John Dunstable
Born c1390 died(?London) 1453 
Secular music French and English songs for 2-3 voices - O rosa bella .
Listening Note IV. 

O rosa bella, о dolce anima mia,
 non mi lassar morire in cortesia.

Ay lasso mi dolente dezo finire
 per ben servire. lialmente amare.

O dio d’amore che реnа e questa amare 
vedi ch'io more tutt'hora per sta giudea.

Soccoremi ormai del mio languire
 cor del corpo mio non mi lassar morire.

O lovely rose, о my sweet soul, 
let me not die in courtly love .

Alas!Must I end up being hurt by you. 
When I have served and loved you loyally.

O God of love, what pain this love is
See how I am forever dying because of this faithless woman.

Save me now from my suffering 
Heart of my body, let me not die.

This late example of a ballata-type piece illustrates the smooth, sweet English style in which Dunstable was the [bad word] It is for three voices, in some performances viols are also used, emphasizing the mellifluous character of the writing In the first verse one voice is [bad word] by two viols; later, all three voices sing together Note the imitation at the opening (ex i) The gentle, undulating lines, their tendency to move in parallel, the consonant harmonies, the occasional imitation between voices and the way the music leads towards clear cadences all these are pointers towards the new manner of the Renaissance There are four verses, all to the same music. (Some scholars believe this work not to be by Dunstable, but it remains typical of the English style )