Quanto peni anima mia

Text by an Anonymous poet

Set by Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)

Quanto peni1 anima mia,

[kwan.to pe.ni a.ni.ma mia]
How-many sorrows soul mine,
(My soul, how much sorrow)

Le tue gioie2 e i tuoi diletti,

[le tue d. je i twi di.lt.ti]
[the] your joys and [the] your delights,
(upon your joy and delight,)

Del mio foco i dolci affetti,

[del mio f.ko i dol.ti af.ft.ti]
of my passion the sweet affections,
(which are the sweet results of my loving passion)

Sparge ognor coi suoi veleni,

[spar.de o.or koi swi ve.le.ni]
sprinkles always with its poisons,
(sprinkles with its poison)

Tormentosa gelosia.
[tr.mn.to.za de.lo.zia]
tormenting jealousy.
(tormenting jealousy.)

(Literal translation and IPA transcription © 2007 by Bard Suverkrop—IPA Source, LLC)

My soul, upon your joy and delight

which are the sweet results of a loving passion,
how much sorrow tormenting jealousy sprinkles with its poison.

1
Although the word peni is indeed in title and text of this song, the contemporary spelling for the plural of the
Italian word pena (sorrow) is pene. In order to avoid confusion with the contemporary anatomical meaning of peni
understood by contemporary speakers of the language, one should consider using the contemporary spelling pene.
2
Gioe is a misspelling – gioie is correct.

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