Songs

Qual musico gentil

by Nicholas Lanier

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Text & Translation

Qual musico gentil
Italian source: Torquato Tasso

Qual musico gentil, prima che chiara
Altamente la lingua al canto snodi;
All’armonia gli animi altrui prepara
Con dolci ricercate in bassi modi:
Così costei, che nella doglia amara
Già tutte non oblia l’arti e le frodi;
Fa di sospir breve concento in prima,
Per dispor l’alma in cui le voci imprima.

As a refined musician
translation © Emiliano Ricciardi & Amyrose McCue Gill

As a refined musician, before clear
And high his tongue he loosens in song,
To harmony the souls of others he prepares
With sweet improvisations in low modes:
Thus she, who in bitter pain
Still does not forget all artifices and deceits,
Makes of sighing a brief concord first,
To dispose the soul upon which she would impress her tones.

Reprinted with the kind permission of the Tasso in Music Project

Qual musico gentil
Italian source: Torquato Tasso

As a refined musician
source: Emiliano Ricciardi & Amyrose McCue Gill

Qual musico gentil, prima che chiara
As a refined musician, before clear
Altamente la lingua al canto snodi;
And high his tongue he loosens in song,
All’armonia gli animi altrui prepara
To harmony the souls of others he prepares
Con dolci ricercate in bassi modi:
With sweet improvisations in low modes:
Così costei, che nella doglia amara
Thus she, who in bitter pain
Già tutte non oblia l’arti e le frodi;
Still does not forget all artifices and deceits,
Fa di sospir breve concento in prima,
Makes of sighing a brief concord first,
Per dispor l’alma in cui le voci imprima.
To dispose the soul upon which she would impress her tones.

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