LISTENING ROOM LYRICS ARCHIVE 4
«A te, O cara» from I puritani by Vincenzo Bellini
«Pourquoi me réveiller» from Werther by Jules Massenet
«Ah! lève-toi, soleil!» from Roméo et Juliette by Charles-François Gounod
«J'ai perdu mon Eurydice» from Orphée et Eurydice by Christoph Willibald Gluck
«Recondita armonia» from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
«Ma se m'e forza perderti» from Un Ballo in Maschera by Giuseppe Verdi
«Quando le sere al placido» from Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi
«Ingemisco» from Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi
«Damunt de tu només les flors» from Combat del Somni by Federico Mompou
«La donna è mobile» from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi
«A te, O cara» from I puritani
Composer: Vincenzo Bellini
Libretto: Carlo Pepoli
A te, o cara, amor talora
Mi guidò furtivo e in pianto;
Or mi guida a te d'accanto
fra la gioia e l'esultar.
Al brillar di sì bell'ora,
Se rammento il mio tormento
Si raddoppia il mio contento,
M'è più caro il palpitar.
To you, O beloved, my love once
Led me secretly and in tears;
Now it guides me to your side
Amidst joy and exhultation.
In the radiance of such a happy time,
When I remember my torment,
My joy is re-doubled,
My emotions are more precious.
«Pourquoi me réveiller» from Werther
Composer: Jules Massenet
Libretto: Edouard Blau, Paul Milliet & Georges Hartmann after Goethe
Pourquoi me réveiller,
o souffle du printemps?
Sur mon front je sense tes caresses
et pourtant bien proche est le temps,
des orages et des tristesses!
Pourquoi me réveiller,
o souffle du printemps?
Demain, dans le vallon,
viendra le voyageur,
se souvenant de ma gloire première,
et ses yeux vainement
chercheront ma splendeur:
Ils ne trouveront plus
que deuil et que misère! Hélas!
Pourquoi me réveiller,
o souffle du printemps?
"Why do you awaken me?
o breath of Spring?
On my forehead I feel your caresses,
and yet very near is the time
of storms and sorrows!
Why do you awaken me,
o breath of Spring?
Tomorrow, into the valley
will come the traveller
remembering my early glory
And his eyes in vain
will look for my splendor.
They will find no more than
grief and misery. Alas!
Why do you awaken me,
o breath of Spring!
«Ah! lève-toi, soleil!» from Roméo et Juliette
Composer: Charles-François Gounod
Libretto: Jules Barbier and Michel Carre after Shakespeare
L'amour! L'amour! Oui, son ardeur
A troublé tout mon être!
Mais quelle soudaine clarté
Resplendit à cette fenêtre!
C'est là que dans la nuit
Rayonne sa beauté!
Ah! lève-toi, soleil!
Fais pâlir les étoiles,
Qui, dans l'azur sans voiles,
Brillent aux firmament.
Ah! lève-toi! Parais! Parais!
Astre pur et charmant!
Elle rêve! elle dénoue
Une boucle de cheveux
Qui vient caresse sa joue!
Amour! Amour! porte-lui mes voeux!
Elle parle! Qu'elle est belle!
Ah! je n'ai rien entendu!
Mais ses yeux parlent pour elle,
Et mon coeur a répondu!
Ah! lève-toi, soleil!
Fais pâlir les étoiles,
Qui, dans l'azur sans voiles,
Brillent aux firmament
Ah! lève-toi! parais! parais!
Astre pur et charmant!
Viens, parais!
Astre pur et charmant!
Viens, parais!
Viens, parais!
Love, love! yes, its intensity
Has disturbed my very being!
But, what sudden light
Shines at that window?
It is there that by night
Her beauty shines!
Ah! arise, O sun!
Make pale the stars
Which, unveiled in the azure,
Sparkle in the firmament.
Ah, arise! Appear! Appear!
Pure and enchanting star!
She is dreaming! She loosens
A lock of hair
Which falls, caressing her cheek!
Love! Love! Carry my vows to her!
She speaks! How beautiful she is!
Ah! I heard nothing!
But her eyes speak for her!
And my heart has answered!
Ah! arise, O sun!
Make pale the stars
Which, unveiled in the azure,
Sparkle in the firmament.
Ah, arise! Appear! Appear!
Pure and enchanting star!
Come, appear!
Pure and enchanting star!
Come, appear!
Come, appear!
