TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
Sebben, crudele
Text by Anonymous
Sebben, crudele, Mi fai languir, Sempre Fedele
Ti voglio amar.
Con la lunghezza
Del mio server
La tua fierezza Saprò stancar.
Stizzoso, mio stizzoso
Serpina’s aria from La serva padrona Libretto by G.A. Federico
Stizzoso, mio stizzoso, Voi fate il borioso, Ma nò, ma non vi può giovare; Bisogna al mio divieto star cheto, cheto, E non parlare, Zitt! ... Zitt!...
Serpina vuol così. Zitt! ... Zitt!...
Serpina vuol così.
Cred’io che m’intendete, si, che m’intendete, si, Dacchè mi conoscete son molti e molti dì.
Although, cruel love
Translation by Bertram Kottmann
Although, cruel love, you make me languish, I will always love you true. With the patience of my serving I will be able to tire out your pride.
Irascible, my irascible
Translation by Mario
Genesi
Irascible, my irascible, you behave with arrogance, but no! it won’t help your position. You must keep to my prohibitions and keep silent, and not talk, Shut up! ... shut up! ... These are Serpina’s commands. Shut up! ... shut up! ... These are Serpina’s commands.
Now I think you have understood, Yes, you have captured the message, Because already a long time has passed from when you first made acquaintance with me.
Ständchen
Text by Ludwig Rellstab
Leise flehen meine Lieder
Durch die Nacht zu Dir; In den stillen Hain hernieder, Liebchen, komm’ zu mir!
Flüsternd schlanke Wipfel rauschen
In des Mondes Licht; Des Verräters feindlich Lauschen
Fürchte, Holde, nicht.
Hörst die Nachtigallen schlagen?
Ach! sie flehen Dich, Mit der Töne süssen Klagen
Flehen sie für mich.
Sie verstehn des Busens Sehnen, Kennen Liebesschmerz, Rühren mit den Silbertönen
Jedes weiche Herz.
Lass auch Dir die Brust bewegen, Liebchen, höre mich!
Bebend harr’ ich Dir entgegen!
Komm’, beglücke mich!
Fair Robin I Love
Dorine’s aria from Tartuffe from Mechem’s revision of Molière’s opera
Fair Robin I love and hourly die, But not for a lip, nor a languishing eye; He’s fickle and false, and there we agree, For I am as false and as fickle as he.
We neither believe what either can say; And neither believing, we neither betray. ‘Tis civil to swear and say things, of course; We mean not the taking for better or worse.
When present we love; when absent agree: I think not of Robin, nor Robin of me. The legend of love no couple can find, So easy to part or so easily joined!
Serenade
Translation by Richard Wigmore
Slender treetops whisper and rustle through the night to you; down into the silent grove, beloved, come to me! Softly my songs plead in the moonlight; that the hostile betrayer will overhear us. my darling, do not fear Do you not hear the nightingales call? Ah, they are imploring you; with their sweet, plaintive songs they are imploring for me. They understand the heart’s yearning, they know the pain of love; with their silvery notes they touch every tender heart. Let your heart, too, be moved, beloved, hear me! Trembling, I await you! Come, make me happy!
Pietà, Signore
Text by Anonymous
Pietà, Signore, di me dolente! Signor, pietà, se a te giunge il mio pregar; non mi puniscail tuo rigor, meno severi, clementi ognora, volgi i tuoi sguardisopra di me. Non fia mai che nell’inferno sia dannato, nel fuoco eterno dal tuo rigor.
Gran Dio, giammai sia dannato nel fuoco eterno dal tuo rigor, Pietà, Signore, Signor, pietà di me dolente, se a te giunge il mio pregare, Meno severi, clementi ognora, volgi i tuoi sguardi, deh! volgi squardi su me, Signor, Pietà, Signore, di me dolente.
Voi che sapete
Cherubino’s aria from Le Nozze di Figaro
Text by Lorenzo da Ponte
Voi che sapete che cosa e amor, Donne, vedete s’io l’ho nel cor. Quello ch’io provo vi ridiro, E per me nuovo, capir nol so. Sento un affetto, pien di desir, Ch’ora e diletto, ch’ora e martir. Gelo e poi sento l’alma avvampar, E in un momento torno a gelar. Ricerco un bene fuori di me, Non so ch’il tiene, non so cos’e. Sospiro e gemo senza voler, Palpito e tremo senza saper, Non trovo pace notte ne di, Ma pur mi piace languir cosi. Voi che sapete che cosa e amor, Donne, vedete s’io l’ho nel cor.
