WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: “Padre, germani, addio!” from Idomeneo
Text by Giambattista Varesco
Quando avran fine omai
When will my bitter misfortunes
L'aspre sventure mie? Ilia infelice!
be ended? Unhappy Ilia,
Di tempesta crudel misero avanzo,
wretched survivor of a dreadful tempest,
Del genitor, e de' germani priva
bereft of father and brothers,
Del barbaro nemico
the victims' blood
Misto col sangue il sangue
spilt and mingled
Vittime generose,
with the blood of their savage foes,
A qual sorte più rea
for what harsher fate
Ti riserbano i Numi?...
have the gods preserved you? …
Pur vendicaste voi
Are the loss and shame
Di Priamo, e di Troia i danni, e l'onte?
of Priam and Troy avenged?
Perì la flotta Argiva, e Idomeneo
The Greek fleet is destroyed, and Idomeneo
Pasto forse sarà d'orca vorace...
perhaps will be a meal for hungry fish...
Ma che mi giova, oh ciel! se al primo aspetto
But what comfort is that to me, ye heavens,
Di quel prode Idamante,
if, at the first sight of that valiant Idamante
Che all'onde mi rapì, l'odio deposi,
who snatched me from the waves, I forgot my hatred,
E pria fu schiavo il cor, che m'accorgessi
and my heart was enslaved before I realized
D'essere prigioniera.
I was a prisoner.
Ah qual contrasto, oh Dio! d'opposti affetti
O God, what a conflict of warring emotions
Mi destate nel sen odio, ed amore!
you rouse in my breast, hate and love!
Vendetta deggio a chi mi diè la vita,
I owe vengeance to him who gave me life,
Gratitudine a chi vita mi rende...
gratitude to him who restored it…
Oh Ilia! oh genitor! oh prence! oh sorte!
Oh Ilia! Oh father! Oh prince! Oh destiny!
Oh vita sventurata! oh dolce morte!
Ill-fated life, oh sweet death!
Ma che? m'ama Idamante?... ah no; l'ingrato
But yet does Idamante love me?… Ah no; ungratefully
Per Elettra sospira, e quell’ Elettra
he sighs for Electra, and that Electra,
Meschina principessa esule d'Argo,
unhappy princess, an exile from Argos
D'Oreste alle sciagure a queste arene
and the torments of Orestes,
Fuggitiva, raminga, è mia rivale.
who fled, a wanderer, to these shores, is my rival.
Quanti mi siete intorno
Ruthless butchers,
Carnefici spietati?... orsù sbranate
how many of you surround me?… Then up and
Vendetta, gelosia, odio, ed amore,
shatter vengeance, jealousy, hate, and love,
Sbranate sì quest'infelice core!
yes, shatter my unhappy heart!
Padre, germani, addio!
Father, brothers, farewell!
Voi foste, io vi perdei.
You are no more, I have lost you.
Grecia, cagion tu sei.
Greece, you are the cause.
E un greco adorerò?
And shall I now love a Greek?
D'ingrata al sangue mio
I know that I am guilty
So, che la colpa avrei;
of abandoning my kin;
Ma quel sembiante, oh Dei!
but I cannot bring myself,
Odiare ancor non so.
oh gods, to hate that face.
Ecco Idamante, ahimè!
Alas, here is Idamante coming.
Se'n vien : Misero core
Unhappy heart,
Tu palpiti, e paventi.
you flutter and falter.
Deli, cessate per poco, oh miei tormenti!
Oh, grant me some respite from my torments!
CHARLES GOUNOD: “Ah! Lève-toi, soleil!” from Roméo et Juliette
Text by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré
L’amour, l’amour!
Love! Love!
Oui, son ardeur a troublé tout mon être!
Ay, its intensity has disturbed my very being!
Mais quelle soudaine clarté
But what sudden light
Resplendit à cette fenêtre?
through yonder window breaks?
C’est là que dans la nuit rayonne sa beauté!
’Tis there that by night her beauty shines!
Ah! Lève-toi, soleil! Fais pâlir les étoiles
Ah, arise, oh sun! Turn pale the stars
Qui, dans l’azur sans voiles,
that, unveiled in the azure,
Brillent au firmament,
do sparkle in the firmament.
Ah! Lève-toi! Parais! Parais!
Ah, arise! Ah, arise! Appear! Appear,
Astre pur et charmant!
thou pure and enchanting star!
Elle rêve! Elle dénoue
She is dreaming, she loosens
Une boucle de cheveux
a lock of hair
Qui vient caresser sa joue.
which falls to caress her cheek.
