12. Sibylla Agrippa The Agrippan Oracle Orlande de Lassus (c.1530-1594)

Prophetiae Sibyllarum (1600) Summus erit sub carne satus The highest and brightest will be born Anonymous clarissimus atque Virginis in flesh and of a virgin, Copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, Et vere complevit viscera sanctum and the holy word truly has filled her womb reprinted with permission from the Verbum consilio sine noxa according to the plan of the Holy Spirit LiederNet Archive spiritus almi, without harming her; Despectus multis tamen ille salutis Though despised by many, for the love Prologue Chromatic songs amore of salvation Arguet et nostra commissa piacula He will judge the sins committed by our culpa, fault, Carmina Chromatico, These songs which you hear, Cuius honos constans et gloria certa And his unchanging honour and Quae audis modulata tenore, sung with chromatic progressions, manebit. confirmed glory will endure. Haec sunt illa, quibus nostrae olim are those in which the 12 arcana salutis Sibyls once Bis senae intrepido, with confident voice Nicolà Vicentino (1511-1575) Cecinerunt ore Sibyllae. sang the secrets of our salvation. Musica prisca caput (1555)

1. Sibylla Persica The Persian Oracle Musica prisca caput tenebris modo Ancient music has recently raised her sustulit altis head out of the darkness Virgine matre satus pando residebit Born of a virgin mother, he will sit on a Dulcibus ut numeris priscis certantia So that, with antique and sweet numbers to assello, sway-backed ass, factis compete with ancient deeds, Iucundus princeps unus qui ferre A pleasant prince, the one who can Facta tua, Ippolite, excelsum super Your great deeds, Hyppolitus, she might salutem properly bring salvation to sinners; aethera mittat. send above the heavens. Rite queat lapsis tamen; illis forte In those days it will chance that many diebus people pronounce Text & translation kindly provided by Multi multa ferent immensi fata laboris many sayings of great weight. EXAUDI Solo sed satis est oracula prodere But it is enough to give the oracle in verbo: just one word: Ille Deus casta nascetur virgine He, the great God himself, will be born magnus. of a chaste virgin. Elisabet Dijkstra (b.1998) here, now (2021) 9. Sibylla Europaea The European Oracle Virginia Woolf

I see a ring Virginis aeternum veniet de corpore From a virgin's body will come the I see a slab of pale yellow verbum purum. pure eternal word. I hear a sound Qui valles et montes transiet altos, He who will cross valleys & high mountains, I see a globe Ille volens etiam stellato missus Sent willingly indeed from starry I see a crimson tassel olympo Olympus (Heaven) I hear something stamping. Edetur mundo pauper, will be given to the world as a poor man, qui cuncta silenti rex erit He who with silent power will be king imperio. of everything. Sylvia Lim (b.1992) Sic credo et memo fatebor: Thus I believe and shall myself say: Humano simul et divino semine natus. He is born of both human and divine seed. paper wings (2015)

11. Sibylla Erythraea The Erythraean (Red Sea)

Oracle Luzzasco Luzzaschi (1545-1607)

Quivi sospiri (pub. 1576) Cerno Dei natum, qui se dimisit I see the son of God, who has sent Dante Alighieri ab alto. himself down from on high,

Ultima felices referent cum tempora Since the last times will bring happy Quivi sospiri pianti et alti guai, Their sighs, lamentations and loud wailings soles. days. Rissonavan per l'aer senza stelle, resounded through the starless air, Hebraea, quem virgo fere de stirpe He, that the demure virgin will bear of Perch' io al cominciar ne lagrimai, so that at first it made me weep; decora, the Hebrew line, Diverse lingue horribili Strange utterances, horrible In terris multum teneris passurus ab He, that will suffer much from his favelle, pronouncements, annis. earliest years on the earth, Parole di dolore accenti d'ira, words of pain, tones of anger, Magnus erit tamen hic divino carmine He will be a great prophet nonetheless Voci alte et fioche et suon di man con voices shrill and faint, and beating vates in holy songs elle. hands, Virgine matre satus, prudenti pectore Son of a virgin mother, truthful in his verax. wise heart.