Have mercy, Lord
Translation by Anna Pavan
Have mercy, Lord, on me in my suffering! Lord, have mercy, if my prayer reaches you; may your severity not punish me, always forgiving eyes direct upon me. Do not allow me in hell, to be damned in eternal flames by your severity. Almighty God, never allow me to be damned in the eternal flames by your severity, Have mercy, Lord, Lord, have mercy on me in my suffering, if my prayer reaches to you, Less harshly, always forgiving, eyes upon me, ah! direct your eyes on me, Lord, Have mercy, Lord, on me in my suffering.
You who know
Translation by Naomi Gurt Lind
You who know what love is, Ladies, see if I have it in my heart. I’ll tell you what I’m feeling, It’s new for me, and I understand nothing. I have a feeling, full of desire, Which is by turns delightful and miserable. I freeze and then feel my soul go up in flames, Then in a moment I turn to ice.
I’m searching for affection outside of myself, I don’t know how to hold it, nor even what it is! I sigh and lament without wanting to, I twitter and tremble without knowing why, I find peace neither night nor day, But still I rather enjoy languishing this way. You who know what love is, Ladies, see if I have it in my heart.
Vilja Song from The Merry Widow
Translation by Adrian Ross
There once was a vilia, a witch of the wood, A hunter beheld her alone as she stood, The spell of her beauty upon him was laid, He look’d and he longed for the magical maid! For a sudden tremor ran, Right thro’ the love bewilder’d man, And he sigh’d as a hapless lover can.
Vilia, O Vilia! The witch of the wood! Would I not die for you, dear, if I could?
Vilia, O Vilia, my love and my bride!
Softly and sadly he sigh’d
Vilia, O Vilia! The witch of the wood! Would I not die for you, dear, if I could?
Vilia, O Vilia, my love and my bride!
Softly and sadly he sigh’d
The wood maiden smiled, and no answer she gave, But beckon’d him into the shade of the cave; He never had known such rapturous bliss, No maiden of mortals so sweetly can kiss! As before her feet he lay, She vanish’d in the wood away, And he call’d vainly till his dying day!
Ridente la calma
Text by Anonymous
Ridente la calma nell’alma si desti; Né resti più segno di sdegno e timor.
Tu vieni, frattanto, a stringer mio bene, Le dolce catene sí grate al mio cor.
Ridente la calma nell’alma si desti; Né resti un segno di sdegno e timor.
May a happy calm arise
Translation by Mario Genesi
May a happy calm arise in my soul and may neither a bit of anger nor fear survive in it.
In the meantime you are coming, my beloved, to grasp those sweet chains that make my heart so grateful.
May a happy calm arise in my soul and may neither anger nor fear survive in it.
i carry your heart
Text by e. e. cummings
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Quando m’en vo
Musetta’s aria from La Bohème
Translated by Giuseppe Cusmano
Quando m’en vo soletta per la via,
La gente sosta e mira
E la bellezza mia tutta ricerca in me
Da capo a pie’...
Ed assaporo allor la bramosia
Sottil, che da gli occhi traspira
E dai palesi vezzi intender sa Alle occulte beltà.
Così l’effluvio del desìo tutta m’aggira, Felice mi fa!
E tu che sai, che memori e ti struggi
Da me tanto rifuggi?
So ben:
le angoscie tue non le vuoi dir, Ma ti senti morir!
When I walk
When I walk all alone in the street
People stop and stare at me
And look for my whole beauty
From head to feet
And then I taste the slight yearning which transpires from their eyes and which is able to perceive from manifest charms to most hidden beauties. So the scent of desire is all around me, it makes me happy!
And you, while knowing, reminding and longing, you shrink from me?
I know it very well:
you don’t want to express your anguish, but you feel as if you’re dying!
E’ la solita storia
It’s the usual story
Translation by Hagy
Marenco
Federico’s aria from L’Arlesiana Libretto by Leopoldo
E’ la solita storia del pastore... Il povero ragazzo volvea raccontarla, e s’addormi.
C’è nel sonno l’oblio, Come l’invidio!
