Werner Icking Music Archive: Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa

Ma tu, cagion di quella atroce pena: Ma tu, cagion di quella atroce pena
Che a la morte mi mena,
Mira, mal grado tuo, pietoso effetto
De la tua crudeltà, del mio tormento,
Che, morendo, al mio duol morte non sento.

But you, the cause of that appalling torture
which will end my life,
see how, despite yourself, one merciful effect flows from your cruelty
and the suffering it inflicts:
as I die, I am already in such torment
that I shall be oblivious to the pain of dying.

English translation by Mick Swithinbank at CPDL