Lamento Della Ninfa
Claudio Monteverdi Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Non havea Febo ancora
Recato al mondo il dí,
Ch'una donzella fuora
Del proprio albergo uscí.
Sul pallidetto volto
Scorgeasi il suo dolor,
Spesso gli venia sciolto
Un gran sospir dal cor.
Sí calpestando fiori
Errava hor qua, hor là,
I suoi perduti amori
Cosí piangendo va.
Amor
(Dicea)
Amor
(il ciel mirando,
il piè fermo,)
Amor
Dove, dov'è la fè
Ch'el traditor giurò?
(Miserella)
Fa che ritorni il mio
Amor com'ei pur fu,
O tu m'ancidi, ch'io
Non mi tormenti più.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)Non vo' più ch'ei sospiri
se lontan da me,
No, no che i martiri
Più non dirammi affè.
(Ah miserella, ah più, no, no)
Perché di lui mi struggo, Tutt'orgoglioso sta,
Che sí, che sí se'l fuggo
Ancor mi pregherà?
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)

Se ciglio ha più sereno
Colei, che'l mio non è,
Già non rinchiude in seno
Amor sí bella fè.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
Ne mai sí dolci baci
Da quella bocca havrai,
Ne più soavi, ah taci,
Taci, che troppo il sai.
(Miserella)

Phoebus had not yet brought
The day to the world,
When a maiden so angry
Came out of her house.
On her pale face
Her pain could be read,
And every so often
A heavy sigh came from her
heart.
Stepping on flowers,
She wandered from here to there,
Bewailing her lost love
With these words.Amor
(Dicea)
Amor
(il ciel mirando,
il piè fermo,)
Amor
Dove, dov'è la fè
Ch'el traditor giurò?
(Miserella)
Fa che ritorni il mio
Amor com'ei pur fu,
O tu m'ancidi, ch'io
Non mi tormenti più.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)Non vo' più ch'ei sospiri
se lontan da me,
No, no che i martiri
Più non dirammi affè.
(Ah miserella, ah più, no, no)
Perché di lui mi struggo, Tutt'orgoglioso sta,
Che sí, che sí se'l fuggo
Ancor mi pregherà?
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)

Se ciglio ha più sereno
Colei, che'l mio non è,
Già non rinchiude in seno
Amor sí bella fè.
(Miserella, ah più, no,
Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
Ne mai sí dolci baci
Da quella bocca havrai,
Ne più soavi, ah taci,
Taci, che troppo il sai.

Sí tra sdegnosi pianti
Spargea le voci al ciel;




Cosí ne' cori amanti
Mesce amor fiamma, e gel.

Overall Meaning

The song Lamento della Ninfa, composed by Claudio Monteverdi, narrates the story of a young woman who has lost her lover and is wandering aimlessly through the fields in agony. She expresses her pain and anguish through a soliloquy where she cries out to Love for a resolution. The opening lines of the song indicate that it is still early in the day, and the young woman is already outside of her house, bereft of hope and love. She weeps and sighs uncontrollably, and as she steps on the flowers, she reminisces about her lost lover.


The woman appeals to Love for help, asking where the faith is that her traitorous lover swore. She begs for her lover to return to her, as he once was, or to kill her, so that she may not suffer anymore. The woman disputes her lover's pride and questions whether he will plead with her to come back if she were to leave him. She laments that her lover's kisses are no longer hers, and her sadness only increases as the other people around her seem happier than she is. The song ends with her cries to heaven as she pours out her pain, which echoes in the hearts of lovers enduring the same fate as she.


Line by Line Meaning

Non havea Febo ancora
The day had not yet arrived.


Recato al mondo il dí,
When the sun brought the day to the world.


Ch'una donzella fuora
A maiden came out of her house.


Del proprio albergo uscí.
And stepped out into the street.


Sul pallidetto volto
Her pale face indicated.


Scorgeasi il suo dolor,
The pain she was feeling was visible.


Spesso gli venia sciolto
Frequently she would release.


Un gran sospir dal cor.
Heavy sighs from her heart.


Sí calpestando fiori
Stepping on flowers.


Errava hor qua, hor là,
Wandering aimlessly.


I suoi perduti amori
Bewailing her lost love.


Cosí piangendo va.
She was crying all the way.


Amor
Love


(Dicea)
She said,


Amor
Love


(il ciel mirando,
Looking up at the sky,


il piè fermo,)
motionless.


