"O rosa bella" is the title of two popular 15th century chansons, the earlier composed by Johannes Ciconia and the latter originally attributed to John Dunstaple, but now to John Bedyngham . The text is based on a poem written by Leonardo Giustiniani (1388–1446).
The text of the first verse is:
O rosa bella, O dolce anima mia Non mi lassar morire In cortesia, in cortesia.
Stanley Sadie in the Cambridge Music Guide gives as translation:
O lovely rose My sweet soul Let me not die In courtly love
The chanson was used as a basis for several other works, including that by Johannes Ockeghem, and masses attributed to Gilles Joye; however, Johannes Ciconia's early version shares the words but not the tune .
Recordings O rosa bella: English and Continental Music from the Late Gothic Period: Clemencic Consort / René Clemencic (Arte Nova 59210)
References
External links Midi and nwc2 versions with text on the ChoralWiki site. Enzyklopædia super O rosa bella by composer Karlheinz Essl (1995)