To the Most Bright Lady
The Lady Laura Moro Contarini,
Venetian Gentlewoman
The Dawn went joyfully
By the east spurring her steed;
Where of gems, and gold
The good country abounds,
And of how much the sea bathes, and the sun circumpasses:
That beauty second
Shall not be to my dawn (she would say) which dresses in purple, and
gilds
Of each rich treasure
The Heaven, the air, the earth, and the wave? When
Jove answered angry; In earth has lodging
Lady, which your beauty of beauty surmounts.
Original rhyme scheme - ABCD/DDAC/BEE
Ballo Del Fiore (Dance of the Flower),
Done in 2;
In Praise of the Most Bright Lady
The Lady Laura Moro Contarini,
Venetian Gentlewoman
In starting this dance, the man will take a flower, and will
carry it in the right hand, and at the start of the Sonata, he will do
the Riverenza grave, and 2 Seguiti ordinarii turned to the left: then
walking he will do 4 Seguiti, and approaching near to the lady which he
wishes to take, he will do 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza, starting
each thing with the right foot. Then, taking the lady by
the ordinary hand, walking they will do 2 Seguiti ordinarii, and 2
scorsi, and the man guiding the lady, to the end of the final Seguito
he will be settled in perspective, and will make with the arm in the
manner of half moon, putting the lady facing, where together they will
do 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza.
That done, the man letting go the lady, they will follow to do 4
Seguiti ordinarii, 2 turned to the left, and 2 forward, walking the one
to one head, and the other to the other of the hall; where facing will
be done 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza: after walking facing, they
will do 4 Seguiti flanked, with 2 Continenze; to the end of which, the
man will gracefully kiss the flower, which he will have in hand, and
doing together the Riverenza, will give it to the lady, then will
return to his place: the whom after she will have accepted it, walking
with 4 Seguiti, and keeping the same method, will take another man, and
with him will do the same actions which the man will have done with
her; giving him the flower, as he did, in doing the final Riverenza,
and returning to her place.
After the man following the Ballo, will take another lady, and they
will follow in succession with the same manner, until which most will
please them.
Ballo Del Fiore
In 3
Wishing to do this Ballo in 3, the man will start with the
Riverenza grave, and 2 Continenze; and walking will do 2 Passi gravi,
and 1 Seguito ordinario, starting with the left foot; then he will do
the same, starting with the right: and approaching him facing to the
lady which he wishes to take, he will do 2 Continenze, and the
Riverenza: being careful, that the lady is always owed to entertain a
little, and this or by not to be able to pass, sitting her between the
other ladies, or if she stands forward, and would not have some
hindrance, is force which between raising from the seat, and drawing
off the glove, is entertained some, in the which delay passes the time
of the sound: then done which he will have the Riverenza, and taken the
lady, he will wait for the time of the sound. Done then the
Riverenza, and taken the lady, walking together, they will do 4 Seguiti
ordinarii, to the end of which pausing the lady at one head of the
hall, they will do facing 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza, starting
with the left.
After the man, doing the same walk with the other actions which he will
have done first, will return to take another lady: and taken her, they
will do together the same walk of above, then he will pause her to the
left of the first lady; and standing him facing to both, they will do
all together 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza; then they will follow
with 4 Seguiti, 2 turned to the left, and 2 flanked back, with 2
Continenze, and the Riverenza. These done, walking together they
will do 2 Seguiti, concluding the final to manner of meza Riverenza;
then the man will pass in the middle of the ladies, taking off his cap,
and all together will do 2 Seguiti scorsi, turning at the end to the
left: then they will do 2 Puntate, 1 forward, and the other back, and
the Riverenza, starting each thing with the left foot, as of
above.
After that they will start another walk with doing 2 Seguiti ordinarii,
and without passing, they will do another Riverenza. The man then
will take the right hand of the first lady, and together with her will
do 2 Passi gravi, and 1 Seguito to the left, starting with the left: he
will do the same taking the left hand, and starting with the right:
then he will do the same to the one and to the other hand with the
other lady. Then they will all do together 2 Continenze, and the
Riverenza. After that they will do the braiding, as in the Ballo
of the Furioso, with 4 Seguiti scorsi, or
ordinarii, then returned which they all will be to their places, they
will do 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza to the end: in the finishing of
which Riverenza, the man, kissing the flower, will give it to the lady
which he took first. The which done, he will take the other lady
by the ordinary hand, and walking with her, they will do together 4
Seguiti ordinarii, with 2 Continenze, and the Riverenza: the man
pausing the lady at the place where he took her, and him returning also
to his place. In the which time the first lady of the flower
walking, will also do 4 Seguiti ordinarii; then keeping the same manner
in three said of above, she will go to take a man, doing the 2
Continenze, with all the other things told, and so they will follow in
succession, until which it will please them most to put end to said
dance.
Lute tablature of the Ballo Del Fiore
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