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Ballata, i’voi che tu ritrovi Amore,
e con lui vade a madonna davante,
sì che la scusa mia, la qual tu cante,
ragioni poi con lei lo mio segnore.
Tu vai, ballata, sì cortesemente,
che sanza compagnia
dovresti avere in tutte parti ardire;
ma se tu vuoli andar sicuramente,
retrova l’Amor pria,
chè forse non è bon sanza lui gire;
però che quella che ti dee audire,
sì com’io credo, è ver di me adirata:
se tu di lui non fossi accompagnata,
leggeramente ti faria disnore.
Ballata, I want you to seek out Love,
and go with him to where my lady is,
so that my apology, which you are to sing,
my master can then discuss with her.
You go, ballata, so courteously,
that, even without company,
you ought to be confident anywhere;
but if you wish to go securely,
seek out Love first,
for perhaps it is not good to go without him;
because the lady who is to hear you,
as I believe, is angry with me:
if you were not accompanied by him,
she would easily show you disrespect.
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Con dolze sono, quando se’ con lui,
comincia este parole,
appresso che averai chesta pietate:
“Madonna, quelli che mi manda a vui,
quando vi piaccia, vole,
sed elli ha scusa, che la m’intendiate.
Amore è qui, che per vostra bieltate
lo face, come vol, vista cangiare:
dunque perchè li fece altra guardare
pensatel voi, da che non mutò ‘l core.”
With sweet music, once you are with him,
begin these words,
after you have asked for pity:
“My lady, the man who sends me to you,
may it please you, wishes,
if he has an apology, that you hear me state it.
Love is here, who through your beauty
makes him turn pale at will:
therefore, consider well why he made him
look at another woman, since his heart has not changed.’
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Dille:” Madonna, lo suo core è stato
con sì fermata fede,
che ’n voi servir l’ha ‘mpronto onne pensero:
tosto fu vostro, e mai non s’è smagato.”
Sed ella non ti crede,
dì che domandi Amor, che sa lo vero:
ed a la fine falle umil preghero,
lo perdonare se le fosse a noia,
che mi comandi per messo ch’eo moia,
e vedrassi ubidir ben servidore.
E dì a colui ch’è d’ogni pietà chiave,
avante che sdonnei,
che le saprà contar mia ragion bona:
“Per grazia de la mia nota soave
reman tu qui con lei,
e del tuo servo ciò che vuoi ragiona;
e s’ella per tuo prego li perdona,
fa che li annunzi un bel sembiante pace.”
Tell her: “My lady, his heart has remained
so firmly faithful
that his whole mind is set on serving you:
he was yours at once, and has never strayed.”
If she does not believe you,
tell her to ask Love, who knows the truth:
and finally beg her humbly,
in case it vexes her to forgive me,
to order me, by messenger, to die
and she will see her loyal servant obey.
And tell him who is the key to all compassion,
before you leave off serving my lady,
for he will be able to convey my good thoughts:
“Through the charm of my gentle notes
remain here with her,
and say whatever you like about your slave;
and if she forgives him at your request,
have her kindly face proclaim peace to him.”
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Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore,
i’vo’con voi de la mia donna dire,
no perch’io creda sua laude finire,
ma ragionar per isfogar la mente.
Io dico che pensando il suo valore,
Amor sì dolce mi si fa sentire,
che s’io allora non perdessi ardire,
farei parlando innamorar la gente.
E io non vo’ parlar sì altamente,
ch’io divenisse per temenza vile;
ma tratterò del suo stato gentile
a rispetto di lei leggeramente,
donne e donzelle amorose, con vui,
chè non é cosa da parlarne altrui.
Ladies who have an understanding of Love,
I wish to speak with you about my lady,
not because I think I can exhaust her praises,
but to talk and so relieve my mind.
I say that, when I consider her worth,
Love makes himself felt for me so sweetly
that, if I did not lose courage then,
I would make everyone fall in love as I spoke.
And I do not wish to speak so loftily
as to become cowardly through fear;
but I shall discuss her noble condition
only slightly, as regards her merit,
with you, living ladies and maidens,
for it is not a subject to discuss with others.
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Madonna è disiata in sommo cielo:
or voi di sua virtù farvi salvere.
Dico, qual vuol gentil donna parere
vada con lei, che quando va per via,
gitta nei cor villani Amore un gelo,
per che onne lor pensero agghiaccia e pere;
e qual soffrisse di starla a vedere
diverria nobil cosa, o si morria.
E quando trova alcun che degno sia
di veder lei, quei prova sue vertute,
chè li avvien, ciò che li dona, in salute,
e sì l’umilia, ch’ogni offesa oblia.
Ancor l’ha Dio per maggior grazia dato
che non pò mal finir chi l’ha parlato.
Dice di lei Amor: “Cosa mortale
come esser pò sì adorna e sì pura?”
Poi la reguarda, e fra se stesso giura
che Dio ne ‘ntenda di far cosa nova.
Color di perle ha quasi, in forma quale
convene a donna aver, non for misura:
ella è quanto de ben pò far natura;
per essemplo di lei bieltà si prova.
