Se'l mie rozzo martello i duri sassi forma d'uman aspetto or questo o quello, dal ministro, ch'el guida iscorgie e tiello, prendendo il moto, va con gli altrui passi: Ma quel divin, ch'in ciela alberga e stassi, altri, e sè più, col proprio andar fa bello; e se nessun martel senza martello si può far, da quel vivo ogni altro fassi. E perchè 'l colpo è di valor più pieno quant' alza più se stesso alla fucina, sopra 'l mie, questo al ciel n'è gito a volo. Onde a me non finito verrà meno, s' or non gli dà la fabbrica divina aiuto a farlo, c' al mondo era solo.
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Text Authorship:
- by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), appears in Rime, no. 46 [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), "Se'l mie rozzo martello i duri sassi", op. 145 no. 8, from Suite on verses by Michelangelo Buonarroti, no. 8, 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.
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) , "After the death of Vittoria Colonna: Irreparable loss", 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) (Romain Rolland) , "Rime no. 46", appears in Vie de Michel Ange, first published 1908
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bettina Jacobson) , "Auf Vittoria Colonnas Tod", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, first published 1907
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , subtitle: "Kai kietas mano kūjis uolą talžo", 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
Когда скалу мой жесткий молоток В обличия людей преображает, - Без мастера, который направляет Его удар, он делу б не помог, Но божий молот из себя извлек Размах, что миру прелесть сообщает; Все молоты тот молот предвещает, И в нем одном - им всем живой урок. Чем выше взмах руки над наковальней, Тем тяжелей удар: так занесен И надо мной он к высям поднебесным; Мне глыбою коснеть первоначальной, Пока кузнец господень - только он! - Не пособит ударом полновесным.
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Show a transliteration: Default | DIN | GOST
Note on TransliterationsText 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. 46
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), "Когда скалу мой жесткий молоток", op. 145 no. 8 (1974), from Suite on verses by Michelangelo Buonarroti, no. 8, 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: 2008-10-03
Line count: 14
Word count: 75