Io mi son giovinetta (Anonymous, set by S. d'India, C. Monteverdi) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


"Io mi son giovinetta 
e rido e canto alla stagion novella",
cantava la mia dolce pastorella,
[quando subitamente]¹
[quando l'ali]² il cor mio 
[spiegò come augellin subitamente
tutto lieto e ridente, 
cantando in sua favella:]³
"Son giovinetto anch'io 
e rido e canto [a più beata]⁴ e bella
primavera d'amore, 
che nei begli occhi tuoi fiorisce." Ed ella:
"Fuggi, se saggio sei," - disse - :l'ardore,
fuggi, chè in questi rai 
primavera per te non sarà mai."

View text without footnotes
¹ omitted by d'India
² Monteverdi: "a quel canto"
³ Monteverdi: "cantò quasi augellin vago e ridente:"
⁴ Monteverdi: "alla gentil"
Note: The model for these verses lies in a poem by Boccaccio, beginning as follows:
Io mi son giovinetta, e volentieri
m'allegro e canto en la stagion novella,
merzé d'amore e de'dolci pensieri.

(Decameron, Nona Giornata, Conclusione)

Input by John Versmoren

Authorship

Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

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

Sigismondo d'India (1582?-1629?)

Il Terzo Libro de Madrigali

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Libro IV de madrigali

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

ENG

English

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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