Era il bel viso

General information

Author: Ludovico Ariosto, 1516 in Orlando Furioso. Canto XI, ottava 65

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Antonio Barré — Era il bel viso suo  Italian SAAB
• Jean de Castro — Er'il bel viso suo  Italian STT
• Marco Antonio de Pordenon — Era il bel viso suo  Italian SATB
• Cipriano de Rore — Era il bel viso suo  Italian SATB
• Alessandro Striggio — Era'l bel viso  Italian SATTB
• Giaches de Wert — Era il bel viso suo  Italian SATB

Text and translations

Italian text Era'l bel viso suo qual esser suole Da prima ver'alcuna volt'il cielo Quando la pioggia cade e'a un temp'il sole Si sgombr'intorn'il nubiloso velo E come'il Rosignuol dolci carole Mena nei rami'alhor del verde stelo Così'alle belle lagrime le piume Si bagn'amore e gode al chiaro lume.

English translation Her face was such as sometimes in the spring We see a doubtful sky, when on the plain A shower descends, and the sun, opening His cloudy veil, looks out amid the rain. And as the nightingale then loves to sing From branch of verdant stem her dulcet strain, So in her beauteous tears his pinions bright Love bathes, rejoicing in the crystal light. Translation by William Stewart Rose