Hawthorne Early Music editions: Canzoniere 34

Apollo, s'anchor vive il bel desio

Canzoniere #34 (XXXIV)

Poetic form: sonnet


Apollo, s'anchor vive il bel desio
che t'infiammava a le thesaliche onde,
et se non ài l'amate chiome bionde,
volgendo gli anni, già poste in oblio:

dal pigro gielo et dal tempo aspro et rio,
che dura quanto 'l tuo viso s'asconde,
difendi or l'onorata et sacra fronde,
ove tu prima, et poi fu' invescato io;

et per vertù de l'amorosa speme,
che ti sostenne ne la vita acerba,
di queste impression l'aere disgombra;

sì vedrem poi per meraviglia inseme
seder la donna nostra sopra l'erba,
et far de le sue braccia a se stessa ombra.
 Apollo, if that sweet desire is still alive
that inflamed you by the river of Thessaly,
and if with the passing years you've not already
forgotten that beloved blonde hair:

defend the honoured and sacred leaves now,
where you long ago, and I lately, were caught,
through the slow frost and harsh and cruel time
that is endured while you hide your face:

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.


All translations copyrighted by A.S. Kline, and are used with explicit permission.

ComposerTitleSubtitleLanguagePartsFiles
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) Apollo, s'ancor vive il bel desio Prima parte italian 4 Score + parts                              
Luca Marenzio (c.1553-1599) E per virtù de l'amorosa Seconda parte italian 4 Score + parts