Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade

Qua si fa elmi di calici e spade,
e 'l sangue di Cristo si vend' a giumelle,
e croce e spine son lance e rotelle;
e pur da Cristo pazienza cade!

Ma non c'arivi più 'n queste contrade,
chè n'andré 'l sangue suo 'nsin alle stelle,
poscia che a Roma gli vendon la pelle;
e èci d'ogni ben chiuso le strade.

S' i' ebbi ma' voglia a posseder tesauro,
per ciò che qua opera da me è partita,
può quel nel manto che Medusa in Mauro.

Ma se alto in cielo è povertà gradita,
qual fia di nostro stato  il gran restauro,
s' un altro segno amorza l'altra vita?

by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) , from Rime, no. 10

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. 5, from Suite, no. 5, also set in Russian

by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906-1975) , no title, op. 145 no. 5 (1974), from Suite, no. 5, also set in Italian

ENG English (John Addington Symonds)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Zdes' delajut iz chash mechi i shlemy

Zdes' delajut iz chash mechi i shlemy
I krov' Khristovu prodajut na ves;
Na shchit zdes' tern, na kop'ju krest ischez, –
Usta zh Khristovy terpelivo nemy.

Pust' On ne skhodit v nashi Viflejemy
Il' snova bryznet krov'ju do nebes,
Zatem, chto dushegubam Rim – chto les,
I miloserd'e derzhim na zamke my.

Mne ne grozjat roskoshestva obuzy,
Ved' dlja menja davno uzh net zdes' del;
Ja Mantii strashus', kak Mavr – Meduzy;

No jesli Bednost' slavoj Bog odel,
Kakije zh nam togda gotovit uzy
Pod znamenem inym inoj udel?

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

Singable translation by Abram Efros (1888-1954)

a text in Italian by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) , from Rime, no. 10 ENG

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. 5 (1974), from Suite, no. 5, also set in Italian

Date added to the website: 2008-10-02.