by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by François-Victor Hugo (1828 - 1873)
If the dull substance of my flesh were...
Language: English
Our translations: ITA
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought, Injurious distance should not stop my way; For then despite of space I would be brought, From limits far remote where thou dost stay. No matter then although my foot did stand Upon the farthest earth removed from thee; For nimble thought can jump both sea and land As soon as think the place where he would be. But ah! thought kills me that I am not thought, To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone, But that so much of earth and water wrought I must attend time's leisure with my moan, Receiving nought by elements so slow But heavy tears, badges of either's woe.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 44 [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):
- by Leslie Crabtree (b. 1941), "Sonnet XLIV", 2008 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Sonnet XLIV", 1864 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lex Zwaap (1919 - 1988), as Lex van Delden, "If the dull substance of my flesh", op. 72 (Drie sonnetten van Shakespeare) no. 3 (1961) [ contralto and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 44, first published 1857
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Se l'ottusa sostanza della mia carne fosse intelletto", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 117
Si mon être grossier n'était fait que de...
Language: French (Français) after the English
Si mon être grossier n'était fait que de pensée, la distance injurieuse n'arrêterait pas ma marche ; car alors, en dépit de l'espace, je me transporterais des limites les plus reculées au lieu où tu résides. Qu'importerait alors que mon pied reposât sur la terre la plus éloignée de toi ? ma pensée agile franchirait la terre et la mer aussi vite qu'elle penserait au lieu souhaité. Mais hélas ! cette pensée me tue que je ne suis pas fait de pensée pour traverser d'un bond les longs milles qui nous séparent, et qu'au contraire, si lourdement composé de terre et d'eau, je dois attendre dans ma douleur le bon plaisir du temps ; Ne tirant rien de ces éléments inertes que des larmes pesantes, insigne de ma double servitude.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by François-Victor Hugo (1828 - 1873), no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 44, first published 1857 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 44
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 ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 126