(facevano un tumolto, il qual s'aggira (all went to make a tumult that will whirl Ditele per pieta del mio gran duolo Tell her, for pity, of my great grief; sempre in quell'aura sanza tempo tinta, forever through that turbid, timeless air, Ch’or mai ella mi sia may she now be as compassionate to me come la rena quando turbo like sand that eddies when a whirlwind Come bella, ancor pia as she is beautiful, spira.) swirls.) Che l’amaro mio pianto and I shall joyfully turn Cangerò lieto in amoroso canto. my bitter weeping to loving song.

(1553-1599) Luca Marenzio Madrigali libro sesto (1611) O voi che sospirate (1585) Francesco Petrarca Deh, come un invan sospiro Ah, how I sigh in vain

O voi che sospirate a miglior' notti, Oh you who sigh for easier notes, ch'ascoltate d'Amore o dite in rime, who hear of Love or speak of him in rhyme, Deh, come invan sospiro, Ah, how in vain I sigh, pregate non mi sia piú pray he'll no longer be deaf to me, Deh, come invan vi miro, ah! how in vain I admire you, sorda Morte, sweet Death, Poichè, crudel, voi fate ogni un gioire since, cruel one, you give joy to all porto de le miserie et fin del pianto; refuge from misery and end of weeping: Et a me sol morire! and to me alone death! muti una volta quel suo antiquo stile, that he'll change for once his ancient style, Infelice mia sorte, Unhappy my fate, ch'ogni uom attrista, et me pò far sí that makes men sad, and could make Che la vita per me divenga Morte. that life for me becomes death. lieto. me happy. Translation kindly provided by EXAUDI. Translation kindly provided by EXAUDI. Asciugate i begli occhi (1611) Dry your fair eyes

(b.1955) Christopher Fox senso comune (2012-18) Asciugate i belgi occhi Dry your fair eyes, Antonio Gramsci, Dante Alighieri Deh, cor mio, non piangete, come my heart, do not weep, Se lontano da voi gir mi vedete! when you see me go far away from you. Ogni strato sociale ha il suo ‘senso Every social stratum has its own Achi, che pianger debb’io misero I am the one who should weep, comune’ che è in fondo la concezione ‘common sense’ which is ultimately the e solo, wretched and alone, della vita e la morale più diffusa. Ogni most widespread conception of life and Che partendo da voi m’uccide il duolo. for in parting from you I am killed by woe. corrente filosofica lascia una morals. Every philosophical current sedimentazione di ‘senso comune’: è leaves a sedimentation of ‘common Languisce al fin chi da la vita questo il documento della sua sense’: this is the document of its parte (1611) effettualità storica. Il senso comune historical reality. Common sense is not non è qualcosa di irrigidito e immobile, something rigid and static; rather it ma si trasforma continuamente, changes continuously, enriched by Languisce al fin chi da la vita He languishes towards his end who is arricchendosi di nozioni scientifiche e scientific notions and philosophical parte, leaving life, opinioni filosofiche entrate nel costume. opinions which have entered into e di morte il dolore and the suffering of death Il ‘senso comune’ è il folklore della common usage. ‘Common sense’ is the l'affligge sì che in crude pene afflicts him so much that he dies in ‘filosofia’ e sta di mezzo tra il ‘folklore’ folklore of ‘philosophy’ and stands more. cruel pains. vero e proprio (cioè come è inteso) e la midway between real ‘folklore’ (that is, Ahi, che quello son io, Ah, that person is I, filosofia, la scienza, l’economia degli as it is understood) and the philosophy, dolcissimo cor mio, my sweetest love, scienziati. Il ‘senso comune’ crea il the science, the economics of the che da voi parto, e per mia crudel that I am leaving you, and through my futuro folklore, cioè una fase più o scholars. ‘Common sense’ creates the sorte cruel fate meno irrigidita di un certo tempo e folklore of the future, that is a more or la vita lascio e me ne vado a morte. I leave life and go to death. luogo less rigidified phase of a certain time and place. Translation kindly provided by EXAUDI. Così nel mio parlar voglio esser I want to charge my words with as aspro much harshness com’è ne li atti questa bella as this beautiful stone has in her petra actions.

Translation kindly provided by the composer

Carlo Gesualdo (c.1561-1613) Itene, o miei sospiri (1611) Go now, o my sighs

Itene, o miei sospiri Go now, o my sighs, Precipitate il volo a lei may you speed your flight to her Che m’è cagion d’aspri martiri. who is the cause of my bitter torment.