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Italian (Italiano) translations of Drie sonnetten van Shakespeare, opus 72

by Lex Zwaap (1919 - 1988), as Lex van Delden

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1. When most I wink  [sung text not yet checked]
by Lex Zwaap (1919 - 1988), as Lex van Delden, "When most I wink", op. 72 (Drie sonnetten van Shakespeare) no. 1 (1961) [ contralto and piano ]
Language: English 
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow's form form happy show
To the clear [day]1 with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so?
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay?
  All days are nights to see till I see thee,
  And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 43

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Britten: "days"

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
1. Più io li tengo chiusi, più i miei occhi son chiari
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Più io li tengo chiusi, più i miei occhi son chiari,
perché di giorno cose da niente osservano;
Ma quando dormo, sei tu che in sogno appari,
e, illuminati nel buio, la scura tenebra vincono. 
E allora tu, ombra che ogni ombra rischiara, 
quale ombra saresti, d'aspetto divino,
nel chiaro giorno con la tua luce più chiara,
se la tua ombra splende ai ciechi perfino? 
Quanto, io dico, faresti la mia vista beata
se contemplasse te nella piena luce del giorno,
Se già nella morta notte la tua bella ombra incompleta
fa presa su occhi ciechi chiusi in pesante sonno?
I giorni notte si fanno fino a che non ti scorgo,
Le notti, giorni splendenti non appena ti sogno.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2013 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 43
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2013-05-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 119

Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani
2. Betwixt mine eye and heart  [sung text not yet checked]
by Lex Zwaap (1919 - 1988), as Lex van Delden, "Betwixt mine eye and heart", op. 72 (Drie sonnetten van Shakespeare) no. 2 (1961) [ contralto and piano ]
Language: English 
Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took,
And each doth good turns now unto the other:
When that mine eye is famish'd for a look,
Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother,
With my love's picture then my eye doth feast
And to the painted banquet bids my heart;
Another time mine eye is my heart's guest
And in his thoughts of love doth share a part:
So, either by thy picture or my love,
Thyself away art resent still with me;
For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move,
And I am still with them and they with thee;
  Or, if they sleep, thy picture in my sight
  Awakes my heart to heart's and eye's delight.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 47

See other settings of this text.

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
2.
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Tra i miei occhi e il mio cuore si è stretto un accordo
e l'uno verso l'altro ora si volge in aiuto:
quando il mio occhio ha fame di uno sguardo
o quando il cuore amoroso dai sospiri è soffocato,
dell'immagine amata allora il mio occhio si nutre
e a questa immaginaria mensa invita il mio cuore;
un'altra volta è il cuore che i miei occhi accoglie
per spartire con loro ogni moto d'amore:
così, sia in forma di immagine o di pensiero amoroso,
ancora a me resti presente, anche se distante,
perché non sei da me più lontano di ogni cosa cui penso,
e io sto con queste, e queste te hanno in mente;
     O, se dorme il pensiero, la tua figura al mio cospetto
     ridesta il cuore, al cuore e agli occhi diletto.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2013 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 47
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2013-09-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 135

Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani
3. If the dull substance of my flesh  [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 ]
Language: English 
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.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 44

See other settings of this text.

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
3. Se l'ottusa sostanza della mia carne fosse intelletto
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Se l'ottusa sostanza della mia carne fosse intelletto
La distanza crudele non mi fermerebbe ora,
perché mi ritroverei, dello spazio a dispetto,
dai più remoti confini, là dove tu hai dimora.
Che importerebbe, allora, che calcasse il mio piede 
La terra che, da te, resti la più remota;
ché l'agile pensiero su terra e mare incede
nell'attimo in cui immagina la sua lontana meta.
Ah! Il pensiero di non esser pensiero, m'uccide tosto,
pensiero che lunghe miglia varchi quando sei assente,
ma purtroppo, poiché di acqua e di terra sono composto,
devo aspettare i comodi del tempo, tutto gemente.
   Da così lenti elementi, senza altro frutto
   Che lacrime pesanti, segno del loro lutto. 

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 44
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-08-09
Line count: 14
Word count: 113

Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani
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