Com'avran fin

Imagine a formal gathering or a chamber music recital in the Renaissance, where secular Italian madrigals would be performed. Cipriano de Rore's Com'avran fin is a prime example of this genre for four voices (SATB). The text expresses the torment of unrequited love, questioning when the singer's suffering will end. He laments that the beloved's image constantly reappears, renewing his bitter pain. The lyrics reveal a profound sense of eternal sorrow, as the singer feels he cannot be without his beloved, pleading for the pain to remain with him if he cannot have solace.