Accompanied by the early music ensemble led by Christina Pluhar, L’Arpeggiata, countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński sings the Italian Baroque composer Luigi Rossi’s (c. 1597 – 20 February 1653) Dal cielo cader vid’io due stelle (English: From the sky I saw two stars fall), a short vocal piece for solo voice and basso continuo.
Dal cielo cader vid’io due stelle (From the sky I saw two stars fall) Lyrics
The text of the piece belongs to a tradition where love is expressed through cosmic imagery. The “two stars” are not literal. In Baroque poetic language, they often symbolize:
- the eyes of a beloved
- or two lovers bound together
Their “fall” suggests more than a physical event. It implies:
- emotional collapse
- separation
- or even death
Rather than telling a story directly, the text creates an emotional atmosphere. This indirect, symbolic style is typical of early Baroque poetry, where meaning emerges through metaphor rather than narrative clarity.
Italian: Dal cielo cader vid’io due stelle
Dal cielo cader vid’io
due stelle più luminose,
e sul volto al idol mio
di sua mano Amor le pose.
Di due luci allo splendore
arda pur lieto un amante,
e costante
gli offra in dono il proprio core.
Ma non speri in tanto ardore
col seren d’altre faville,
avvampar quelle pupille
che dan lume al mio desio.
Dal cielo cader vid’io
due stelle più luminose,
e sul volto all’idol mio
di sua mano Amor le pose.
Sotto l’arco d’un bel ciglio
splenderanno in grevi giri,
due zaffiri
da far caro ogni periglio.
Ma d’Amore è van consiglio
ch’ardan mai di foco pieni,
vaghi rai così sereni
come un guardo ch’io desio.
Dal cielo cader vid’io
due stelle più luminose,
e sul volto all’idol mio
di sua mano Amor le pose.
English translation: From the sky I saw two stars fall
I saw two bright stars
fall from the sky,
Love picked them up and
placed them on my beloved’s face.
A lover may burn happily
in the light of two fair eyes,
and constantly offers
his own heart as a gift.
But don’t let another lover hope
to seduce with the beauty
of two other sparkling eyes
that light my desire.
I saw two bright stars
fall from the sky;
Love picked them up and
placed them on my beloved’s face.
Beneath the arch of a fair brow
Two sapphires will shine
as they gaze around,
making every danger alluring.
And Love counsels in vain
that fair eyes so serene
must never burn full of fire
like the look that I desire.
I saw two bright stars
fall from the sky;
Love picked them up and
placed them on my beloved’s face.
Sources
- Luigi Rossi on Wikipedia
- Dal cielo cader vid’io due stelle lyrics and English translation on the Lyrics Translate website
