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Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade, e 'l sangue di Cristo si vend' a giumelle, e croce e spine son lance e rotelle; e pur da Cristo pazienza cade! Ma non c'arivi più 'n queste contrade, chè n'andré 'l sangue suo 'nsin alle stelle, poscia che a Roma gli vendon la pelle; e èci d'ogni ben chiuso le strade. S' i' ebbi ma' voglia a posseder tesauro, per ciò che qua opera da me è partita, può quel nel manto che Medusa in Mauro. Ma se alto in cielo è povertà gradita, qual fia di nostro stato il gran restauro, s' un altro segno amorza l'altra vita?
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 10 [author's text not yet checked 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 Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade", op. 145 no. 5, from Suite on verses by Michelangelo Buonarroti, no. 5, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Abram Markovich Efros (1888 - 1954) ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (John Addington Symonds) , "On Rome in the Pontificate of Julius II", appears in The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, first published 1878
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , subtitle: "Iš taurių lieja čia kardus ir šalmus", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Caroline Diehl
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 109
Ici on fait avec des calices des épées et des casques Et le sang du Christ est vendu au poids ; Ici pour un bouclier les épines, pour les lances la croix a disparu, La bouche du Christ reste patiemment muette. Qu'il ne descende pas dans notre Bethléem Ou le sang tombera encore des cieux, Car Rome est pour les meurtriers comme une forêt, Et nous gardons la pitié sous clé. Je ne suis pas menacé par le poids du luxe, En effet pour moi depuis longtemps ici il n'y a rien ; Je crains la robe comme les Maures la Méduse ; Mais si la pauvreté habille la gloire du Créateur, Alors quels liens sont préparés pour nous Sous la bannière d'une autre destinée ?
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Гнев" = "Colère" (in some editions)Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to French (Français) copyright © 2015 by Guy Laffaille, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 10
This text was added to the website: 2015-09-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 126