Signor, se vero è alcun proverbio...

Signor, se vero è alcun proverbio antico,
questo è ben quel, che chi può, mai non vuole.
Tu hai creduto a favole e parole,
e premiato chi èl del ver nimico.

Io sono, e fui già tuo buon servo antico;
a te son dato come i raggi al sole;
e del mio tempo non t'incresce o duole,
e men ti piaccio se più m'affatico.

Già sperai ascender per la tuo altezza;
e 'l giusto peso, e la potente spada
fassi al bisogno, e non la voce d'ecco.

Ma 'l cielo è quel ch'ogni virtù disprezza
locarla al mondo, se vuol ch'altri vada
a prender frutto d'un arbor ch'è secco.

Submitted by Caroline Diehl

Authorship

by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564) , title unknown, from Rime, no. 6

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) , no title, op. 145 no. 1 (1974), from Suite, no. 1, also set in Russian

by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) , no title, op. 145 no. 1 (1974), from Suite, no. 1, also set in Italian

ENG English (John Addington Symonds) , "To Pope Julius II", from The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, published 1878
GER German (Bettina Jacobson) , "An Julius II", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, published 1907
FRE French (Guy Laffaille) , "Vérité", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Notes about green, red, and white dots

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An Julius II

Herr, hatte je ein altes Sprichwort Wert,
So hat es dies: Wer kann, der will noch nicht.
Auf hohle Reden legtest du Gewicht
Und hast mit Gunst der Wahrheit Feind geehrt.
Stets hab' ich mich in deinem Dienst bewährt,
Dein, wie der Sonne ihrer Strahlen Licht;
Doch, wenn ich Zeit verloren, rührt's dich nicht,
Und schaltest mehr, je mehr ich mühbeschwert.
Mein Hoffen hatt' ich ganz auf dich gestellt,
Nur war ein gutes Schwert und rechte Wage
Mehr angebracht als hohles Echowort.
Doch wahrer Tugend wert hält diese Welt
Der Himmel nicht, will er, dass Früchte trage
Ein hohler Baum für uns, der schon verdorrt.

Authorship

by Bettina Jacobson , "An Julius II", from Michelangelo: Gedichte und Briefe, published 1907

a text in Italian by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564) , title unknown, from Rime, no. 6 RUS ENG FRE

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 ]

Text added to the website: 2008-08-14.