Description: Madrigal in two parts: Fiera stella, and Ma tu prendi.
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Original text and translations
Italian text
Prima parte
Fiera† stella (s'el ciel ha forza in noi
Quanto alcun crede) fu sotto ch'io nacqui
E fiera cuna dove nato giacqui
E fiera terra ove i pie mossi poi
E fiera donna che con gli occhi suoi
E con l'arco a cui sol per segno piacqui
Fé la piaga onde Amor teco non tacqui
Ché con quelle arme risaldar la puoi.
Seconda parte
Ma tu prendi a diletto i dolor miei
Ella non già perché non son più duri
E'l colpo è di saetta e non di spiedo
Pur mi consola che languir per lei
Meglio è che gioir d'altra e tu mel giuri
Per l'orato tuo stral ed io tel credo.
Canzoniere 174
† Many of the text sources have fera, rather than fiera, throughout.
English translation
First part
Cruel the star (if the heavens have power
in us, as some believe) under which I was born,
and cruel the cradle where I lay once born,
and cruel the earth, where my feet then walked:
and cruel the lady, who with her eyes,
and with her bow favouring me as target,
made a wound: Love, I'm not silent about these things,
since with those weapons you could heal my hurt.
Second part
But you take some delight from my sorrow:
she does not because it is not far worse,
being only an arrow-wound, and not a spear's.
I console myself that to pine for her
is better than to joy in another: you swear it
by your golden arrow, and I believe you.
Italian text
English translation