E per virtù de l'amorosa (Luca Marenzio)

General Information

Title: E per virtù de l'amorosa
Composer: Luca Marenzio
Lyricist: Francesco Petrarca

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB

Genre: Secular, Madrigal

Language: Italian
Instruments: a cappella
Published: Madrigali a 4 voci libro primo, 1585

External websites:

Original text and translations

Italian text

Et per vertú de l'amorosa speme,
che ti sostenne ne la vita acerba,
di queste impressïon l'aere disgombra;

sí vedrem poi per meraviglia inseme
seder la donna nostra sopra l'erba,
et far de le sue braccia a se stessa ombra.

English translation by A. S. Kline

And by the power of that amorous hope
that sustained you, though life was bitter,
disburden the air of this dark weather:

so we may see by a miracle together
our lady seated on the grass
lifting her arms to make herself a shade.