Amor
Love


Dove, dov'è la fè
Where, where is the faith


Ch'el traditor giurò?
That the traitor swore?


(Miserella)
She cried,


Fa che ritorni il mio
Make my love return to me,


Amor com'ei pur fu,
As he once was.


O tu m'ancidi, ch'io
Or else kill me,


Non mi tormenti più.
So I don't have to suffer anymore.


(Miserella, ah più, no,
She pleaded,


Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
She couldn't bear the pain anymore.


Non vo' più ch'ei sospiri
I don't want him to sigh anymore,


se lontan da me,
If he's far from me,


No, no che i martiri
No, I don't want the suffering


Più non dirammi affè.
To remind me of my love.


(Ah miserella, ah più, no, no)
She cried out in despair.


Perché di lui mi struggo,
Why do I long for him,


Tutt'orgoglioso sta,
When he's so proud and arrogant,


Che sí, che sí se'l fuggo
And even if I avoid him,


Ancor mi pregherà?
Will he still beg for me?


(Miserella, ah più, no,
She cried out,


Tanto gel soffrir non può.)
She couldn't bear the pain anymore.


Se ciglio ha più sereno
If her eyes are calmer


Colei, che'l mio non è,
Than the one he loves instead of me,


Già non rinchiude in seno
It's because she doesn't hold in her heart


Amor sí bella fè.
The beautiful faith of love.


(Miserella, ah più, no, no.)
She cried out in despair.


Ne mai sí dolci baci
She will never receive sweet kisses


Da quella bocca havrai,
From the mouth that once kissed her,


Ne più soavi, ah taci,
Nor will she hear sweeter words,


Taci, che troppo il sai.
So she keeps silent because she knows it too well.


Sí tra sdegnosi pianti
Amidst her angry tears,


Spargea le voci al ciel;
She raised her voice to the heavens;


Cosí ne' cori amanti
So does love mix flame and ice


Mesce amor fiamma, e gel.
In the hearts of lovers.




Writer(s): ANTHONY ROOLEY, MONTEVERDI (DP)

Contributed by Dominic A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@mariuszlis6794

«Amor», dicea, e ’l piè,
mirando il ciel, fermò,
«Dove, dov’è la fe’
che ’l traditor giurò?»
Miserella, ah più no, no,
tanto gel soffrir non può.
«Fa che ritorni il mio
amor com’ei pur fu,
o tu m’ancidi, ch’io
non mi tormenti più.
Non vo’ più ch’ei sospiri
se non lontan da me,
no, no che i martiri
più non darammi affè.
Perché di lui mi struggo,
tutt’orgoglioso sta,
che si, che si se ’l fuggo
ancor mi pregherà?
Se ciglio ha più sereno
colei che ’l mio non è,
già non rinchiude in seno
amor si bella fè.
Né mai sì dolci baci
da quella bocca avrai,
nè più soavi, ah taci,
taci, che troppo il sai.



All comments from YouTube:

@graysonwaddell1265

Here from the new Castlevania trailer, what an incredible piece of music. Thanks for sharing it!!

@JeffreyStivers

You’re welcome. It’s certainly one of most famous pieces of western music. I’m happy to hear that it’s included in that trailer.

@jeanninejohnson8633

Where can I purchase this I’m in love

@JeffreyStivers

@@jeanninejohnson8633 The link is included in the video description, but here it is for convenience. https://www.amazon.com/Teatro-DAmore-Christina-Pluhar/dp/B001KYJA6K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373315902&sr=8-3&keywords=l%27arpeggiata

@jeanninejohnson8633

@@JeffreyStivers thank you so much

@JeffreyStivers

@@jeanninejohnson8633 You’re welcome.

15 More Replies...

@mariusciobanu21

It's amazing how in our age a musical artwork like this will finally be known by many other people thanks to the association with the new Castlevania Nocturne trailer.
I personally knew it for years and it has always been my favorite classic song, but I am really very happy that now I will be able to share this pleasure with many other new people around the world.

@beacarrilloc

My fav madrigal

@Gunlord

HYDRO STORM

Seriously though I like classical/baroque music but I hadnt heard of this piece before I saw the Netflixvania trailer, so I'm definitely happy lol.

@lockekappa500

Thank you for letting us know you were a fan "before it was cool" XD

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