A Musicall Banquet – XIII. Ce penser

Pierre Guédron (c1565 - c1621): Si le parler et le silence, air de cour (pubblicato in Airs de différents auteurs mis en tablature de luth par Gabriel Bataille, Parigi 1608; poi a cura di Robert Dowland in A Musicall Banquet, Londra 1610, n. XII). Nigel Rogers, tenore; Anthony Bailes, liuto.

Ce penser qui sans fin tirannise ma vie
se montre tellement contre moi conjuré,
que tant plus jé m’efforce à dompter son ennuie
at tant moins à mon bien je le vois préparé.

J’ai quitté la beauté dont il a pris naissance,
espérant par l’oublie ses charmes décevoir
mais je trouve à la fin que la venue et l’absence
sont tous deux différents, et d’un même pouvoir.

J’ay maintefois juré du change faire espreuve
Pour faire qu’un dessein fust par l’autre deffait,
Mais à toutes les fois, aussi tost je me treuve
Infidelle en parole, & fidelle en effect.

J’ay des plus fiers dedains la puissance empruntée
Pour repousser le trait dont j’ay le coeur attaint,
Mais plus je recognois par par leur force domptée
Ma douleur veritable & mon remede feint.

Ainsi donc combatant le mal qui me possede
Sans voir par ces moyens ses tempestes calmer,
Je me vay consommant dans mon propre remede
Comme un Vaisseau qui brusle au milieu de la Mer.

Voilà comme en vivant en toute servitude
Je nourris un penser dont l’impiteux effort,
Se montre en mon endroit si plain d’ingratitude
Qu’en luy donnant la vie il me donne la mort.

A Musicall Banquet – VII. To Plead My Faith

 
Daniel Bacheler (1572 - 1618 o 1619): Change thy mind since she doth change, ayre su testo di Robert Devereux, II conte di Essex (1567 - 1601). Nigel Rogers, tenore; Anthony Bailes, liuto.

To plead my faith, where faith hath no reward;
to move remorse, where favour is not borne;
to heap complaints, where she doth not regard,
were fruitless, bootless, vain and yield but scorn.

I loved her whom all the world admir’d.
I was refus’d of her that can love none;
and my vain hope, which far too high aspir’d,
is dead and buried and for ever gone.

Forget my name, since you have scorn’d my love,
and womanlike do not too late lament;
since for your sake I do all mischief prove,
I none accuse nor nothing do repent.
I was as fond as ever she was fair,
yet lov’d I not more than I now despair.

Nella raccolta A Musicall Banquet, pubblicata a Londra nel 1610 a cura di Robert Dowland, il secondo brano composto su testo di Robert Devereux è opera di Daniel Bacheler, liutista e compositore che fu dapprima al servizio di sir Francis Walsingham, potente ministro di Elisabetta I; in seguito attivo presso lo stesso conte di Essex. venne infine nominato groom of the privy chamber della regina consorte Anna di Danimarca.

A Musicall Banquet: V. Go, my flock

Anonimo (sec. XVI-XVII): Go, my flock, go get you hence, ayre su testo di Philip Sidney (1554 - 1586) tratto da Astrophel and Stella. Nigel Rogers, tenore; Anthony Bailes, liuto.

Go, my flock, go get you hence,
Seek some other place of feeding;
Where you may have some defence
From the storms in my breast breeding
And showers from mine eyes proceeding.

Leave a wretch in whom all woe
Can abide to keep no measure:
Merry flock! such one forego,
Unto whom mirth is displeasure:
Only rich in mischief’s treasure.

Stella! fayrest shepherdess!
Fayrest but yet cruelst ever!
Stella! whom the heav’ns still bless!
Though against me she persever;
Though I bliss inherit never.

Stella hath refusèd me!
Astrophel that so well servèd,
In this pleasant spring, must see,
While in pride flowers be preservèd
Himself only winter-starvèd.

Why, alas, then doth she swear
That she loveth me so dearly?
Seeing me so long to bear
Coals of love that burn so clearly:
And yet leave me hopeless merely?

No, she hates me, well away!
Fayning love, somewhat to please me:
Knowing, if she should display
All her hate, Death would soon seize me,
And of hideous torments ease me.

Then my dear flock now adieu!
But, alas, if in your straying,
Heavenly Stella meet with you,
Tell her, in your piteous blaying,
Her poor slave’s unjust decaying.

Personalità di spicco nell’Inghilterra elisabettiana, sir Philip Sidney è noto fra l’altro quale autore di una raccolta di versi (108 sonetti e 11 canzoni) in stile petrarchesco, pubblicata postuma nel 1591 con il titolo Astrophel and Stella: vi si celebra l’amore del poeta per Penelope Devereux (1563 - 1607).
Sorella maggiore del più noto Robert, 2° conte di Essex e favorito di Elisabetta I, quando aveva 13 anni Penelope fu promessa in sposa a Sidney; per ragioni non del tutto chiarite, il progetto andò a monte e, all’inizio del 1581, Penelope sposò controvoglia Robert Rich, in seguito 1° conte di Warwick (1559 - 1619), dal quale ebbe sette figli; nei versi di Sidney ricorre sovente il termine rich, evidente allusione al nome assunto dall’amata con questo matrimonio. Nel 1595 Penelope divenne amante di Charles Blount, 8° barone Mountjoy (1563 - 1606), il quale le diede altri tre figli; ottenuto il divorzio nel 1605, alla fine di quell’anno Penelope sposò Blount.
L’ayre composto da autore ignoto sul testo di Go, my flock, nona canzone di Astrophel and Stella, venne pubblicato da Robert Dowland nella raccolta A Musicall Banquet (Londra 1610, n. IIII) — questa antologia è dedicata a sir Robert Sidney, fratello di Philip e padrino del curatore.

A Musicall Banquet – III. Change thy mind

 
Richard Martin (XVI-XVII secolo): Change thy mind since she doth change, ayre su testo (risalente al 1597) di Robert Devereux, II conte di Essex (1567 - 1601). Nigel Rogers, tenore; Anthony Bailes, liuto.

Change thy mind since she doth change,
Let not fancy still abuse thee.
Thy untruth cannot seem strange
When her falsehood doth excuse thee.
Love is dead and thou art free;
She doth live, but dead to thee.

Whilst she lov’d thee best awhile,
See how she hath still delay’d thee,
Using shows for to beguile
Those vain hopes that have deceiv’d thee.
Now, thou see’st although too late
Love loves truth, which women hate.

Love no more since she is gone;
She is gone and loves another.
Being once deceiv’d by one,
Leave her love, but love none other.
She was false, bid her adieu;
She was best, but yet; untrue.

Love, farewell, more dear to me
Than my life which thou preservest.
Life, all joys are gone from thee,
Others have what thou deservest.
O my death doth spring from hence;
I must die for her offence.

[Die, but yet before thou die,
Make her know what she hath gotten.
She in whom my hopes did lie
Now is chang’d, I quite forgotten.
She is chang’d, but changed base,
Baser in so vile a place.]

Presente nella raccolta A Musicall Banquet, pubblicata a Londra nel 1610 a cura di Robert Dowland, Change thy mind è l’unica composizione pervenutaci di Richard Martin, musicista del quale si ignora pressoché tutto.