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Non so se s'è la desïata luce Del suo primo fattor, che l' alma sente; O se dalla memoria della gente Alcun'altra beltà nel cor traluce; O se fama o se sogno alcun produce Agli occhi manifesto, al cor presente; Di sè lasciando un non so che cocente, Ch'è forse or quel ch'a pianger mi conduce; Quel ch'i' sento e ch'i' cerco: e chi mi guidi Meco non è; nè so ben veder dove Trovar mel possa, e par c' altri mel mostri. Questo, signor1, m'avvien, po' ch'i' vi vidi; C'un dolce amaro, un sí e no mi muove: Certo saranno stati gli occhi vostri.
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View original text (without footnotes)1 This is thought to be Tommase de' Cavalieri.
Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), no title, appears in Rime, no. 76 [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 Kaikhosru Sorabji, born Leon Dudley Sorabji (1892 - 1988), "Non so se s'è la desïata luce", KSS 36 no. 2 (1923), published 2005, first performed 1980 [ voice and orchestra ], from Cinque sonetti di Michelagniolo Buonarroti, no. 2, Bath, The Sorabji Archive; critical edition [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Walter Heinrich Robert-Tornow (1852 - 1895) ; composed by Hugo Wolf.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, appears in Michelangelo-Übertragungen ; composed by Anton Schoendlinger.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Addington Symonds) , "Love's Loadstone", appears in The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, first published 1878
- ENG English (Charles Hopkins) , "I do not know if it is the longed-for light", written 2002, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Sophie Hasenclever) , from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 105
I do not know if it is the longed-for light Of the one who first created it that my soul senses, Or if[,] in my recollection of past acquaintance[,] Some other beauty shines in my heart; Or if reputation or imagination brings a vision of someone Before my eyes, or places him in my heart, Searing an indelible brand I know not how to describe[,] Perhaps it is this that causes me to grieve. What I feel and what I search for[,] and who may lead me to it[,] Are not within my grasp; And I am unable to see clearly Where I may find it, although it would appear someone is leading me. This, my lord, is what has befallen me, from when I saw you, A bittersweet delight, a yes and a no[,] moves me: Indeed[,] it is your eyes that have brought this about.
Confirmed with an original Microsoft Word Document provided by Alistair Hinton.
Authorship:
- by Charles Hopkins (1952 - 2007), "I do not know if it is the longed-for light", written 2002, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), no title, appears in Rime, no. 76
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: Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2018-08-03
Line count: 14
Word count: 147