by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885)
I told you, sir, they were red‑hot with...
Language: English
[I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking; So fun of valour that they smote the air For breathing in their faces, beat the ground For kissing of their feet; yet always bending Towards their project.]1 Then I beat my tabour, At which, like unbacked colts, they pricked their ears, Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses As they smelt music. So I charmed their ears [That calf-like they my lowing followed through Toothed briars, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns, Which entered their frail shins. At last I left them I'th' filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell, There dancing up to th' chins, that the foul lake O'er-stunk their feet]1.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Saariaho.
Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in The Tempest, Act IV, Scene 1 (Ariel) [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by Kaija Saariaho (1952 - 2023), "Ariel's Hail", 2000, published 2004? [ soprano, harp, and flute ], from The Tempest Songbook, no. 1
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo)
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Andrea Maffei) , no title, first published 1869
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-21
Line count: 14
Word count: 114
Ti dissi, o mio Signore
Language: Italian (Italiano) after the English
Ti dissi, o mio Signore, Come briachi dal soverchio bere, Ed enfiati il cervel da forsennata Spavalderia menassero fendenti All’aria vana che feriane i volti, E quel suol che baciava i loro piedi Battessero. In obblio l’infame intento Non metteano però. D’un tratto io posi Sul cembalo la mano, e quelli, a guisa Di puledri selvaggi, alzàr gli orecchi, Le narici allargaro, e i sopraccigli Levàr, come volessero le dolci Note fiutarne. Ho stretto i sensi loro D’un nodo tal che dietro all’armonia, Quasi vitelli desiosi al mugghio Della madre, correan traverso rovi, Macchie, veprai che ne’ tremuli stinchi Figgean le acute spine. Alfin gl’immersi In quel sozzo padul che giace a tergo Della tua grotta; ed or nella belletta Fino al mento ingolfati, in vane prove Sciupano il poco di vigor per trarne Dal fondo i piedi nel limo impacciati.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Andrea Maffei (1798 - 1885), no title, first published 1869 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in The Tempest, Act IV, Scene 1 (Ariel)
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 page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-05-09
Line count: 23
Word count: 141