At the beginning of my adventure in Bremen I had a stint (albeit, and ufortunately, a short one – even for the widely tolerant Bremensians it was too hard to squeeze me in a beaurocratic german grid) at coaching singers, German or lingua franca English speakers, in Italian: all non-italian singers simply want and need to sing Italian texts.
Very quickly I ended up putting together a compact, essential vocabulary covering just about everything you have to sing from early Frottole to Baroque Cantatas.
I really don’t know how many of you might profit from these english and german translations, but the work was done many years ago and all I had to do was move things here from my old notebook, so if even a single one of you can find it at all useful it’s worth its while.
Just a warning: it’s pretty useless in modern colloquial Italian – unless you wish to gain huge sympathies through your quaint elocution; but cliches hardly changed over the centuries and so it is a fairly useful passepartout to understand what affetti you are supposed to convey.
N.B. tonic accents: u and i are always closed, a is always open: unaccented e and o are always closed, accented ones can be open ` or closed ´
ACCÈNTO (usually pl.) words (gew. pl.) Wörter
ACÈRBO bitter, scharp (lit. sour) bitter, scharf (lit.sauer)
ADORARE worship, adore anbeten
AFFANNO afflictioin, anguish; toil Schmerz, Kummer
AFFANNATO afflicted, anguishing, troubled betrübt, gequält
ALMA soul, spirit Seele, Geist
ALMO divine, noble, high seelig, edel, erhaben
ALTÈRO proud, haughty, conceited stolz, hochmutig
ANCÍDERE kill töten
ÀRDERE burn brennen
ARDÓRE ardour, passion Glut, Leidenschaft
ARDÉNTE burning brennend
ASPRO v. ACERBO
ÀURA, aurétta air, gentle breeze Hauch, Brize
AVVAMPARE catch fire, burn; blush entzünden; glühen
BEATO blissful, happy selig, glücklich
BÈNE any value of worth : justice, love etc.
jeder grad von wertschätzung : Liebe, Gerechtigkeit, etc.
BRAMA desire, longing Wunsch, Verlangen
CATÉNA chain Kette, Fessel
CIECO blind blind
CIGLIO eye (lit. eyelash) Auge (lit. Wimpern)
COCÈNTE burning brennend, glühend
CONCÈNTO harmony Harmonie
CRINE hair Haare
CRUDO/CRUDELE cruel, pityless grausam, erbarmungslos
DARDO dart, arrow; often meaning: glance Pfeil; aber oft: Blick
QUADRÈLLO, SAETTA, STRALE do w.o.
DISDÉGNO disdain, scorn, despite nicht für würdig halten, Verachtung
DISPRÉZZO, DISPRÉGIO do w.o.
DÒGLIA, DUÒLO pain Schmerz
DESÍO, DISÍO desire Verlangen
ÈBBRO inebriated, drunken berauscht, betrunken
ÈMPIO mercyless, cruel gnadenlos, grausam
FALLÀCE deceptive, illusory trügerisch, täuschend
FARÈTRA sheath Köcher
FAVILLA/RE spark; sparkle Funke; funkeln, strahlen
FEDÉLE faithful, true treu
FERIRE wound verwunden
FERITA wound; adj. wounded Wunde; adj. verwundet
FIÈRO; FIERA proud; cruel (lit. wild animal) stolz; grausam (lit. wildes Tier)
FÈRO ferocious, wild, cruel wild, grausam
FÉ(CE)RO they did, made sie taten, machten
FÒLLE foolish närrisch, leichtsinnig
FURO, furare thief; steal Dieb; stehlen
FURO (furono) they were sie waren
FURÓRE fury, rage (also: madness) Raserei, Wut (auch: Wahnsinn)
GÈLO, gelare ice; freeze Eis; erfrieren
G(H)IACCIO do w.o.
