by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564) and by Giovan Battista Strozzi (1504 - 1571)
Translation Singable translation by Abram Markovich Efros (1888 - 1954)

La Notte, che tu vedi in sì dolci atti
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  CAT FRE LIT
Strozzi:
 La Notte, che tu vedi in sì dolci atti
 dormir, fu da un angelo scolpita
 in questo sasso, e perchè dorme ha vita:
 Destala, se nol credi, e parleratti.

Michelangelo:
 Caro m' è 'l sonno, e più l'esser di sasso,
 mentre che 'l danno e la vergogna dura:
 Non veder, non sentir, m' è gran ventura;
 però non mi destar, deh! parla basso.

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Note: the first stanza is by G. Strozzi; the second stanza is Michelangelo's reply.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Nuit", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Sophie Hasenclever) , no title, from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , subtitle: "Štai ta naktis, kur miega taip ramiai", 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: 10
Word count: 64

Language: Russian (Русский)  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Джованни Строцци на ,,Ночь`` Буонаррото:
 Вот эта Ночь, что так спокойно спит
 Перед тобою, - Ангела созданье.
 Она из камня, но в ней есть дыханье:
 Лишь разбуди, - она заговорит.

Ответ Буонаррото:
 Мне сладко спать, а пуще - камнем быть,
 Когда кругом позор и преступленье:
 Не чувствовать, не видеть - облегченье,
 Умолкни ж, друг, к чему меня будить?ь

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Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-10-03
Line count: 10
Word count: 54