Vocal duet with Piano

Insegna quai donne si deunon’e leggere per prenderle per moglie 2008

(Instructions on taking the right kind of wife) text from Documenti d’Amore by (Francesco Barbarino

This is written in wonderfully archaic Italian and is very practical advice about the best kind of woman to marry.  It is intended to be performed with a dramatic flavor!

K A E Z A  F E A R N  composer ~ pianist ~ educator

© 2009 Kaeza Fearn

Insegna quai donne... text by Francesco Barbarino (1264-1348), translation (in progress) by Kaeza Fearn

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Vuò tu moglier pigliare?

Non ti convien curare,

Averla molto bella;

Che vuol troppa guardia ella.

Ne laida vuò che prenda;

Che forse noia ti renda.

Di communal piagere

E statura la dei avere.

E cercando costei;

Guardati da colei,

Ch’è troppo gran parliera;

Et a ballil leggiera;

Pur’a lisciar’ intende;

Gran gente in lei s’intende;

E che va per usanza

Ad ogni perdonanza;

Se ben non si vedesse,

Ch’ella per Dio’l facesse;

E se volge guardando.

E dallei che cantando

Per vie, o piaze vane;

O ch’a fenestra stane

Più, ch’allei si convegna;

E dallei, che contegna

Fa troppo in gir per via

Con l’altre in compagnia.

Ancor vuò, che ti guardi

Dallei, che gitta i guardi

Settocchio in zà e là;

Che di mai tratti da.

Toglila sì ornate,

Como ti sia mostrata

Nel libro, ch’io t’ò ditto

Ch’ò per le donne scritto.

Che se cotal l’aurai,

E guardar la vorrai;

Leggier’ assai ti fia;

Ch’ella il vorrà, con dia.

E s’ella non è tale;

Tua guardia poco vale

Però non t’insegno;

Ch’io perderei ogni pegno

Sù la promessa, ch’io

Ti desse a questo invio.

La tua bella figliuola,

Se tu ben guardar vuola,

Quel libro ancor te’l pone

Ch’io t’o detto pur mone,

Colà, dov’egli insegna

Quel, ch’a madre convegna.

Do you want to take a wife?

Take care

not to have her be very beautiful

That you want to look at her too much.

Nor ugly do you want

that maybe she annoys you.

To please everyone

and to have the stature of gods

And the woman searching

Seen by her

That she talks too big,

And light on the dancing floor

Purely with the intention to flatter,

Great people understand her

And that she goes by custom

To every indulgence

if she were not seen well

that she would do it for God

And if she turns around watching.

And from her singing

on streets and vain piazzas

Or that she stands at the window

More than she ought to

And, would that she would restrain herself,

Walks around too much on the streets

with others in company.

You also want her to look at you

and not to throw looks

Eyes here and there

That she wouldn’t toss to you.

Indeed rather detailed

the way it is shown to you

In the book, which I have told you,

I wrote for women.

That if such gentle breezes

And you would want to look at her;

to read as much as pleases you

That she would want whatever you want,

And that she is not such

As you would look at of little worth

But I do not teach you;

I would lose every pledge

On the premise that I

would dictate to you at this consignment

Your beautiful lady

If you would like to take a good look at

This book I place again before you

That I have also told you

with that where it instructs

what is agreeable to a mother.