LADY GREENSLEEVES
Melodia tradizionale
La melodia risale alla fine del
500, mentre la lirica, un canto d'amore di un gentiluomo alla sua Lady Greenleeves,
(la Signora dalle maniche Verdi) è del 1652. La leggenda vuole che sia stato
Enrico VIII a scrivere tale canto per Anna Bolena durante il loro regno nel
1530. La lirica si presta ad essere interpretata più ironicamente, come il
lamento di un gentiluomo verso una moglie bisbetica
Dopo la guerra civile americana,
William Chatterton Dix ha usato la melodia per scrivere il famoso
christmas-carol popolare “What child is this”.
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves my
heart of gold
Greensleeves was
my heart of joy
And who but my
lady Greensleeves.
Alas my love you
do me wrong
To cast me off
discourteously;
And I have loved
you oh so long
Delighting in
your company.
I have been ready at your hand
To grant
whatever thou would'st crave;
I have waged
both life and land
Your love and
goodwill for to have.
Thy petticoat of
sendle white
With gold
embroidered gorgeously;
Thy petticoat of
silk and white
And these I
bought gladly.
Ahimè mio amore,
non mi rendi giustizia
a respingermi scortesemente,
ti ho amato a lungo
deliziandomi in tua compagnia.
Sono stato al tuo servizio
per concederti qualsiasi cosa tu avessi
bramato.
Ho smosso vite e terre per ottenere il tuo
amore.
La gonna di zendalo bianco
sfarzosamente ricamata d’oro
ti ho comprato con gioia.
Greensleeves era la mia delizia, il mio
cuore d’oro, la mia gioia, chi altri se non
la mia Lady Greensleeves
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(versione
integrale)
Alas,
my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Your vows you've broken, like my heart,
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?
Now I remain in a world apart
But my heart remains in captivity.
I have been ready at your hand,
To grant whatever you would crave,
I have both wagered life and land,
Your love and good-will for to have.
If you intend thus to disdain,
It does the more enrapture me,
And even so, I still remain
A lover in captivity.
My men were clothed all in green,
And they did ever wait on thee;
All this was gallant to be seen,
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,
but still thou hadst it readily.
Thy music still to play and sing;
And yet thou wouldst not love me.
Well, I will pray to God on high,
that thou my constancy mayst see,
And that yet once before I die,
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me.
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell,
adieu,
To God I pray to prosper thee,
For I am still thy lover true,
Come once again and love me.
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