Dulces exuviae By: Orlando di Lasso

Editions

Singable Translation PDF By: Carol Anne Perry Lagemann (CC BY SA 4.0)

Info

Number of Voices: 6
Voicings: SSTTTB , SSTTBB , SSTBBB , SATTTB , SATTBB , SATBBB , AATTTB , AATTBB , AATBBB
Date: 16th century
Language: Latin
Tags: translation Virgil lyrics 16th-century secular motet

Lyrics

Lyrics Direct Translation Poetic Translation
Dulces exuviae, dum fata deusque sinebat, "Sweet mementos, while the god of Fate allows, "Objects so close and dear to me, while my Fate will allow it,
accipite hanc animam meque his exsolvite curis, receive this my soul; release me from these cares. Receive from me my burdened soul; rescue me from these heavy troubles.
Vixi et quem dederat cursum fortuna peregi, I have lived and the course given by Fortune have finished. I lived and completed all exploits assigned me by Fortune.
et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago. and now my great image will go beneath the earth. All trace of my greatness beneath the earth will be buried.
Urbem praeclaram statui, mea moenia vidi, An illustrious city I established, I have seen my walls, "I have raised up a noble town, built my fortifications.
ulta virum poenas inimico a fratre recepi, avenged my husband, punished the enemy, my brother; I avenged my husband, and I punished my brother, the traitor.
felix, heu nimium felix, si litora tantum happy, alas, too happy, if only our shores Happy, alas, but too happy. If only the Trojans,
numquam Dardaniae tetigissent nostra carinae. the keels of the Trojans had never touched," Roaming exiles from Troy, and their ships had not come to our shores!"
Dixit, et os impressa toro, moriemur inultae, She said, pressing her face to the bed, to die unavenged. This said, her mouth pressed to her pillow, unavenged she will perish.
sed moriamur, ait; sic, sic iuvat ire sub umbras. "But let me die," she said, thus, thus pleased to go beneath the shadows. "But let me die," she cries out, thus, thus sweetly fading in shadows.
Virgil Carol Anne Perry Lagemann Carol Anne Perry Lagemann
Aeneid, Book IV, Lines 651-660