Porter Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of Hell Gate, he should have old turning the key. (Knock.) Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hang'd himself on th' expectation of plenty. Come in time! Have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for't. (Knock.) Knock, knock! Who's there, in the other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who com- mitted treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator. (Knock.) Knock, knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. (Knock.) Knock, knock! Never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. (Knock.) Anon, anon! [Opens the gate.] I pray you, remember the porter.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3 [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 ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805) , "Frühgesang" [an adaptation] FRE ITA ; composed by Wilhelm Reinhard Berger, Leopold Lenz, Wilhelm Taubert.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Carlo Rusconi) , no title, first published 1858
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-01
Line count: 22
Word count: 179
Portiere. Qui si batte, nulla di più vero; ma se un uomo custodisse le porte dello Inferno, egli dovria ben di frequente volgerne e rivolgerne la chiave (battono). Picchia, picchia, picchia. Chi va là, in nome di Belzebub? Egli è un fattore che s’appiccò, stanco d’attendere le messi: arriva in tempo; porti pur seco buone tele, che qui n’avrà d’uopo per asciugarsi il sudore (battono). Picchia, picchia. Chi è là, in nome del Diavolo? In fede mia, è un dottorino che avrebbe giurato sopra entrambi i piattelli della giustizia, e commesso mille mariuolerie, segnandosi sempre nel nome del Signore. Oh sia il benvenuto, dottore (battono)! Picchia, picchia, picchia. Chi è là? Sull’onor di Satanasso, l’è un sartore. Ah maladetto sartore! vieni qui ad abbrustolarti la bugiarda lingua (battono). Picchia, picchia: mai un momento di riposo! Chi siete voi...? Ma questo luogo è troppo freddo per poter raffigurare l’Inferno, nè voglio più farla da portiere del diavolo. M’era immaginato di condur qui un uomo di tutte quelle professioni che guidano pel più breve cammino al fuoco dell’eterna gioia; ma..... (battono). Vengo, vengo (va ad aprire). In mercè, signori, non vi dimenticate del portiere.
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: this is a prose text. The line breaks have been added to try to make it line up with the original English.
Authorship:
- by Carlo Rusconi (1819 - 1889), no title, first published 1858 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3
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: 2019-05-02
Line count: 21
Word count: 192