O come sei gentile, caro augellino

O come [se']1 gentile,
caro augellino! O quanto
è il mio stato amoroso al tuo simìle!
[Tu prigion, io prigion]2; tu canti, io canto;
tu canti per colei
che t'ha legato, ed io canto per lei.
Ma in questo è differente
la mia sorte dolente:
che giova pur a te l'esser canoro;
vivi cantando, ed io cantando moro.

by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538-1612) , "Avventuroso augello", from Rime, no. 52, published 1598

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

by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) , "O come sei gentile, caro augellino", published 1619 [madrigal], from Libro VII de madrigali, no. 4.

by John Danyel (1564-1626) , "Thou pretty bird, how do I see"

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann)
GER German (Bertram Kottmann)

Date added to the website: 2008-03-26.

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Thou pretty bird, how do I see

Thou pretty bird, how do I see
Thy silly state and mine agree,
For thou a prisoner art
So is my heart.
Thou sing'st to her, and so do I address
My music to her ear that's merciless.
But herein doth the difference lie,
That thou art grac'd, so am not I;
Thou singing liv'st,
And I must singing die.

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , no title

a text in Italian by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538-1612) , "Avventuroso augello", from Rime, no. 52, published 1598 GER

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

by John Danyel (1564-1626) , "Thou pretty bird, how do I see"

Date added to the website: 2003-10-19.