Signor, se vero è alcun proverbio antico
Language: Italian (Italiano)
Our translations: CAT FRE LIT
Chosen for Diff
Signor, se vero è alcun proverbio antico,
questo è ben quel, che chi può, mai non vuole.
Tu hai creduto a favole e parole,
e premiato chi èl del ver nimico.
Io sono, e fui già tuo buon servo antico;
a te son dato come i raggi al sole;
e del mio tempo non t'incresce o duole,
e men ti piaccio se più m'affatico.
Già sperai ascender per la tuo altezza;
e 'l giusto peso, e la potente spada
fassi al bisogno, e non la voce d'ecco.
Ma 'l cielo è quel ch'ogni virtù disprezza
locarla al mondo, se vuol ch'altri vada
a prender frutto d'un arbor ch'è secco.
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Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
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) , "To Pope Julius II", from 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) , "Vérité", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bettina Jacobson) , "An Julius II", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , subtitle: "Yra teisybės sakmėse senovės", 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: 14
Word count: 109
Senyor, si ver és algun proverbi antic
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the Italian (Italiano)
Chosen for Diff
Senyor, si ver és algun proverbi antic,
és ben bé el que diu que qui pot, mai no vol.
Tu has cregut en faules i paraules,
i premiat a qui, de la veritat, és enemic.
Jo sóc i he estat el teu bon vell servidor;
sotmès a tu com els raigs al sol;
i del meu temps no et commous ni et dols,
i menys et plac quan més m’esforço.
Esperava enlairar-me a la teva alçària;
que el just balanç i l’espasa potent
m’ajudessin, no la veu de l’eco.
Però el cel és qui menysté de plaçar
tota virtut en el món, vol que hom vagi
a prendre el fruit d’un arbre ja sec.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2016 by Salvador Pila, (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:
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-11
Line count: 14
Word count: 114