“Monteverdi's Fourth Book (of madrigals, 1603)... is a wide-ranging collection of pieces written during the previous ten years. Dedicated to the members of a literary and debating society in Ferrara...(and) originally written for performance before a select audience by an ensemble of professional virtuoso singers, these madrigals, many of which are set to the sensuous, emotional and epigrammatic verses of Guarini and Tasso, demonstrate Monteverdi's seemingly inexhaustible ability to unite words and music in expressively effective ways.”
-notes by Elliott Jones

A very lovely performance of this madrigal, by Concerto Italiano, can be heard here:

Claudio Monteverdi combined interplay of voices, exquisite harmonies, and highly effective use of suspensions to paint the emotional meanings of the text. His immaculate voicing should lend itself well to cello ensemble, especially as Monteverdi was himself a viol player.
The dynamics, phrase markings and tempi in this arrangement are suggestions. Those performing should not feel bound by them. For this arrangment, due to some challenging sections in the 1st and 2nd cello parts, an alternate version in E minor has been included to make the piece accessible for a wider variety of skill levels.
Below is a translation of the text, with bar numbers corresponding to where those lines begin.

01-08: So you are leaving me, hard soul,
09-12: nor does leaving sadden you.
13-19: Alas, this it is to die, cruel one,
19-24: and you enjoy it?
25-27: This is to come close to the last hour,
28-30: and you don’t feel it?
31-37: Oh, the wonder of such extreme hardness,
37-68: to be the soul of a heart *
46-68: and to leave, and not feel pain! *
69-76: and to leave,
76-84: and not feel pain!

* “to be the soul of a heart” (37-39, all voices)
* “and to leave” (39-41, cellos 4 & 5)
* “and not feel pain. (46-48, cello 5)