| Fenice fu' e vissi pura e morbida, |
I was a phoenix and I lived pure and delicate, |
A phoenix I was, and I lived finely and purely, |
| Et or son trasmutata in una tortora |
And now I am transformed into a turtledove |
And now to mildest turtledove am transmuted, |
| Che vollo con Amor per le bell' ortora. |
That flies with Love through the beautiful orchards. |
That flies with Love through orchards sublimely fruited. |
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| Arbor secho n' aqua torbida |
Dry trees and murky water |
The thirsty trees and murky pools surely |
| No' me deleta, may per questo dubito, |
Do not delight me, but because of this doubt, |
Do not delight me, so because I'm suspicious, |
| Va nel' astate l'inverno ven e subito. |
Go in summer, winter comes quickly. |
I go in summer; winter's sudden and vicious. |
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| Tal vissi e tal me vivo e posso scrivere |
So I lived and so I live and I can write |
So I was alive and so now I live and say clearly: |
| Ch' a donna non è più chè onesta vivere. |
That for a woman there is no more than to live honestly. |
All you can do is live for a woman sincerely. |
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| Jacopo da Bologna |
Stolba, K Marie, ed. The Development of Western Music: An Anthology. 3rd ed. Vol. I. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Print. |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |