Text & Translation
3. I' vidi in terra angelici costumi
Italian source:
Petrarch
E celesti bellezze al mondo sole;
Tal che di rimembrar mi giova, e dole:
Che quant’io miro, par sogni, ombre, e fumi.
E vidi lagrimar que’ duo bei lumi,
Ch’han fatto mille volte invidia al sole;
Ed udì’ sospirando dir parole
Che farian gir i monti, e stare i fiumi.
Amor! senno! valor, pietate, e doglia
Facean piangendo un più dolce concento
D’ogni altro, che nel mondo udir si soglia.
Ed era ‘l cielo all’armonia s’intento
Che non si vedea in ramo mover foglia.
Tanta dolcezza avea pien l’aer e ’l vento.
I saw angelic virtue on earth
English translation ©
A. S. Kline
and heavenly beauty on terrestrial soil,
so I am sad and joyful at the memory,
and what I see seems dream, shadows, smoke:
and I saw two lovely eyes that wept,
that made the sun a thousand times jealous:
and I heard words emerge among sighs
that made the mountains move, and halted rivers.
Love, Judgement, Pity, Worth and Grief,
made a sweeter chorus of weeping
than any other heard beneath the moon:
and heaven so intent upon the harmony
no leaf was seen to move on the boughs,
so filled with sweetness were the wind and air.
Translation © by A. S. Kline, reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive
3. I' vidi in terra angelici costumi
Italian source:
Petrarch
I saw angelic virtue on earth
English source:
A. S. Kline
I’ vidi in terra angelici costumi,
I saw angelic virtue on earth
E celesti bellezze al mondo sole;
and heavenly beauty on terrestrial soil,
Tal che di rimembrar mi giova, e dole:
so I am sad and joyful at the memory,
Che quant’io miro, par sogni, ombre, e fumi.
and what I see seems dream, shadows, smoke:
E vidi lagrimar que’ duo bei lumi,
and I saw two lovely eyes that wept,
Ch’han fatto mille volte invidia al sole;
that made the sun a thousand times jealous:
Ed udì’ sospirando dir parole
and I heard words emerge among sighs
Che farian gir i monti, e stare i fiumi.
that made the mountains move, and halted rivers.
Amor! senno! valor, pietate, e doglia
Love, Judgement, Pity, Worth and Grief,
Facean piangendo un più dolce concento
made a sweeter chorus of weeping
D’ogni altro, che nel mondo udir si soglia.
than any other heard beneath the moon:
Ed era ‘l cielo all’armonia s’intento
and heaven so intent upon the harmony
Che non si vedea in ramo mover foglia.
no leaf was seen to move on the boughs,
Tanta dolcezza avea pien l’aer e ’l vento.
so filled with sweetness were the wind and air.
Composer
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, music teacher, arranger and organist of the Romantic era. He was also a writer, a philanthropist, a Hungarian nationalist and a Franciscan…