Chi vuol aver felice e lieto il core (Guarini, set by (Sigismondo d'India, Claudio Monteverdi)) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 - 1612)

Chi vuol aver felice e lieto il core

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Available translation(s): ENG FRE

[Chi vuol aver]¹ felice e lieto il core,
non segua il crudo Amore,
quel lusinghier che ancide,
quando più scherza e ride; 
ma tema di beltà, di leggiadria
l'aura fallace e ria. 
Al pregar non risponda, alla promessa
non creda: e se s'appressa, 
fugga pur, che baleno è quel ch'alletta;
né mai balena Amor, se non saetta.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Monteverdi: "Chi vol haver"

Authorship

by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538 - 1612) [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 Sigismondo d'India (1582? - 1629?), "Chi vuol aver felice", 1615, from Il Terzo Libro de Madrigali, no. 17. [ sung text verified 1 time]
by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643), "Chi vol haver felice e lieto il core", published 1638 [vocal quintet], from Libro VIII: Madrigali guerrieri e amorosi, no. 17, a 5 voci, cantato a voce piena, alla francese [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

ENG English (unknown or anonymous translator) , "If you wish your heart to be happy and gay"

Researcher for this text: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 57