Che farar, Meliseo?

When a shepherd's beloved has departed, leaving only pain and tears, the composer paints a vivid picture of inconsolable grief. This secular Italian madrigal, for a solo voice, sets a text lamenting the loss of joy and companionship. The words implore friends and shepherds to join in mourning, to consecrate the singer's sorrow with their own laments and tears, and to incite each other to weep. The composer's setting emphasizes the profound despair and isolation felt by the heartbroken individual, a poignant expression of Renaissance part-music that speaks directly to the pain of lost love.