Giovanni Legrenzi  (August 12, 1626 – May 27, 1690) was born in Clusone, near Bergamo. He was a prominent Venetian composer of the late 17th century.

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Che fiero costume comes from the opera 'Eteocle e Polinice'.

Composed by Giovanni Legrenzi, with libretto by Tebaldo Fattorini, the opera 'Eteocle e Polinice' premiered at the Teatro San Salvador in Venice on 13 December 1674.

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Italian text

Che fiero costume
D’aligero nume,
Che a forza di pene si faccia adorar!
E pur nell’ ardore
Il dio traditore
Un vago sembiante mi fe’ idolatrar.

Che crudo destino
Che un cieco bambino
Con bocca di latte si faccia stimar!
Ma questo tiranno
Con barbaro inganno,
Entrando per gli occhi, mi fe’ sospirar!

English translation

What a proud power

Has this winged god

Who has made himself adored by inflicting suffering!

And still in my adoration
This deceitful God
Has made me idolise an enchanting face.

How cruel fate is
That a blind child
With a mouth full of milk, can fill himself with pride!
But this tyrant
With barbaric trickery,
Has passed through my eyes and made me sigh!

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciation of the Italian poem.

kˈe fjˈɛro kostˈume
d̪ˈiː’alid͡ʒˈɛro nˈume,
kˈe ˈaː fˈɔrt͡sa dˈi pˈɛne sˈi fˈat͡ʃːa adorˈar!
ˈeː pˈur nˈɛl’ ardˈore
ˈiːl dˈio traditˈore
ˈun vˈaɡo sembiˈante mˈi fˈe’ idolatrˈar.

kˈe krˈudo destˈino
kˈe ˈun t͡ʃˈɛko bambˈino
kˈon bˈokːa dˈi lˈatːe sˈi fˈat͡ʃːa stimˈar!
mˈa kwˈesto tirˈanno
kˈon bˈarbaro iŋɡˈanno,
entrˈando pˈer ʎˈɪ ˈɔkːɪ, mˈi fˈe’ sospirˈar!