Amour! Amour! Porte-lui mes vœux!
Love! Love, carry my vows to her!
Elle parle! Qu’elle est belle!
She speaks! How beautiful she is!
Ah! Je n’ai rien entendu!
Ah, I heard nothing!
Mais ses yeux parlent pour elle,
But her eyes speak for her,
Et mon cœur a répondu!
and my heart has answered!
GEORGES BIZET: “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” from Carmen
Text by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
La fleur que tu m'avais jetée,
Here is the flower that you threw me,
Dans ma prison m'était restée,
While in the jail it never left me,
Flétrie et sèche, cette fleur
Though dry and faded, yet the flower
Gardait toujours sa douce odeur;
Has kept its scent, its magic power;
Et pendant des heures entières,
In my cell for whole hours together,
Sur mes yeux fermant mes paupières
I would close my eyes and remember,
De cette odeur je m'enivrais
Until the scent set me on fire,
Et dans la nuit je te voyais.
And in that night I'd see you there!
Je me prenais à te maudire
Then I would curse the hour I met you,
À te détester, à me dire:
And, trying to hate and forget you,
Pourquoi faut-il que le destin
I'd even say: oh why did fate
L'ait mise là sur mon chemin?
Ever decree we two should meet?
Puis je m'accusais de blasphème,
Then I stood accused of blasphemy,
Et je ne sentais en moi-même
And to myself I thought only,
Je ne sentais qu'un seul désir,
I thought only of one desire,
Un seul désir, un seul espoir,
Only one desire, only one hope.
Te revoir, ô Carmen, oui te revoir! …
Let me find you, Carmen, see you again!
Car tu n'avais eu qu'à paraître,
For you had only to appear there,
Qu'à jeter un regard sur moi
Your dark eyes but to glance my way,
Pour t'emparer de tout mon être,
And you possessed me then forever,
Ô ma Carmen!
O my Carmen!
Et j'étais une chose à toi.
And I meant the only thing to you!
Carmen, je t'aime!
Carmen, I love you!
JULES MASSENET: “Va! laisse couler mes larmes” from Werther
Text by Édouard Blau, Georges Hartmann, and Paul Milliet
Va! Laisse couler mes larmes
Go! Let my tears flow
Elles font du bien, ma chérie!
They do good, darling!
Les larmes qu'on ne pleure pas,
The tears we do not cry,
Dans notre âme retombent toutes,
All fall into our souls,
Et de leurs patientes gouttes
And with their persistent drops
Martèlent le coeur triste et las!
Hammer upon the sad and weary heart!
Sa résistance enfin s'épuise; le coeur se creuse...
Its resistance is finally exhausted; the heart is hollowed out...
Et s'affaiblit: il est trop grand, rien ne l'emplit;
And weakens: it is too big, nothing fills it;
Et trop fragile, tout le brise! Tout le brise!
And too fragile, everything breaks it! Everything breaks it!
JULES MASSENET: “Se di regnar sei vago” from Mitridate, re di Pinto
Text by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi
Se di regnar sei vago,
If you long to reign,
Già pago è il tuo desìo,
Your desire is now fulfilled,
E se vendettà vuoi
And if you want vengeance
Di tutti i torti tuoi
On all the wrongs you have endured,
Da te dipenderà.
It will be up to you.
Di chi ti volle oppresso
The arrogance of the one who wished you
Già la superbia è doma,
To be crushed is now tamed,
Mercè il valor di Roma,
Thanks to the valor of Rome,
Mercè quel fatto istesso
And thanks to that same destiny
Che ognor ti seguirà.
Which will always follow you.
GIOACHINO ROSSINI: “Anzoleta avanti la regata” from La Regata Veneziana
Text by Count Carlo Pepoli
Là su la machina xe la bandiera varda,
Over there on the machine the flag is flying,
La vedistu, vala a ciapar.
Look, you can see it, now go for it.
Co quela tornime in qua sta sera,
Bring it back to me this evening,
O pur a sconderte ti pol andar.
Or else run away and hide.
In pope, Momolo, no te incantar.
Once in the boat, Momolo, don’t gawp.
Va, voga d’anema la gondoleta
Row the gondola with heart and soul,
Nè el primo premio te pol mancar,
Then you cannot help but be first.
Va là, recordite la to Anzoleta
Go on, think of your Angelina
Che da sto pergolo te sta a vardar.
Watching you from this balcony.
In pope, Momolo, no te incantar,
Once in the boat, Momolo, don’t gawp.
Cori a svolar.
Once in the boat, Momolo, fly like the wind.
