by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564)
Translation by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893)

Colui che fece, e non di cosa alcuna
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
 Colui che fece, e non di cosa alcuna,
il tempo, che non era anzi a nessuno,
ne fe' d'un due e diè 'l sol alto all'uno,
all'altro assai più presso diè la luna.
  Onde 'l caso, la sorte e la fortuna
in un momento nacquer di ciascuno;
e a me consegnaro il tempo bruno,
come a simil nel parto e nella cuna.
  E come quel che contrafà se stesso,
quando è ben notte, più buio esser suole,
ond'io di far ben mal m'affliggo e lagno.
  Pur mi consola assai l'esser concesso
far giorno chiar mia oscura notte al sole
che a voi fu dato al nascer per compagno.

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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bettina Jacobson) , "Die Nacht", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-06
Line count: 14
Word count: 109

He who ordained
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
He who ordained, when first the world began,
Time, that was not before creation's hour,
Divided it, and gave the sun's high power
To rule the one, the moon the other:
Thence fate and changeful chance and fortune's ban
Did in one moment down on mortals show'r
Dividing them, and took the sun's high power
And left the moon darkened alone:
To me they portioned darkness for a dower;
Dark hath my lot been since I was a man.
Myself am ever mine own counterfeit;
And as the night grows still more dim and dun,
So still more misdoing must I rue:
Meanwhile this solace to my soul is sweet,
That my black night doth make more clear the sun
Which at your birth was given to wait on you.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this page: Victoria Brago

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 130