Flora di vaghi fiori

Girolamo Belli's Flora di vaghi fiori is a secular Italian madrigal for SATTBB voices. The text paints a picture of Flora adorning herself with flowers, accompanied by a gentle breeze, as she dresses the hills and surrounding countryside. The poet's beloved Aurora, however, strikes his heart from afar, even from the sweet shade of beautiful foliage. This wound, deep and confusing, prompts a cry of pain so profound that rocks and all around echo the lament: "Io son ferito ahi lasso" (Alas, I am wounded!). Belli sets this poignant imagery and emotional outburst with the rich textures of six-part harmony, characteristic of the Italian madrigal tradition.