by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564)
Translation by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893)

Da che concetto ha l'arte intera e diva
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Da che concetto ha l'arte intera e diva
Le membra e gli atti d'alcun, poi di quello
D'umil materea un simplice modello
E 'l primo parto che da quel deriva
Poi, nel secondo, in pietra alpestra e viva
S'arrogie le promesse del martello
E si rinascie tal concetto bello,
Ch'il suo eterno non è ch 'il prescriva,
Tal di me stesso nacqui e venni prima
Umil model, per opra più perfetta
Rinascer poi di voi, donna alta e digna,
S'el manco adempie, e 'l mio soperchio lima,
Vostra pietà, qual penitenzia aspetta
Mie fiero ardor se mi gastiga e insegna.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bettina Jacobson) , "An Vittoria Colonna", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-06
Line count: 14
Word count: 100

Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
When divine Art conceives a form or face,
She bids the craftsman for his first essay
To shape a simple model in mere clay:
This is the earliest birth of Art's embrace.
From the live marble in its own space,
His mallet brings into the light of day
A thing so beautiful that who can say
When time shall conquer that immortal grace?
Thus my own model I was born to be
The model of the nobler human self,
Whereto schooled by your pity, lady,
I shall grow each overplus, each deficiency
You will make good. What penance then is due
For my fierce heat, chastened and taught by you?

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Researcher for this page: Victoria Brago

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 14
Word count: 110