Erano i capei d'oro

General information

Author: Francesco Petrarca in Il Canzoniere. (PS 90)

Settings by composers

• Andrea Feliciani SAATB
• Alessandro Kirschner SA
• Giovanni Maria Nanino
  • Five voices SSATB or SSTTB 1571
  • Three voices SAB 1593

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Gioseffo Guami — Erano i capei d'oro

Text and translations

Italian text Erano i capei d'oro a l'aura sparsi che 'n mille dolci nodi gli avolgea, e l'vago lume oltra misura ardea di quei begli occhi, ch'or ne son sí scarsi; e 'l viso di pietosi color' farsi, non so se vero o falso, mi parea: i' che l'ésca amorosa al petto avea, qual meraviglia se di súbito arsi? Non era l'andar suo cosa mortale, ma d'angelica forma; et le parole sonavan altro, che pur voce humana. Uno spirito celeste, un vivo sole fu quel ch'i'vidi: et se non fosse or tale, piagha per allentar d'arco non sana. Canzoniere 90

English translation She let her gold hair scatter in the breeze that twined it in a thousand sweet knots, and wavering light, beyond measure, would burn in those beautiful eyes, which are now so dim: and it seemed to me her face wore the colour of pity, I do not know whether false or true: I who had the lure of love in my breast, what wonder if I suddenly caught fire? Her way of moving was no mortal thing, but of angelic form: and her speech rang higher than a mere human voice. A celestial spirit, a living sun was what I saw: and if she is not such now, the wound's not healed, although the bow is slack. Translation by Anthony S. Kline ©