Tempro la cetra (Marino, set by C. Monteverdi) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Tempro la cetra, e per cantar gli onori
Di Marte alzo talor lo stil e i carmi.
Ma invan la tento e impossibil parmi
Ch'ella già mai risoni altro ch'amore.

Così pur tra l'arene e pur tra' fiori
Note amorose Amor torna a dettarmi,
Né vuol ch'io prend' ancora a cantar d'armi,
Se non di quelle, ond'egli impiaga i cori.

Or umil plettro a i rozzi accenti indegni,
Musa, qual dianzi, accorda, in fin ch'al canto
De la tromba sublime il Ciel ti degni.

Riedi a i teneri scherzi, e dolce intanto
Lo Dio guerrier, temprando i feri sdegni,
In grembo a Citerea dorma al tuo canto.

Input by John Versmoren

Authorship

Giambattista Marino (1569-1625)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Libro VII de madrigali

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

GER

German

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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