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

Tu sa, ch'io so, signor mie, che tu sai
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE LIT SPA
Tu sa, ch'io so, signor mie, che tu sai
Ch'i [veni]1 per goderti più da presso;
E sai ch'i' so, che tu sa' c'i' son desso:
A che più indugio a salutarci omai?
Se vera è la speranza che mi dai,
Se vero è 'l [buon]2 desio che m'è concesso,
Rompasi il mur fra l'uno e l'altro messo;
Chè doppia forza hann' i celati guai.
S'i' amo sol di te, signor mie caro,
Quel che di te più ami, non ti sdegni;
Che l'un dell'altro spirto s'innamora,
Quel che nel tuo bel volto bramo e 'mparo,
E mal compres' è degli umani ingegni,
Chi 'l vuol [veder]3, convien che prima mora.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   K. Sorabji 

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 K. Sorabji: "vengo"
2 K. Sorabji: "gran"
3 K. Sorabji: "saper"

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 115

Love's entreaty
Language: English  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Thou knowest, love, I know that thou dost know
    That I am here more near to thee to be,
    And knowest that I know thou knowest me:
    What means it then that we are sundered so?
If they are true, these hopes that from thee flow,
    If it is real, this sweet expectancy,
    Break down the wall that stands 'twixt me and thee;
    For pain in prison pent hath double woe.
Because in thee I love, O my loved lord,
    What thou best lovest, be not therefore stern:
    Souls burn for souls, spirits to spirits cry!
I seek the splendour in thy fair face stored;
    Yet living man that beauty scarce can learn,
    And he who fain would find it, first must die.

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):

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 123