioni (1480 - 1541) and misattributed to Alfonso d'Avalos d'Aquino, 4th Marchese di Pescara e del Vasto (1502 - 1546)
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 59