S'ì fosse foco, arderei 'l mondo

"... Finally the older worker, a quiet, almost timid railroad clerk-statistician, concluded with vehemence: 'If I had the power?' Then he quoted Dante, an old Italian poet: 'Se fossi foco brucerei il mondo.  Were I a fire I'd burn the world.'"




[from the old Seeds in the Snow BR history.  Oddly, the line isn't from Dante, far as I can tell.  It's a version of the line from Cecco Angiolieri ("S'ì fosse foco, arderei 'l mondo"), who had a had a correspondence with Dante, evidently not on the best terms,  i.e.:

Dante Alighier, i' t'averò a stancare 
ch'eo so lo pungiglion, e tu se' 'l bue  


Dante boy, I'll simply wear you out:  
since I'm the cattle-prod that drives your ox.


Whole sonnet worth quoting (not my translation below, bit formal, though still basically a misanthropic rap boast, especially by the end)


S'i fosse foco, arderei 'l mondo,
S’i’ fosse vento, lo tempesteri;
S’i’ fosse acqua, io l’annegherei;
S’i’ fosse Dio, mandareil in profondo.

S’i’ fosse papa, sare’ allor iocondo,
Che tutt'i cristiani imbrigherei;
S’i’ fosse emperator, sa’ che farei?
A tutti mozzarei lo capo a tondo.

S’i’ fosse morte, andarei da mio padre;
S’i’ fosse vita, fuggirei da lui;
Similemente faria da mi’ madre.

S’i’ fosse Cecco com’i’ sono e fui,
Torrei le donne giovani e leggiadre,
E zoppe e laide lascerei altrui.

If I were fire, I'd burn up the world,
If I were wind, I'd storm it,
If I were water, I'd drown it,
If I were God, I'd hurl it to the depths,

If I were the Pope, I'd be please d
To harass all the Christians,
If I were Emperor, know what I'd do?
I'd cut everyone's head right off.

If I were death, I'd go to my father,
If I were life I'd flee from him,
And I'd do the same for my mother,

If I were Cecco as I am and have been,
I'd take all the young, graceful women,
And leave the ugly and lame to others.