by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564)
Translation by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893)
Al cor di zolfo, a la carne di stoppa
Language: Italian (Italiano)
Al cor di zolfo, a la carne di stoppa, a l'ossa che di secco legno sièno; a l'alma senza guida e senza freno al desir pronto, a la vaghezza troppa; a la cieca ragion debile e zoppa al vischio, a' lacci di che 'l mondo è pieno; non è gran maraviglia, in un baleno arder nel primo foco che s'intoppa. A la bell'arte che, se dal ciel seco ciascun la porta, vince la natura, quantunche sé ben prema in ogni loco; s'i' nacqui a quella né sordo né cieco, proporzionato a chi 'l cor m'arde e fura, colpa è di chi m'ha destinato al foco.
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Text Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 97 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893) , appears in The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, first published 1878 ; composed by John Mitchell.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt) , "An Tommaso Cavalieri"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-10
Line count: 14
Word count: 106
A heart of flaming sulphur
Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)
A heart of flaming sulphur, flesh of tow, Bones of dry wood, a soul without a guide To curb the fiery will, the ruffling pride Of fierce desires that from the passions flow; A sightless mind that weak and lame doth go Mid snare and pitfalls scattered far and wide What wonder if the first chance brand Applied to fuel massed like this should make it glow? Add beauteous art, which brought with us from heaven, Will conquer nature; so divine a power Belongs to him who strives with every nerve. If I was made for art, from childhood given A prey for burning beauty to devour, I blame the mistress I was born to serve.
Text Authorship:
- by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893), appears in The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, first published 1878 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 97
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Mitchell (b. 1941), "A heart of flaming sulphur", op. 72 no. 2 (1989), from Six Sonnets by Michelangelo, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Victoria Brago
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 14
Word count: 116