Anch’io vorrei dormir così nel sonno almeno l’oblio trovar!
La pace sol cercando io vò: vorrei poter tutto scordar. Ma ogni sforzo è vanno.. Davanti ho sempre di lei il dolce sembiante!
La pace tolta è sempre a me... Perché degg’io tanto penar?
Lei!... sempre mi parla al cor! Fatale vision, mi lascia! mi fai tanto male! Ahimè!
It’s the usual story of the shepherd... The poor boy wanted to tell it, but fell asleep. There is oblivion in sleep.. How I envy him!
I too would like to sleep like thiswithin sleep to find oblivion! I only want to find peace: If only I could forget everything. But all struggles are in vain. I still see before me her sweet visage.. But all struggles are in vain. Why must I suffer so much pain? She!.. How she always spoke to my heart! Fatal vision, leave me! You hurt me so much! Oh poor me!
Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante
I say that nothing can frighten me
Micaëla’s
aria
from Carmen Libretto by Henri Meilhac
C’est des contrebandiers le refuge ordinaire. Il est ici; je le verrai!
Et le devoir que m’imposa sa mère
Sans trembler je l’accomplirai
Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante, Je dis, hélas! que je réponds de moi;
Mais j’ai beau faire la vaillante...
Au fond du coeur je meurs d’effroi!
Seule en ce lieu sauvage
Toute seule j’ai peur,
Mais j’ai tort d’avoir peur.
Vous me donnerez du courage; Vous me protégerez, Seigneur!
Je vais voir de près cette femme, Dont les artifices maudits
Ont fini par faire un infâme
De celui que j’aimais jadis!
Elle est dangereuse...elle est belle!
Mais je ne veux pas avoir peur!
Non, non, je ne veux pas avoir peur!
Je parlerai haut devant elle...ah!
Seigneur, vous me protégerez. Protégez-moi! Ô Seigneur!
Donnez-moi du courage!
Translation by Terri Eickel
It is the smugglers ordinary refuge. He is here, I will see him!
And the task that his mother imposed Without trembling, I will accomplish it.
I say that nothing can frighten me. I say, alas, that I respond to myself; But I play the part of the courgeous one in vain...
From the bottom of my heart, I die of fear! Alone in this savage place
All alone I am afraid, But I am wrong to have fear. You will give me courage; You will protect me, Lord!
I am going to see face to face this woman, Whose cursed guile
Has ended up to make a vile person
Of him that I love once!
She is dangerous, she is beautiful! But I do not want to be afraid!
No, no, I do not want to be afraid!
I will speak up before her...ah!
Lord, you will protect me. Protect me! O Lord!
Give me courage!
Dich, teure Halle
Elisabeth’s aria from Tannhäuser (At the hall of the Minnesingers in Wartburg. Elisabeth Enters the hall joyfully and greets it)
Dich, teure Halle, grüß’ ich wieder, Froh grüß’ ich dich, geliebter Raum!
In dir erwachen seine Lieder
Und wecken mich aus düstrem Traum. Da er aus dir geschieden, Wie öd erschienst du mir!
Aus mir entfloh der Frieden, Die Freude zog aus dir.
Wie jetzt mein Busen hoch sich hebet, So scheinst du jetzt mir stolz und hehr. Der mich und dich so neu belebet, Nicht weilt er ferne mehr.
Wie jetzt mein Busen hoch sich hebet, So scheinst du jetzt mir stolz und hehr. Der mich und dich so neu belebet, Nicht weilt er ferne mehr.
Sei mir gegrüßt! Sei mir gegrüßt!
Du, teure Halle, sei mir gegrüßt!
Sei mir gegrüßt!
Du, teure Halle, sei mir gegrüßt!
You, dear hall
You, dear hall, do I greet again
I greet you joyfully, beloved room!
In you his songs awake
And wake me from a dusky dream. When he departed from you
How dull you seemed to me!
Peace flew out of me
And joy went out of you.
And now my bosom is raised high
As you now seem to me proud and noble
He who brings you and me to life
Is no longer wandering far away
And now my bosom is raised high
As you now seem to me proud and noble
He who brings you and me to life
Is no longer wandering far away
I greet you, I greet you!
You, dear hall, I greet you!
I greet you!
You, dear hall, I greet you!
