Ahi, come à un vago Sol cortese giro
Di duo belli occhi ond'io
Soffersi il primo, e dolce stral d'Amore,
Pien d'un novo desio,
Sì pronto à sospirar torna il mio core,
Lasso non val ascondersi. Ch'omai
Conosco i segni, che'l mio cor m'addita
De l'antica ferita:
Et è gran tempo pur ch'io la saldai:
Ah, che piaga d'Amor non sana mai. Original poem by Guarini
Italian text
Ahi! Come a un vago sol cortese giro
di duo belli occhi ond'io
soffersi il primo dolce d'Amore
pien d'un nuovo desio
sì pronto a sospirar, torna il mio core.
Ah! Que piaga d'Amor non sana mai!
Lasso, non val ascondersi, ch'omai
conosco i segni ch'el mio core addita
de l'antica ferita.
Et e gran tempo pur che la saldai. Variation used by Monteverdi. The last line has been moved up to follow line 5.
English translation
Alas, as if toward a graceful, lovely sun
turns my heart again,
full of new desire
and ready to sigh,
to those two beautiful eyes that caused me
the pain of the first, sweet Love.
Ah! Love wounds never heal!
Weary, it's pointless hiding,
for by now I recognize the symptoms
of the old wound, that my heart reopened.
And its healing has been a long way coming.
That single random glance
pierced me with love
as it did long ago,
when I first fell.
There's no mistaking it,
I'm due for pain once more;
that old infection aches—
inflamed again
although I thought it cured.
The years can't heal love's wounds!
Vives in corde meo, Deus meus,
nec te dimittam.
Tu tui me vulnerabis pharetra amoris.
Deus meus, te quaeso:
contine in meo corde,
fruar, bone Iesu, amore tuo.
Lava, quae macularunt animam,
incende frigiditatem meam flamma tua
ut te diligam semper
et super omnia, quae sunt amanda,
fruar, bone Iesu, amore tuo.
English translation
You live in my heart, my Lord,
and I shall not forsake you
You wounded me with the quiver of your love.
My Lord, I beg you:
remain I my heart,
so that I may enjoy, good Jesus, your love.
Wash away what stained my soul,
kindle my coldness with your flame
so that I shall love you always
and above all, which are to be loved,
enjoy, good Jesus, your love.
Italian text
English translation
Latin text