Barbara Strozzi
8.10

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Tu me ne puoi ben dire

Originally for Soprano and basso continuo.
Original Language: Italian

Tu me ne puoi ben dire.
Ardo ogn'hor, mi struggo in pene,
Idolatro le catene
E adoro la cagion del mio morire:
Tutto è ver ma vo servire,
Tu me ne puoi ben dire.

Senti, Lilla inesorabile,
Mostro di crudeltà
Com'io di fedeltà,
Arma'l ciglio e scocca il guardo,
Piaga'l sen, da morte all'alma;
T'adorerò;
Ne muterò con te fede o costanza,
Se ben si strugge amor senza speranza.
Tutto è ver ma vo servire,
Tu me ne puoi ben dire....

English

You can say what you like

You can say what you like.
I burn constantly, I'm consumed with agony,
I idolize the fetters,
and adore the cause of my death:
it's all true but I want to be enslaved,
you can say what you like.

Listen, inexorable Lilla,
monster of cruelty
as I am of faithfulness:
furrow your brow, shoot hard glances,
wound my breast, kill my soul;
I'll adore you; my steadfastness
and constancy to you will not change,
though love consumes itself without hope.
It's all true but I want to be enslaved,
you can say what you like....

Translated by:

Richard Kolb

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Cover of Tu me ne puoi ben dire

Tu me ne puoi ben dire

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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  • Barbara Strozzi - Opera Ottava

    Arie a voce sola

    Giulia Bolcato - Soprano, REMER Ensemble, Federico Guglielmo - violin, Elisa Imbalzano - violin, Ludovico Armellini - cello, Gianluca Geremia - theorbo, Marta Graziolino - harp, Roberto Loreggian - organ, harpsichord

    Arion (2023) [Audio CD, Digital / MP3]

    • Disc #2 / Track #4 - Tu me ne puoi ben dire (voice, bc) [5:30]
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