Gentil Señora Mía - Juan Vasquez

As performed by the Stellenbosch Madrigal Singers on 26 November 2023, Digteby Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Lyrics (Spanish):

Gentil señora mia,
Yo hallo en el mover de vuestros ojos
Un no sé qué, no sé cómo nombrallo,
Que todos mis enojos
Descarga de mi triste fantasia.
Busco la soledad por contemplallo,
Y en ello tantos gustos de bien hallo,
Que moriría, si el pensar durase.
Mas, este pensamiento es tan delgado,
Que presto es acabado
Y conviene qu’en otras cosas pase.
Porfio en más pensar,
Y estoy diziendo:
Si esto no acabase!
Mas, después veo que tanto gozar
No es de las cosas que pueden durar.


Translation (English):

My gentle lady,
I find in the movement of your eyes
An I-know-not-what I cannot name,
That all my woes
Drives from my sad fancy.
I seek out solitude to contemplate them,
And in this I find such well-being,
That I shall die if these thoughts were to endure.
But then, this thinking is so slight,
That it soon fades away,
And it would be better to think of other things.
I attempt to think more of them
And say to myself:
If only this would never end!
But then, I perceive that such delight
Is not one of the things that can endure.