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Alonso Mudarra

¿Qué llantos son aquestos?

 

Tres libros de música en cifra (1546), fol. III/23

mu059

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Source title Sonetto a la muerte de la serenissima princesa doña maria nue[str[ra señora va a manera de dialogo. Entonase la box en la segunda al tercero traste.
Title in contents   Que llantos son aquestos.
Text incipit Qve lla[n]tos son aquestos


Music

Category song

Genre Soneto

Fantasia type

Mode 4

Voices 4

Length (compases) 84

Vihuela

Tuning F#

Courses 6

Final IV/0

Highest I/6

Lowest VI/1

Difficulty not specified

Tempo medium

Song Text

Language ES

Vocal notation texted staff notation

Commentary

An anonymous sonnet written on the death of the Serene Princess María Manuela of Portugal, daughter of Joao III and Doña Catalina, who, married in Salamanca with Philip II on 13 November 1543 and who died in Valladolid, after giving birth to Prince Carlos, on I2 July, I545. It has been speculated that the sonnet set by Mudarra may have been composed by Jorge Montemayor who had accompanied the princess to Spain and who had written a burial poem for her.
The musical structure is closely based on the poetic form and the dialogue implicit in the text, and using the same music for both quatrains of the sonnet, melodic register changes, and metrical changes.

Song Text

¿Qué llantos son aquéstos? ¿Qué fatiga
es ésta? ¿Qué tristeza es la que veo?
Murió nuestra princesa, la qual, creo
que fué más de virtud, que nadie, amiga

Como en los mesmos dioses, la enemiga
del hombre, así esecuta su deseo.
- Sí que la muerte puede, según beo,
hazer que lo mortal el alma siga.

~ Pues ¿qué. es de su poder y su grandeza?
Agora todo le es sin fruto y vano.:
Desamparóle todo al paso fuerte.
iO, miserable y frágil ser humano!
iO, q uán poca zeniza en tal tristeza
la llama y resplandor claro, convierte!

What tears are these? What weariness
is this? What sadnees do I see?
Our princess is dead, she who, I believe,
was of greater virtue than anyone, a friend.

Like in the Gods themselves, the enemy
of man, an so executes his desire.
- Yes, death can, according to what I see
accomplish that the the mortal soul might follow.

- Then, what of his power and grandeur?
Now, everythin is to him without fruit and in vain:
Abandon him to the firm footstep.
Oh miserable adn fragile human being!
Oh what little ash in such sadness
the flame and clear light are converted.

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