Quante dirne si de' non si può dire

Quante dirne si de' non si può dire,
chè troppo agli orbi il suo splendor s'accese:
Biasmar si può più 'l popol che 'l offese,
c'al suo men pregio ogni maggior salire.

Questo discese a' merti del fallire,
per l'util nostro, e poi a Dio ascese:
E le porte che 'l ciel non gli contese,
la patria chiuse al suo guisto desire.

Ingrata, dico, e della suo fortuna
a suo danno nutrice; ond' è ben segnio,
c' a' più perfetti abonda di più guai.

Fra mille altre ragion sol ha quest' una:
Se par non ebbe il suo esilio indegnio,
simil uom nè maggior non naqque mai.

by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) , from Rime, no. 250

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. 7, from Suite, no. 7, also set in Russian

by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975) , no title, op. 145 no. 7 (1974), from Suite, no. 7, also set in Italian

ENG English (John Addington Symonds)
GER German (Hermann Friedrich Grimm)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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On Dante Alighieri

No tongue can tell of him what should be told,
    For on blind eyes his splendour shines too strong;
    'Twere easier to blame those who wrought him wrong,
    Than sound his least praise with a mouth of gold.

He to explore the place of pain was bold,
    Then soared to God, to teach our souls by song;
    The gates heaven oped to bear his feet along,
    Against his just desire his country rolled.

Thankless I call her, and to her own pain
    The nurse of fell mischance; for sign take this,
    That ever to the best she deals more scorn:

Among a thousand proofs let one remain;
    Though ne'er was fortune more unjust than his,
    His equal or his better ne'er was born.

by John Addington Symonds (1840-1893) , "On Dante Alighieri", 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. 250 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)

[ None yet in the database ]

Date added to the website: 2008-08-11.