Francesca Caccini
1618.29

✤  View another piece from this Opus / Collection →

Chi desia di saper

Originally for Soprano and basso continuo.
Original Language: Italian

Chi desia di saper che cosa è amore,
Io dirò, che non sia se non ardore,
Che non sia se non dolore,
Che non sia se non timore,
Che non sia se non furore;
Io dirò che non sia se non ardore,
Chi desia di saper che cosa è amore.

Chi mi domanderà s'amor' io sento,
Io dirò che'l mio foco è tutto spento,
Ch'io non provo più tormento,
Ch'io non tremo, ne pavento,
Ch'io ne vivo ogn' or contento;
Io dirò che'l mio foco è tutto spento,
Chi mi domandera s'amor' io sento.

Chi mi consiglierà ch'io debb' amare,
Io dirò che non vo' più sospirare,
Ne temere, ne sperare,
Ne avvampare, ne gelare,
Ne languire, ne penare;
Io dirò che non vò più sospirare,
Chi mi consiglierà ch'io debb' amare.

Chi d'amor crederrà dolce il gioire,
Io dirò che più dolce è amor fuggire,
Ne piegarsi al suo desire,
Ne tentar suoi sdegni, et ire,
Ne provare il suo martire;
Io dirò che più dolce è amor fuggire,
Chi d'amor crederrà dolce il gioire.

Poet:
M. Buonarotti (Il passatempo, 1614)
English

To whoever wants to know

To whoever wants to know what love is,
I'll say it's nothing if not fever,
nothing if not suffering,
nothing if not dread,
nothing if not fury;
I'll say it's nothing if not passion
to whoever wants to know what love is.

To whoever asks if I'm in love,
I'll say that my fire is all burned out,
that I'm no longer tormented,
that I don't tremble, I'm not fearful,
and thus I live in contentment all the time;
I'll say that my fire is all burned out
to whoever asks if I'm in love.

To whoever advises me love,
I'll say I've had enough of sighing,
of being fearful, of hoping,
of burning, of freezing,
of languishing, of pain;
I'll say I've had enough of sighing
To whoever advises me love.

To whoever believes in the sweet joy of love,
I'll say it's sweeter to flee from love,
not to submit to its will,
not to tempt its disdain and ire,
not to feel its tormenting;
I'll say it's sweeter to flee from love
to whoever believes in the sweet joy of love.

Translated by:

Richard Kolb

Find the score...

Cover of Chi desia de saper

Chi desia de saper

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.

Now available at CorDonatoEditions.com!

Purchase score →

Find recordings...

  • À sa guitare

    guitar, Thibaut Garcia, Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor

    Erato (2021) [Audio CD, Vinyl Record]

    • Track #4 - Chi desia di saper (voice, guitar) [2:15]
    Purchase →
  • Donne Barocche

    Gabriella Di Laccio, soprano, Audacium Baroque Ensemble

    Drama Musica [Audio CD]

    • Track #5 - Chi desia di saper (s, bc) [2:33]
    Purchase →
  • Francesca Caccini, Maddalena Casulana, Vittoria Aleotti

    Noël Akchoté, guitar

    Believe Digital (2018) [Digital / MP3]

    • Track #19 - Chi desia di saper (solo guitar) [:34]
    Purchase →
  • Francesca Caccini: Maria, Dolce Maria

    Sacred and Secular Songs

    Elena Cecchi Fedi, soprano, Gian Luca Lastraioli, theorbo, Cappella di Santa Maria degli Angiolini

    Brilliant Classics (2013) [Digital / MP3]

    • Track #16 - Chi desia de saper (s, bc) [2:46]
    Purchase →
  • La femme

    Journey of Female Composers

    Flaka Goranci, mezzo-soprano, World Chamber Orchestra

    Naxos (2022) [Audio CD, Digital / MP3]

    • Track #17 - Chi desia di saper (mezzo-soprano, arr. chamber orchestra) [3:00]
    Purchase →
  • La Musica

    16th & 17th Century Music and a 20th Century Surprise

    Carole Plantamura, soprano, Jürgen Hübscher, lute, Beverly Lauridsen, viola da gamba

    Leonarda (2006) [Audio CD]

    • Track #1 - Che desia di saper (s, bc)
    Purchase →
  • What Artemisia Heard

    Music and Art from the Time of Caravaggio and Gentileschi

    Richard Savino, baroque guitar and theorbo, El Mundo, Jennifer Ellis Kampani, soprano, Céline Ricci, soprano, Lisa Grodin, violin, Adam Cockerham, theorbo, Paul Psarras, baroque guitar

    Sono Luminus (2017) [Audio CD, Digital / MP3]

    • Track #11 - Chi desia di saper (soprano, baroque guitar, theorbo) [2:00]
    Purchase →
crossmenu