Signor, se vero è alcun proverbio antico
Language: Italian (Italiano)
Available translation(s): CAT FRE LIT
Signor, se vero è alcun proverbio antico,
questo è ben quel, che chi può, mai non vuole.
Tu hai creduto a favole e parole,
e premiato chi èl del ver nimico.
Io sono, e fui già tuo buon servo antico;
a te son dato come i raggi al sole;
e del mio tempo non t'incresce o duole,
e men ti piaccio se più m'affatico.
Già sperai ascender per la tuo altezza;
e 'l giusto peso, e la potente spada
fassi al bisogno, e non la voce d'ecco.
Ma 'l cielo è quel ch'ogni virtù disprezza
locarla al mondo, se vuol ch'altri vada
a prender frutto d'un arbor ch'è secco.
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Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Abram Markovich Efros (1888 - 1954) ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (John Addington Symonds) , "To Pope Julius II", from The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, first published 1878
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Vérité", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bettina Jacobson) , "An Julius II", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , subtitle: "Yra teisybės sakmėse senovės", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Caroline Diehl
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 109
Senyor, si ver és algun proverbi antic
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the Italian (Italiano)
Senyor, si ver és algun proverbi antic,
és ben bé el que diu que qui pot, mai no vol.
Tu has cregut en faules i paraules,
i premiat a qui, de la veritat, és enemic.
Jo sóc i he estat el teu bon vell servidor;
sotmès a tu com els raigs al sol;
i del meu temps no et commous ni et dols,
i menys et plac quan més m’esforço.
Esperava enlairar-me a la teva alçària;
que el just balanç i l’espasa potent
m’ajudessin, no la veu de l’eco.
Però el cel és qui menysté de plaçar
tota virtut en el món, vol que hom vagi
a prendre el fruit d’un arbre ja sec.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2016 by Salvador Pila, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-11
Line count: 14
Word count: 114