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Vecchio amante che rende la Piazza
Original Language: Italian
Io cedo, Amor, io cedo
All’ingiurie de gl' anni:
Congiurate a miei danni
L’armi del tempo io vedo;
Io cedo, Amor, io cedo.
Acciò la resa mia
Senza gloria non sia,
Pria ch’estinto io mi veggia
Amor per me patteggia.
La rocca del mio core
Tutte ha perdute omai
Le diffese di fuore:
Ai balconi del volto
L’uso del lume è tolto;
Di mia bocca son state
Le macchine atterrate;
Ogni duro si scuote
E per la breccia di rugose gote
L’ultimo assalto apparecchiato io vedo.
Io cedo, Amor, io cedo,
Pria ch’estinto io mi veggia
Così per me patteggia.
Il miccio del desire
Voglio primieramente
Resti acceso all’uscire.
La speme porti almeno
Poco bagaglio in seno.
Al mio coraggio tocca
Sortir con palla in bocca,
E portar di ragione
Vuol la memoria un picciolo cannone,
Che la memoria sol meco io mi vedo.
Io cedo, Amor, io cedo,
Pria ch’estinto io mi veggia;
Così per me patteggia.
Ancor sarà dovere
Marchiar in ordinanza
A spiegate bandiere;
Per dovunque si passa
Trombeggiar, batter cassa.
Ove condurmi io voglio
Ch’abbia un fido convoglio.
Parla chiaro e che basti,
Ché non sorghino in fin nuovi contrasti,
Perch’il nemico cavilloso io vedo.
Io cedo, Amor, io cedo,
All’ingiurie de gl'anni:
Congiurate a miei danni
L’armi del tempo io vedo;
Io cedo, Amor, io cedo.
Poet:
English
An Old Lover Abandons the Field
I surrender, Love, I surrender
to the injuries of the years.
I see the arms of time
arrayed against me,
I surrender, Love, I surrender.
So that the end result [of my loves]
is not disgraceful,
before I see myself vanquished
let Love negotiate terms for me.
The stronghold of my heart
has now completely lost
its exterior defenses;
to the bulkhead of the face
the reserves of eyesight are lost;
the armaments of my mouth
are laid low;
every strength is shaken
and I see preparation for the final assault
on the breach of my lined cheeks.
I surrender, Love, I surrender:
before I see myself vanquished
let Love negotiate terms for me.
Above all I want
the fuse of desire
to remain lit as I depart.
Hope, at least, carries
little baggage in the heart.
It is seemly for my courage
to exit the field with loaded barrels,
and memory has cause
to retain a small arsenal,
that only memory and I can see.
I surrender, Love, I surrender:
before I see myself vanquished
let Love negotiate terms for me.
Duty will retain the right
to march in ranks
with flying colors,
wherever it goes,
sounding trumpets, raising its banners:
Where I go I would like
to have a loyal escort.
Speak clearly and let it suffice,
that new disputes do not arise in the end,
for I see that the enemy is quarrelsome.
I surrender, Love, I surrender
to the injuries of the years:
arrayed against me
I see the arms of time;
I surrender, Love, I surrender.
Translated by:
Richard Kolb
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Vecchio Amante Che Rende La Piazza
Published by Cor Donato Editions in historically correct modern transcription, including critical introductory notes on the work, editorial procedures, original texts with new English translations, and other contextual information about the piece.
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