Fuggir devriassi (Tertiadecima stanza)

Palestrina's Fuggir devriassi paints a scene of bitter disillusionment with love. The text expresses a desire to escape love's snares and deceitful allure, lamenting that promises made are empty and stingy in their effect. The composer sets this Italian text for SATB choir, capturing the pain of unrequited affection. The lyrics speak of the myriad sorrows that strike the weary heart, which once held these deceptive comforts dear. Now, life and death are equally unwelcome, a profound expression of despair found in this secular Renaissance part-music.