Lascia ch'io pianga
Georg Friedrich Händel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E che sospiri la libertà！
E che sospiri,
e che sospiri la libertà！
Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte,
E che sospiri la libertà！
Il duolo infranga queste ritorte de miei martiri sol per pietà,
de miei martiri sol per pietà.
E che sospiri la libertà！
The lyrics above is an Italian aria from the opera Rinaldo composed by Georg Friedrich Händel in 1711. It is sung by the character Almirena in Act II, Scene 4. The character sings about her cruel fate and pleads for her freedom. She expresses her emotions of captivity and the pain she has faced, hoping to find solace in the liberty that she longs for. The phrase "Lascia ch'io pianga" means "let me weep."
The first line, "Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte," is expressive of the character's predicament. She begs for the freedom to weep over her cruel fate without any impediment. The second line, "E che sospiri la libertà！" means "and that I may sigh for liberty!" Here, the character hopes for the freedom to sigh and dream of her liberation. The repeated line "e che sospiri la libertà" emphasizes the character's longing for liberty.
The third and fourth lines, "Il duolo infranga queste ritorte de miei martiri sol per pietà, de miei martiri sol per pietà," mean "May grief break these chains of my sufferings just out of pity, of my sufferings just out of pity." In these lines, the character pleads for relief, hoping that her captors will show mercy by breaking the chains of her sufferings.
Overall, the lyrics express the yearning for liberty and the pain of captivity. It speaks of hopelessness, suffering, and a desperate desire for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte,
Let me weep for my cruel fate,
E che sospiri la libertà！
And let me long for freedom!
E che sospiri,
And let me sigh,
e che sospiri la libertà！
And let me sigh for freedom!
Il duolo infranga queste ritorte de miei martiri sol per pietà,
Let pain break the twisted chains of my suffering out of pity,
de miei martiri sol per pietà.
Of my suffering, only out of pity.
E che sospiri la libertà！
And let me long for freedom!
Contributed by Nolan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fotinibaltsavia2479
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
E che sospiri
E che sospiri
La libertà
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
Il duolo infranga
Queste ritorte
De' miei martiri
Sol per pietà
De' miei martiri
Sol per pietà
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
E che sospiri
E che sospiri
La libertà
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
@fotinibaltsavia2479
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
E che sospiri
E che sospiri
La libertà
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
Il duolo infranga
Queste ritorte
De' miei martiri
Sol per pietà
De' miei martiri
Sol per pietà
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
E che sospiri
E che sospiri
La libertà
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte
E che sospiri
La libertà
@OGUZKAGAN-
Thank you for lycris
@jeremymozlin
I had been looking for this piece for about 15 years--I played it in a guitar ensemble once, where it was erroneously labeled "sarabande." Makes sense, considering the stately tempo and rhythm--but, you can imagine how troublesome it was trying to find the right piece amidst the sea of d minor sarabandes. I finally plugged (what I remembered of) the melody into a tool on the web and found this. I never would have found it if not for that! Anyway, what a gorgeous piece of music. The V42-I6 kills me every time.
@giulioandreetta4226
When music becomes testimony of universal feelings, it will never die...
@troychenier9877
the sorrow in this piece hits deeper than any song I have ever heard.
@lucija_babok_9921
Uh yuh
@loganfruchtman953
“If I had to be born any other composer, I’d choose Handel. He understands effect better than any of us – when he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” W.A Mozart
“Handel was the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head, and kneel before his tomb. Go and learn from him (Handel) how to achieve vast effects with simple means.” - Beethoven
@ompabaletserametse8643
True
@Yohen2525
Handel foi um das almas artísticas mais abençoadas de todos os tempos. Gênio absoluto.
@vonstolzing1
Grande entre los grandes, Händel nos regala lo mejor de su música.