«J'ai perdu mon Eurydice» from Orphée et Eurydice
Composer: Christoph Willibald Gluck
Libretto: Pierre-Louis Moline after Calzabigi
J'ai perdu mon Eurydice,
Rien n'égale mon malheur;
Sort cruel! quelle rigueur!
Rien n'égale mon malheur!
Je succombe à ma douleur!
Eurydice, Eurydice,
Réponds, quel supplice!
Réponds-moi!
C'est ton époux fidèle;
Entends ma voix qui t'appelle.
J'ai perdu mon Eurydice,
Rien n'égale mon malheur;
Sort cruel! quelle rigueur!
Rien n'égale mon malheur!
Je succombe à ma douleur!
Eurydice, Eurydice!
Mortel silence! Vaine espérance!
Quelle souffrance!
Quel tourment déchire mon coeur!
J'ai perdu mon Eurydice,
Rien n'égale mon malheur;
Sort cruel! quelle rigueur!
Rien n'égale mon malheur!
Je succombe à ma douleur!
I have lost my Eurydice,
Nothing can equal my sorrow;
Brutal fate! What cruelty!
Nothing can equal my sorrow!
I succumb to my pain!
Eurydice, Eurydice,
Answer, what torture!
Answer me!
It is your faithful husband;
Listen to my voice calling you.
I have lost my Eurydice,
Nothing can equal my sorrow;
Brutal fate! What cruelty!
Nothing can equal my sorrow!
I succumb to my pain!
Eurydice, Eurydice!
Mortal silence! Vain hope!
What suffering!
What torment tears my heart!
I have lost my Eurydice,
Nothing can equal my sorrow;
Brutal fate! What cruelty!
Nothing can equal my sorrow!
I succumb to my pain!
«Recondita armonia», Tosca
Music: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: L. Illica & G. Giacosa
Recondita armonia
di belleze diverse!
È bruna, Floria,
L'ardente amante mia.
E te, beltade ignota
cinta di chiome bionde,
tu azzuro hai l'occhio.
Tosca ha l'occhio nero!
L'arte nel suo mistero
le diverse belleze insiem confonde.
Ma nel ritrar costei
il mio solo pensiero, Tosca,
ah! il mio sol pensier sei tu!
Secret harmony
of different beauties!
She is dark, Floria,
my ardent lover.
And you, unknown beauty,
framed with golden tresses,
you have blue eyes.
Tosca's eyes are black!
Art in its own mystery
blends these different beauties.
But in painting this woman
my only thought, Tosca,
ah, my only thought is of you!
«Ma se m'e forza perderti», Un Ballo in Maschera
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto: Antonio Somma
Forse la soglia attinse,
e posa alfin.
L'onore ed il dover fra i nostri petti
han rotto l'abisso.
Ah sì, Renato rivedrà l'Inghilterra...
e là sua sposa lo seguirà.
Senza un addio,
l'immenso ocean ne separi...
e taccia il core.
Esito ancor?
Ma, o ciel, non lo degg'io?
Ah, l'ho segnato il sacrifizio mio!
Ma se m'è forza perderti
per sempre, o luce mia,
a te verrà il mio palpito
sotto qual ciel tu sia,
chiusa la tua memoria
nell'intimo del cor.
Ed or qual reo presagio
lo spirito m'assale,
che il riverderti annunzia
quasi un desio fatale...
Come se fosse l'ultima ora
del nostro amor?
Perhaps she has reached home
and is already resting.
Honor and duty between our hearts.
have opened an abyss
Ah yes, Renato will return to England...
and his wife will go with him.
Without a farewell
let the immense ocean separate us...
and silence the heart.
Do I hesitate still?
But, oh Heaven, is it not my duty?
Ah, I have signed my sacrifice!
But if I must lose you
forever, light of my life,
to you will go my yearning
wherever you may be,
lock your memories
in your innermost heart.
And now a dark premonition
assails my spirits,
that seeing you again will kindle
an almost fateful desire...
As if this were to be the final hour
of our love?
«Quando le sere al placido», Luisa Miller
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto: Salvatore Cammarano
Oh! fede negar potessi
agl' occhi miei!
Se cielo e terra,
se mortali ed angeli
attestarmi volesser ch'ella non è rea,
mentite! io risponder dovrei, tutti mentite.
Son cifre sue! Tanta perfidia! Un'alma
sì nera! sì mendace!
Ben la conobbe il padre!
Ma dunque i giuri, le speranze,
la gioia, le lagrime, l'affanno?
