Se ’l foco alla bellezza fusse equale
De’ be’ vostr’ occhi, che da que’ si parte,
Non avria ’l mondo si gelata parte
Che non ardesse com’ acceso strale.
Ma ’l ciel, pietoso d’ ogni nostro male,
A noi d’ ogni belta, che ’n vo’ comparte,
La visiva virtù toglie e diparte
Per tranquillar la vita aspra e mortale.
Non è par, dunche, il foco alla beltate ;
Chè sol di quella parte s’ innamora
Altri del ben del ciel ch’ è fra noi inteso.
Così n’ avvien, signiore, in questa etate ;
Se non vi par per voi ch’ i’ arda e mora.
Poco conobbi e poco fui acceso.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Michaelangelo Buanarotti, The Sonnets of Michelangelo, London, New York : Smith, Elder, & Co., C. Scribner's Sons,1904
Text Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), no title, appears in Rime, no. 47 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, appears in Michelangelo-Übertragungen ; composed by Willy Kehrer.
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-20
Line count: 14
Word count: 108
Wenn dieses Feuer ihrer Schönheit gliche, die unerhört aus Euren Augen bricht, so müßten ganz vereiste Himmelsstriche auf einmal brennend stehn in heißem Licht. Der Himmel aber – denn wir tun ihm leid –, um unser sterblich Leben nicht zu stören, läßt aller Schönheit – Euch darf sie gehören – nur einen Teil in unsre Sichtbarkeit. So gleicht das Feuer nicht der Schönheit stets. Ob einer jene himmlische erkenne, hängt ab davon, wie weit er für sie passe. In meinem Alter aber, Herr, so gehts: wenns scheint, daß ich nicht tödlich für Euch brenne, so brenn ich wenig, weil ich wenig fasse.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Übertragungen, Leipzig : Insel-verlag, 1927, p.239
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Michelangelo-Übertragungen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), no title, appears in Rime, no. 47
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Willy Kehrer (1902 - 1976), "Wenn dieses Feuer", 1946 [ baritone and piano ], from Michelangelo-Zyklus, no. 5, Thüringen : Willy-Kehrer-Archiv Schmölln [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-20
Line count: 14
Word count: 102