by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885)
You are three men of sin, whom Destiny
Language: English
You are three men of sin, whom Destiny, That hath to instrument this lower world And what is in't, -- the never-surfeited sea Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad: And even with such-like valour men hang and drown Their proper selves. You fools! I and my fellows Are ministers of fate: the elements Of whom your swords are temper'd may as well Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish One dowle that's in my plume; my fellow-ministers Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt, Your swords are now too massy for your strengths, And will not be uplifted. But, remember -- For that's my business to you, -- that you three From Milan did supplant good Prospero; Expos'd unto the sea, which hath requit it, Him, and his innocent child: for which foul deed The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have Incens'd the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures, Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso, They have bereft; and do pronounce, by me Lingering perdition, -- worse than any death Can be at once, -- shall step by step attend You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from-- Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls Upon your heads, -- is nothing but heart-sorrow, And a clear life ensuing.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in The Tempest, Act III, Scene 3 (Ariel) [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 Frank Martin (1890 - 1974), "You are three men of sin, whom Destiny", 1950, published 1968, first performed 1953 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Songs of Ariel from Shakespeare's Tempest, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Andrea Maffei) , no title, first published 1869
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-10
Line count: 30
Word count: 237
Una ribalda
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the English
Una ribalda Triade voi siete, e quel destin che regge Questa umil terra e quanto in sè raguna Fece voi ributtar su questa piaggia, Deserta dalla ingorda onda del mare, Che mai sazio non è, come non degni Dell’umano consorzio. ― Io v’ho confusi! (vedendo Alonso, Sebastiano e gli altri metter mano alle spade) Una temerità pari alla vostra Mena l’uomo al capestro o in mar lo affoga. Noi del Destino (i miei compagni ed io) Ministri siamo. O stolti! il brando vostro, Di terrene sustanze, un’orma forse Stampar nella sonante aria potria? Ferir forse la voce? Impiagar l’onda Che per propria virtù, divisa a pena, Si ricongiunge? Or ben, così potreste Spiccar dall’ali mie solo una piuma. E manco invulnerabili non sono Gli Spirti a me compagni. E dato ancora Che giugneste a ferirci, enorme peso Vi sarieno le spade, e vi morrebbe Nell’alzarle il vigor. ― Vi risovvenga (Questo è il messaggio mio) che da Milano Voi tre, con arti scellerate, il buono Prospero allontanaste, ed in balìa Lo metteste del mar colla innocente Sua pargoletta; e il mar con pena eguale Di quel misfatto vi punì. Le arcane Posse del ciel che indugiano talvolta, Ma non obbliano la vendetta, han mari Contro voi sollevato, han rive, han tutto L’animato universo. Il figlio, Alonso, Già te l’hanno rapito, ed annunciando Ti van or col mio labbro una ruina Lenta, incessante, e peggior d’ogni morte, Che te di passo in passo e quanto è tuo Distruggerà. Voi tre dall’ira eterna, A scoppiar già vicina in questo ignoto Lido sui capi vostri, altro non salva Che pentimento del misfatto e pura Vita nell’avvenir.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885), no title, first published 1869 [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 The Tempest, Act III, Scene 3 (Ariel)
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 page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-05-09
Line count: 42
Word count: 273