by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564)
Translation by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893)
Di morte certo, ma non già dell' ora;
Language: Italian (Italiano)
Di morte certo, ma non già dell' ora; la vita è breve, e poco me n'avanza; diletta al senso è non però la stanza a l'alma, che mi priega pur ch' i' mora. Il mondo è cieco, e 'l tristo esempio ancora vince e sommerge ogni prefetta usanza; spent' è la luce, e seco ogni baldanza; trionfa il falso, e 'l ver non surge fora. Deh quando fie, Signor, quel che s'aspetta per chi ti crede? Ch' ogni troppo indugio tronca la speme, el' alma fa mortale. Che val che tanto lume altrui prometta, s' anzi vien morte, e senz' alcun refugio ferma per sempre in che stato altri assale?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 295 [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 Tristan Keuris (1946 - 1996), "Di morte certo", 1990, from Three Michelangelo songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Di morte certo, ma non già dell' ora;", op. 145 no. 10, from Suite on verses by Michelangelo Buonarroti, no. 10 [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 Michael Gielen, Wolfgang Michael Rihm.
- 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) , "Waiting for Death", appears in 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) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Jau mirtį jausdamas", subtitle: "Jau mirtį jausdamas", 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: 110
Waiting for Death
Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)
My death must come; but when, I do not know: Life's short, and little life remains for me: Fain would my flesh abide; my soul would flee Heavenward, for still she calls on me to go. Blind is the world; and evil here below O'erwhelms and triumphs over honesty: The light is quenched; quenched too is bravery: Lies reign, and truth hath ceased her face to show. When will that day dawn, Lord, for which he waits Who trusts in Thee? Lo, this prolonged delay Destroys all hope and robs the soul of life. Why streams the light from those celestial gates, If death prevent the day of grace, and stay Our souls for ever in the toils of strife?
Text Authorship:
- by John Addington Symonds (1840 - 1893), "Waiting for Death", 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. 295
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 text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-08-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 120