Ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra

[Ti disprezzai superbo:]
ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra,
riverente t'adoro
e ti cheggio perdon, ma non già vita.
Ecco gli strali e l'arco;
ma non ferir già tu gli occhi o le mani,
colpevoli ministri
d'innocente voler; ferisci il petto,
ferisci questo mostro,
di pietate e d'amore aspro nemico;
ferisci questo cor che ti fu crudo:
eccoti il petto ignudo.

by Giovanni Battista Guarini (1538-1612) , from the play Il Pastor Fido, Act IV, Scene 9, lines 1275-1285.

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) , "Ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra", published 1605 [madrigal for five voices], from Libro V de madrigali, no. 7.

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Sheet music:

  Twenty Six Italian Songs and Arias (J. G. Paton) [tismusic.com]
  Search sheetmusicplus.com for Ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for Ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for Ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for Ecco, piegando le ginocchia a terra, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

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