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Fin che tù spiri, spera
Original Language: Italian
Fin che tu spiri, spera.
Moribondo mio core,
Fu costante al dolore;
Regna il diletto ove il tormento impera.
Fin che tu spiri, spera.
Se il tuo fato vuol ch'adori
Una sorda deità,
La tua fede spiegherà
Il troffeo di quei rigori.
Atra Nube il sol discaccia,
Alla notte alba succede
E del verno al fin si vede
Trionfar la primavera.
Fin che tu spiri, spera.
Su dunque, datti pace,
Quella fiamma, quel dardo,
Ch'uscì dal ciel d'un guardo,
Sarà fulmine e face
Possente a incenerire i tuoi martiri;
Con l'aura de' sospiri
Tranquillerai quell'ocean crudele.
Tronca le tue querele,
Armati di costanza:
Idolo de gl'amanti è la speranza.
Se con i pianti Orfeo
Averno impietosì,
Se con arco Rifeo
La crudeltà ferì,
Non disperar ch'un dì
Il tuo duol renderà
Pietosa l'empietà:
Che vince sofferenza alma di fera.
Fin che tu spiri, spera.
Poet:
English
As Long As You Breathe
As long as you breathe, be hopeful.
My languishing heart,
You've been constant in suffering;
delight reigns where torment commands.
As long as you breathe, be hopeful.
If your fate makes you adore
a deaf goddess,
your faithfulness will earn
the badge of victory over those hardships.
The sun dissipates the dark cloud,
the dawn succeeds night,
and spring in the end
triumphs over winter.
As long as you breathe, be hopeful.
Courage, then, take comfort,
for that flame, that arrow,
that comes in a heavenly glance,
will be thunder and lightening
powerful enough to burn up your troubles.
With the breeze of your sighs
you will quiet that turbulent sea.
Cut off your complaining,
arm yourself with steadfastness:
hope is the idol of lovers.
If with his laments Orfeo
charmed the underworld,
if with his bow Ripheus*
wounded cruelty,
don't despair that someday
your suffering will make
the pitiless one have pity: for suffering
vanquishes even the soul of a wild beast.
As long as you breathe, be hopeful.
Translated by:
Richard Kolb
* Ripheus was a Trojan hero, according to Virgil the most just of all the Trojans.
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Fin che tu spiri
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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