Se nel volto per gli occhi il cor si vede, altro segno non ho più manifesto della mie fiamma; addunche basti or questo, signor mie caro, a domandar mercede. Forse lo spirto tuo, con maggior fede ch’i’ non credo, che sguarda il foco onesto che m’arde, fie di me pietoso e presto, come grazia c’abbonda a chi ben chiede. O felice quel dì, se questo è certo! Fermisi in un momento il tempo e l’ore, il giorno e ’l sol nella su’ antica traccia; acciò ch'i' abbi, e non già per mie merto, il desiato mie dolce signore per sempre nell'indegne e pronte braccia.
Text Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 72 [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 Kaikhosru Sorabji (1892 - 1988), "Se nel volto per gli occhi il cor si vede", KSS 36 no. 5 (1923), published 2005, first performed 1980 [ voice and orchestra ], from Cinque sonetti di Michelagniolo Buonarroti, no. 5, 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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, appears in Michelangelo-Übertragungen ; composed by Willy Kehrer, Anton Schoendlinger.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Charles Hopkins) , "As a person’s heart is to be seen in his face through his eyes", written 2002, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2018-07-31
Line count: 14
Word count: 104
Sieht durch die Augen man im Angesicht das Herz, so brauchts nicht anderen Beweis für meine Flamme; Grund genügend seis , mein teurer Herr, daß deine Huld mir spricht. Vielleicht, daß mir dein Geist, noch mehr gewillt, als ich vermute, sieht er, wie ich lauter entbrannt bin, nachgibt, schneller und vertrauter, denn wer gut fleht, wird überaus gestillt. Glückseliger Tag, da dies gesichert schiene ! Mit einem Ruck anhielten in den alten Geleisen Sonnen und gewohnte Zeiten. Mir aber wäre, was ich nicht verdiene : für immer meinen süßen Herrn zu halten in diesen Armen, den ihm weit bereiten.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Übertragungen, Insel-verlag, 1927, p241
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Michelangelo-Übertragungen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 72
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Willy Kehrer (1902 - 1976), "Sieht durch die Augen", 1946 [ baritone and piano ], from Michelangelo-Zyklus, no. 9, Thüringen : Willy-Kehrer-Archiv Schmölln [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anton Schoendlinger (1919 - 1983), "Sieht durch die Augen man", 1980 [ soprano, violin, flute and harpsichord ], from Fünf Sonette Michelangelo Buonaroti Deutsche Nachdichtung von Rainer-Maria Rilke, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-11-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 97