Invocazione di Boezio (Boethius, set by L. Dallapiccola) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Felix qui potuit boni 
Fontem visere lucidum : 
Felix qui potuit [gravis]¹ 
Terræ solvere vincula. 
Quondam funera coniugis 
Vates Threicius gemens, 
Postquam flebilibus modis 
Sylvas currere, mobiles 
Amnes stare coëgerat;
Junxitque intrepidum latus
Sævis cerva leonibus,
Nec visum timuit lepus
Jam cantu placidum canem;
Cum flagrantior intima 
Fervor pectoris ureret, 
Nec qui cuncta subegerant, 
Mulcerent dominum modi, 
Immites Superos querens, 
Infernas adiit domos. 
Illic blanda sonantibus 
Chordis carmina temperans, 
Quicquid præcipuis Deæ 
Matris fontibus hauserat, 
Quod luctus dabat impotens, 
Quod luctum geminans amor, 
Deflet, Tænara commovens, 
Et dulci veniam prece 
Umbrarum dominos rogat. 
Stupet tergeminus novo
Captus carmine janitor:
Quæ sontes agitant metu
Ultrices scelerum Deæ,
Jam mœstæ lacrymis madent:
Non Ixionium caput
Velox præcipitat rota,
Et longa site perditus
Spernit flumina Tantalus:
Vultur dum satur est modis,
Non traxit Tityi jecur.
Tandem, Vincimur, arbiter 
Umbrarum miserans ait : 
Donemus comitem viro 
Emtam carmine conjugem ; 
Sed lex dona coërceat, 
Ne, dum Tartara liquerit 
Fas sit lumina flectere.
Quis legem det amantibus ? 
Major lex amor est sibi. 
Heu, noctis prope terminos 
Orpheus Eurydicen suam 
Vidit, perdidit, occidit. 
Vos hæc fabula respicit, 
Quicumque in superum diem 
Mentem ducere quæritis. 
Nam qui Tartareum in specus 
Victus lumina flexerit, 
Quicquid præcipuum trahit,
Perdit, dum videt Inferos.

View text without footnotes
¹ Dallapiccola: "boni"

Authorship

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c480-524)

De consolatione philosophiae

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Luigi Dallapiccola (1904-1975)

Canti prigionia

Date added to the website: 2009-11-02.

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