Translation by Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901)
C'era una volta
Language: Italian (Italiano)
C'era una volta che con voi parlava1, Ora non son più degna di vendervi; Allor se per la via, v'incontrava1, Bassava1 gl'occhi, e il cor si rallegrava. Adesso che son priva dell' amore, Abbasso gli occhi, e convien ch'io mora, Adesso che son priva dal mio bene, Abbasso gl'occhi, e morir mi conviene! Prendi colle tue mani un coltel d'oro, Ferisci l'alma mia con tuo diletto! Così vedrai se t'amo e se t'adoro, Così vedrai s'è ver quel che ti ho detto, S'egli è la verità, caro amor mio, Per un' che s'apre il petto e dice addio, S'egli è la verità, caro mio amore, Per lei che spira e che ti dona il core.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 modern Italian usage would require the following changes: parlavo / io v'incontravo / Bassavo. Another version published by Jean Lahor in Chants populaires de l'Italie has "Allor se per la via vi rincontrava" (line 3)
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
1 modern Italian usage would require the following changes: parlavo / io v'incontravo / Bassavo. Another version published by Jean Lahor in Chants populaires de l'Italie has "Allor se per la via vi rincontrava" (line 3)
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Pauline Viardot-García (1821 - 1910), "C'era una volta", published 1879 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf toscanische Gedichte für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel, also set in German (Deutsch), also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901) ; composed by Pauline Viardot-García.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914) , no title, appears in Italienisches Liederbuch, in Rispetti, in Toscanisch, no. 99, first published 1860 [an adaptation] ; composed by Joseph Marx.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Pauline Viardot-García.
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2013-08-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 120
Reproches
Language: French (Français) after the Italian (Italiano)
Vous me parliez jadis, j'étais heureuse, Mais maintenant vous évitez ma vue ; Alors vous rencontrais-je dans la rue ? Mon cœur battait, et j'étais radieuse ! Mais, seule maintenant, je souffre et pleure. Pourquoi vivrais-je ? il vaut mieux que je meure ! Car, seule maintenant, je souffre et pleure ! Pourquoi vivrais-je ? il vaut mieux que je meure ! Prends ce poignard et frappe ton amante ; Tu la verras mourir avec ivresse, Pourvu qu'en sa poitrine frémissante Ton regard plonge, et lise ma tendresse ! Trop doux sera pour moi l'instant suprême, S'il fait connaître à quel excès je t'aime ! Trop doux sera pour moi l'instant suprême, S'il fait connaître à quel excès je t'aime !
Text Authorship:
- by Louis Pomey (1835 - 1901) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Pauline Viardot-García (1821 - 1910), "Reproches", published 1881 [ voice and piano ], from Poésies toscanes, no. 2, E. Gérard, Paris, also set in Italian (Italiano), also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2020-05-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 109