GIÒIA joy Freude
GRAVE serious, grave, heavy; low schwer, ernst; tief
GUIDERDÓNE reward Lohn
INCAUTO rash, uncautious unforsichtig, leichtsinnig
INCOSTANTE fickle wankelmutig, launish
INFEDELE unfaithful untreu
INGANNO, ingannare deceit; deceive Betrug; betrügen
INGRATO ungrateful; merciless undankbar; gnadenlos
INSIDIA, insiodióso peril, danger; treacherous Gefahr, Falle; heimtückisch
LACCIO snare, tie, bond Falle, Band, Fessel
LAMPO glance (lit. lightning) Blick (lit. Blitz)
LANGUIRE, illanguidire languish, pine for; schmachten nach;
languido, languente languishing, languid schmachtend, matt
LASCIVO seducing, enticing, alluring verführerisch
LUCÈNTE bright, dazzling, shining glänzend, leuchtend
LUME lumi eyes (lit. lights) Augen (lit. Licht)
LUSINGA(RE) flatter, entice, cajole locken, schmeicheln
MANCARE (sentirsi) faint, swoon ohnmächtig werden, schmachten
MERCÉ(DE) merci, pity; reward Gnade, Erbarmen; Lohn
MÉSTO sad, afflicted traurig, elend
MÍSERO wretched, miserable, unhappy elend, unglücklich
MOLÈSTO opprerssing, irritating lästig
NÒDO knot, bond Knote, Fessel
PÉNA pain, trouble, sorrow, punishment Schmerz, Qual, Sorge, Leid
PENÓSO painful, pitiful, miserable schmerzlich, peinvoll, peinlich
PIAGA, piagare wound (to) Wunde; verwunden
PLACARE sooth, appease beruhigen, besänftigen
PÚNGERE sting, prick stecken
PUNGÈNTE stinging, biting, sharp scharf, beißend, steckend
PUPILLA/e eyes (lit. pupil) Augen (lit. Pupille)
PIETÀ mercy, pity Erbarmen, Gnade
QUADRÈLLO/a arrow(s) Pfeil(e)
QUERÈLA complaint Klage
RAI (raggi) glance (lit. rays) Blicke (lit. Strahlen)
RÈO – RIO wicked, evil, guilty, culprit böse, übel, Täter, schuldig
RIO – RIVO river, brook Fluss, Bach
RÍGIDO , rigóre rigid, stern, inflexible starr, steif, unflexibel
RISTÒRO relief, solace Trost
SAÈTTA, STRALE arrow Pfeil
SAETTARE shoot arrows, viz. glances Pfeilen bzw. Blicke schießen
SCOCCARE release (arrrows) Pfeilen schißen
SÈNO bosom Brust
SGUARDO glance Blick
SPARGERE, sparso spread, shed ausstreuen, vergießen
SPÈME hope Hoffnung
SPÈNTO extinguished (fire, love, life) ausgelöscht (Feue, Liebe, Leben)
SPERANZA hope Hoffnung
SPIETATO pitiless erbarmungslos
SPIRARE blow (breeze); draw the last breath blasen; das letzte Atem aushauchen
SPLÈNDERE shine scheinen, glenzen
SPLENDÓRE shine, splendour Glanz
STRÚGGER/si yearn, waste away vergehen, sich verzehren
SUPÈRBO proud, conceited; grandiose stolz, überheblich; grandios
TALÈNTO talent, inclination, whim Begabung, Neigung, Lust
TORMÉNTO/are torment, torture, vex/ation Pein/en, Qual/qualen
TRAFÍGGERE pierce, stab erdolchen, durchstechen
TRAPASSARE do w.o.
TRISTE sad traurig
VAGHÉZZA longing, desire; charm Lust, Laune; Charme
VAGO desirous of; charming Wünsch haben (auf etw.); lieblich
VENIR MENO faint, swoon ohnmächtig werden, schmachten
VEZZÓSO charming, pretty lieblich, charmant
ZÈLO zeal Eifer
