Lascia ch'io pianga
Music for a while Lyrics


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Lascia ch′io pianga
Mia cruda sorte,
E che sospiri la libert?
E che sospiri,
E che sospiri la libert?
Lascia ch'io pianga
Mia cruda sorte,
E che sospiri la libert?

Il duolo infranga
Queste ritorte
De miei martiri
Sol per piet?
De miei martiri
Sol per piet?

Lascia ch′io pianga
Mia cruda sorte,
E che sospiri la libert?
E che sospiri,
E che sospiri la libert?
Lascia ch'io pianga




Mia cruda sorte,
E che sospiri la libert?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lascia ch'io pianga tell the tale of a person experiencing a deep sense of sadness and feeling trapped in their current state of life. The repeated lines of "Lascia ch'io pianga" which means "Let me weep" in Italian, highlight the intense emotional pain that the singer is going through. The phrase "Mia cruda sorte" translates to "my cruel fate" and serves to emphasize the feeling of being helpless and hopeless that the singer feels.


The line "E che sospiri la libertà" means "And may freedom sigh" which suggests that the singer longs for a sense of freedom from their current troubles. This could be a metaphor for a number of things, such as societal restrictions, personal struggles or emotional pain. The singer also wonders if others are sighing for freedom as well, as they repeat the line "E che sospiri" multiple times.


The last line "Il duolo infranga queste ritorte de miei martiri sol per pietà" means "May sorrow break these chains of my torment, if only out of pity." This implies that the singer feels trapped and weighed down by their pain, and is willing to have their suffering end through any means necessary. Overall, the lyrics of Lascia ch'io pianga convey a sense of despair and longing for freedom, highlighting the universal human desire for relief from emotional pain.


Line by Line Meaning

Lascia ch′io pianga
Let me weep


Mia cruda sorte,
For my cruel fate


E che sospiri la libert?
And that liberty may sigh?


E che sospiri,
And that it may sigh


E che sospiri la libert?
And that liberty may sigh?


Il duolo infranga
May sorrow break


Queste ritorte
These chains


De miei martiri
Of my torments


Sol per pietà?
Only out of pity?


Lascia ch’io pianga
Let me weep


Mia cruda sorte,
For my cruel fate


E che sospiri la libertà?
And that liberty may sigh?


E che sospiri,
And that it may sigh


E che sospiri la libertà?
And that liberty may sigh?


Lascia ch’io pianga
Let me weep


Mia cruda sorte,
For my cruel fate


E che sospiri la libertà?
And that liberty may sigh?




Writer(s): George Friedric Handel, Giacomo Rossi, Knud Jeppesen

Contributed by Andrew L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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