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by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564)
Translation Singable translation by Abram Markovich Efros (1888 - 1954)

Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade
Language: Italian (Italiano) 
Our translations:  CAT FRE LIT
Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade,
e 'l sangue di Cristo si vend' a giumelle,
e croce e spine son lance e rotelle;
e pur da Cristo pazienza cade!

Ma non c'arivi più 'n queste contrade,
chè n'andré 'l sangue suo 'nsin alle stelle,
poscia che a Roma gli vendon la pelle;
e èci d'ogni ben chiuso le strade.

S' i' ebbi ma' voglia a posseder tesauro,
per ciò che qua opera da me è partita,
può quel nel manto che Medusa in Mauro.

Ma se alto in cielo è povertà gradita,
qual fia di nostro stato  il gran restauro,
s' un altro segno amorza l'altra vita?

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 10 [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 Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade", op. 145 no. 5, from Suite on verses by Michelangelo Buonarroti, no. 5, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Abram Markovich Efros (1888 - 1954) ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.
    • Go to the text.

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) , "On Rome in the Pontificate of Julius II", 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 © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , subtitle: "Iš taurių lieja čia kardus ir šalmus", 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: 109

Zdes' delajut iz chash mechi i shlemy
Language: Russian (Русский)  after the Italian (Italiano) 
Zdes' delajut iz chash mechi i shlemy
I krov' Khristovu prodajut na ves;
Na shchit zdes' tern, na kop'ju krest ischez, –
Usta zh Khristovy terpelivo nemy.

Pust' On ne skhodit v nashi Viflejemy
Il' snova bryznet krov'ju do nebes,
Zatem, chto dushegubam Rim – chto les,
I miloserd'e derzhim na zamke my.

Mne ne grozjat roskoshestva obuzy,
Ved' dlja menja davno uzh net zdes' del;
Ja Mantii strashus', kak Mavr – Meduzy;

No jesli Bednost' slavoj Bog odel,
Kakije zh nam togda gotovit uzy
Pod znamenem inym inoj udel?

About the headline (FAQ)

Show a transliteration: Default | DIN | GOST

Note on Transliterations

Show untransliterated (original) text

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Abram Markovich Efros (1888 - 1954) [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. 10
    • Go to the text page.

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

  • by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Здесь делают из чаш мечи и шлемы", op. 145 no. 5 (1974), from Suite on verses by Michelangelo Buonarroti, no. 5, also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-10-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 90

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