Filli mi ride e fugge

Giovanni Bernardino Nanino was a composer of the Italian Renaissance, and this SSATB madrigal is a fine example of the secular part-music of that era. The text describes a lover's plea to his beloved, Filli, who flees from him, becoming even more beautiful in her flight. He laments her cruelty and indifference, even as his soul burns with hidden love. He begs her to stop, to temper his desire with her lovely face. The text speaks of intense, unrequited affection, contrasting the lover's suffering with Filli's apparent amusement at his plight, highlighting the pain of loving someone who toys with their admirer's heart.