Si dolce è’l tormento by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643)

Emily Klassen, soprano Benjamin Stein, theorbo Audio recorded by Darren Bryant So sweet is the torment that lies in my heart, that I live happily because of its cruel beauty. May beauty's fury grow wide in the sky without compassion; for my devotion shall hold like a rock against pride's unrelenting wave. False hope, keep me wandering! let no peace nor pleasure befall me! Evil woman, whom I adore, deny me the rest that compassion would give; amidst infinite pain, amidst broken hopes shall survive my devotion. There is no rest for me in the warmth or the cold. Only in heaven shall I find rest. If the deadly strike of an arrow injured my heart, I shall heal still, and change my destiny, death's very heart with the same arrow. If the frigid heart that stole mine never has felt love's ardour; if the cruel beauty that charmed my soul denies me compassion, may she die one day by me pained, repenting, languishing.