Dal ciel discesce, e col mortal suo,...

Dal ciel discesce, e col mortal suo, poi
che visto ebbe l'inferno giusto e 'l pio,
ritornò vivo a còntemplare Dio,
per dar di tutto il vero lume a noi:

Lucente stella, che co' raggi suoi
fe chiaro, a torto, el nido ove naqqu' io;
nè sare 'l premio tutto 'l mondo rio:
Tu sol, che la creasti, esser quel puoi.

Di Dante dico, che mal conosciute
fur l'opre suo da quel popolo ingrato,
che solo a' iusti manca di salute.

Fuss' io pur lui! C'a tal fortuna nato,
per l'aspro esilio suo, son la virtute,
dare' del mondo il più felice stato.

by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) , from Rime, no. 248

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. 6, from Suite, no. 6, also set in Russian

by John Mitchell (1941-) , "From heaven his spirit came", op. 72 no. 1 (1989), from Six Sonnets by Michelangelo, no. 1.

by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975) , no title, op. 145 no. 6 (1974), from Suite, no. 6, also set in Italian

GER German (Bettina Jacobson)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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From heaven his spirit came

From heaven his spirit came, and robed in clay,
The realms of justice and mercy trod.
Then rose a living man to gaze on God,
That he might make the truth as clear as day.

But for that pure star, 
that brightened with his ray
The undeserving nest where I was born,
None but his maker can due guerdon pay.

I speak of Dante whose high work remains Unknown
Who rose a living man to gaze on God,
That he might make the truth as clear as day.

Were I but he!  Born for like lingering pains,
Against his exile coupled with his good
I'd gladly change the world's best heritage.

by John Addington Symonds (1840-1893) , from The Sonnets of Michael Angelo Buonarroti and Tommaso Campanella now for the first time translated into rhymed English, published 1878

a text in Italian by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) , from Rime, no. 248 RUS GER

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

by John Mitchell (1941-) , "From heaven his spirit came", op. 72 no. 1 (1989), from Six Sonnets by Michelangelo, no. 1.

Date added to the website: 2003-11-08.