Son questi i crespi crini

General information

This text was first used by Vecchi in his first book of canzonette à 4. Monteverdi used several texts from that book, so in doubt Vecchi’s text may serve as a reference. The text in the Monteverdi print already presents one misprint and one omission, and Malipiero in his 1929 edition of Monteverdi’s canzonette made it even worse, see the annotations.

Settings by composers

• Claudio Monteverdi SAT or SSA
• Orazio Vecchi SSAA, or SSAT, SSTB in transposed version.

Text and translations

Italian text Son questi i crespi crini, è1 questo il viso Ond’io rimango ucciso? Deh, dimilo, ben mio, Che questo sol desio. Questi son gli occhi che mirand’io fiso Tutto restai2 conquiso? Deh … Questa è3 la bocca, è questo il dolce riso Ch’allegra il paradiso? Deh … Ma se questo è, che non mi par bugia, Godianci4, anima mia, Et l’alma al duolo avezza morà5 de la dolcezza.

German translation Sind das die krausen Locke, ist das das Antlitz, durch die ich erschlagen werde? Ach, sage es mir, meine Liebe, denn nur das wünsche ich mir. Sind das die Augen, von denen ich besiegt werde, wenn ich sie fest anschaue? Ach … Ist das der Mund, ist das das süße Lächeln, das das Paradies erfreut? Ach … Aber wenn das so ist (was mir nicht als Täuschung erscheint), lasst uns genießen, mein Leben, und die leidgewohnte Seele wird sterben vor Lust. Translation by Gerhard Weydt

English translation Are these the curly locks, is this the countenance that strike me dead? Alas, tell me, my love, for that alone I do wish. Are these the eyes that conquer me when looking at them steadfastly? Alas … Is this the mouth, is this the sweet smile that delight paradise? Alas … But if this be so (which I do not deem deceit), then let us enjoy, my life, and the soul, used to affliction, will die by delight. Translation by Gerhard Weydt

¹: Both prints consequently use “è” (is) and not “e” (and). Malipiero inconsequently interpreted all instances except the one in the last stanza as “e”, leaving the first half of the third stanza without predicate; which of course would be possible, but yields no better interpretation.
²: Monteverdi’s print has “restal”, which makes no sense.
³: In the Monteverdi print “è” is missing.
⁴: godianci = godiamoci: In Tuscany and its neighbourhood “n” was written instead of “m” in the first person of the plural: noi usciano, andiano, facciano, …
⁵: “morà” (as in Vecchi’s print) is more likely (= morrà in modern Italian) than “mora” (used in Monteverdi’s print), an old congiuntivo form; and the stress on the second syllable fits the music better.