De li occhi suoi, come ch’ella li mova,
escono spirti d’amore inflammati,
che feron li occhi a qual che allor la guati,
e passan sì che ‘l cor ciascun retrova:
voi le vedete Amor pinto nel viso,
là ‘ve non pote alcun mirarla fìso.
My lady is desired in the highest heaven:
now I wish to inform you of her virtue.
I say: whoever of you wants to appear as a gentlewoman
should go to with her, for when she walks abroad
Love casts a chill into base hearts,
making their every thought freeze and perish;
and whoever could endure standing there and beholding her
would become noble, or would die.
And when she finds someone who would be worthy
of beholding her, that person experiences her virtue,
because what she gives him redounds to his salvation,
and humbles him so, that he forgets every offense.
Also, God has granted her the even greater favor
that whoever has spoken with her cannot be damned.
Love says to her: “How can a mortal creature
be so beautiful and yet so pure?”
Then he looks at her again, and sears to himself
that God meant to create something new in her.
Her color is nearly that of pearls, her form such
as it behooves woman to have, not immoderate:
she is the highest good that nature can make;
beauty is tested with her as the touchstone.
From her eyes, whenever she moves them,
issue flaming spirits of love
which smite the eyes of whoever looks upon her then,
and they pierce so well that each one reaches the heart:
you see Love depicted on her lips,
which no one can behold steadily.
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Poi vidi cose dubitose molto,
nel vano imaginare ov’io entrai;
ed esser mi parea non so in qual loco,
e veder donne andar per via disciolte,
qual lagrimando, e qual traendo guai,
che di tristizia saettavan foco.
Poi mi parve vedere a poco a poco
turbar lo sole e apparir la stella,
e pianger elli ed ella;
cader li augelli volando per l’are,
e la terra tremare;
ed omo apparve scolorito e fioco,
dicendomi: “Che fai? non sai novella?
morta è la donna tua, ch’era sì bella.”
Then I saw very frightening things
in the empty ramblings of my mind;
and I thought I was I know not where,
seeing disheveled women walk down the street,
some weeping, others wailing,
and all darting flames of sorrow.
Then I thought I saw gradually
the sun darkened and the stars coming out,
and both sun and stars weeping;
the birds that flew through the air falling,
and the earth shaking;
and a pale, hoarse man appeared,
telling me: “What are you doing? Have you not heard the news?
Your lady, who was so beautiful, is dead.”
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Levava li occhi miei bagnata in pianti,
e vedea, che parean pioggia di manna,
li angeli che tornavan suso in cielo,
e una nuvoletta avean davanti,
dopo la qual gridavan tutti: Osanna;
e s’altro avesser detto, a voi dire’lo.
Allor diceva Amor: “Più nol ti celo;
vieni a veder nostra donna che giace.
Lo imaginar fallace
mi condusse a veder madonna morta;
e quand’io l’avea scorta,
vedea che donne la covrian d’un velo;
ed avea seco umiltà verace,
che parea che dicesse: “Io sono in pace.”
Io divenia nel dolor sì umile,
veggendo in lei tanta umilità formata,
ch’io dice: “Morte, assai dolce ti tegno;
tu dei omai esser cosa gentile,
poi che tu se’ne la mia donna stata,
e dei aver pietate e non disdegno.
Vedi che sì desideroso vegno
d’esser de’tuoi, ch’io ti somiglio in fede.
Vieni, chè ‘l cor te chiede.”
Poi mi partia, consumato ogne duolo;
e quand’io era solo,
dicea, guardando verso l’alto regno:
“Beato, anima bella, chi te vede!”
Voi me chiamaste allor, vostra merzede.
I raised my eyes wet with tears,
and I saw, resembling a rain of manna,
the angels going back up to heaven,
and they had a little cloud in front of them,
behind which they were all crying ‘Hosanna’;
if they had said any more, I would tell you.
Then Love said: ‘I conceal it from you no longer;
come to see our lady lying dead.’
The false vision
led me to see my lady dead;
and when I had discerned her,
I saw women covering her with a veil;
and she had true humility with her,
so that she seemed to say: ‘I am in peace.’
In my sorrow I became so humble,
seeing such great humility taking shape in her,
that I said: ‘Death, very sweet I deem you;
by now you must be a kindly thing,
because you have been in my lady,
and you must feel pity and not disdain.
You see that I am coming so desirous
of being one of yours that I honestly resemble you.
Come, for my heart requests you.’
Then I departed, all sorrows consumed;
and when I was alone,
I said, looking up at the lofty realm:
‘Blessed, beautiful soul, is he who sees you!’
Then you ladies called to me, for which I thank you.
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Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is of course a major Italian poet. But the story of his youthful infatuation with Beatrice caught my eyes. I got his book "La Vita Nuova" in a dual language edition published by Dover and proceeded to look for the right set of poems for my setting. There are four long poems that I found beautiful and fabulous, but they are a bit long. So I ended up using only portions of the first three. Even so the song cycle is quite long, at ca. 28 minutes. The work is set for tenor and piano.