Tutto è menzogna, tradimento, inganno!
Quando le sere al placido
chiaror d'un ciel stellato
meco figgea nell'etere
lo sguardo innamorato,
e questa mano stringermi
dalla sua man sentia...
E questa mano stringermi
dalla sua man sentia...
Ah! mi tradia! Mi tradia!
Allor, ch'io muto, estatico
da' labbri suoi pendea,
ed ella in suon angelico,
"amo te sol" dicea,
tal che sembrò l'empireo
aprirsi all'alma mia!
In suon angelico,
"amo te sol" dicea.
Ah! mi tradia! Mi tradia!
In suon angelico,
"t'amo" dicea.
Ah! mi tradia! Mi tradia!
Oh! If I could only doubt
the evidence of my own eyes!
Should heaven and earth,
mortals and angels
assure me of her innocence,
Lies! I would have to reply: You all lie!
This is her hand! Such perfidy! A soul
so black, so deceitful!
My father knew her well!
But what of the promises, the hopes,
the joy, the tears, the suffering?
All lies, treachery, deceit!
When at night in the serene
light of a starry sky
she and I gazed lovingly
into the heavens,
and I felt her hand
warmly on mine...
And I felt her hand
warmly on mine...
Ah! she betrayed me! She betrayed me!
Then I, silent, ecstatic,
listened to her words
as she, with an angelic voice,
said "I love only you",
so that paradise
seemed to open to my soul!
With an angelic voice,
she said "I love only you".
Ah! she betrayed me! She betrayed me!
With an angelic voice,
she said "I love you".
Ah! she betrayed me! She betrayed me!
«Ingemisco», Messa da Requiem
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Text: Roman Catholic liturgy
Ingemisco tamquam reus:
Culpa rubet vultus meus:
Supplicanti parce, Deus.
Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.
Preces meae non sunt dignae:
Sed tu bonus fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter oves locum praesta,
Et ab haedis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.
I groan as a guilty one,
and my face blushes with guilt;
spare the supplicant, O God.
You, who absolved Mary Magdalen,
and heard the prayer of the thief,
have given me hope, as well.
My prayers are not worthy,
but show mercy, O benevolent one,
lest I burn forever in fire.
Give me a place among the sheep,
and separate me from the goats,
placing me on your right hand.
«Damunt de tu només les flors», from the song cycle Combat del Somni
Music: Federico Mompou
Text: Josep Janés
Damunt de tu només les flors.
Eren com una ofrena blanca:
la llum que daven al teu cos
mai més seria de la branca.
Tota una vida de perfum
amb el seu bes t'era donada.
Tu resplendies de la llum
per l'esguard clos atresorada.
Si hagués pogut ésser sospir
de flor! Donar-me com un llir
a tu, perquè la meva vida
s'anés marcint sobre el teu pit.
I no saber mai més la nit
que al teu costat fóra esvaïda.
Lying upon you, like a white
Offering, there were flowers only.
From them your body drew the light,
Without them now the branch was lonely.
And as they gave their kiss to you,
Their life of fragrance was sent flowing.
From your closed eyes the light shone through:
You were resplendent, you were glowing.
Could I but be a flower's sigh
And, like a lily, give you my
own self, so that my very being
Would fade away upon your breast
And never need again the rest
Of night, that from your side is fleeing
[English translation by Coby Lubliner]
«La donna è mobile», Rigoletto
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto: Francesco Maria Piave
La donna è mobile
qual piuma al vento,
muta d'accento e di pensiero.
Sempre un amabile,
leggiadro viso, in pianto o in riso,
è mensognero
La donna è mobil
qual piuma al vento,
muta d'accento e di pensier.
E di pensier, e di pensier!
È sempre misero
chi a lei s'affida,
chi le confida, mal cauto il core!
Pur mai non sentesi
felice appieno
chi su quel seno, non liba amore!
La donna è mobile
qual piuma al vento,
muta d'accento e di pensier.
A woman is unpredictable.
Like a feather in the breeze,
she changes her tune and her mind.
Always a sweet, pretty face,
in tears or in laughter,
she is always lying
A woman is unpredictable.
Like a feather in the breeze,
she changes her tune and her mind.
And her mind, and her mind!
He'll be always be miserable
whoever trusts her,
whoever confides in her - reckless heart!
And yet, no man can ever be
completely happy
who on that breast does not drink love.
A woman is unpredictable.
Like a feather in the breeze,
she changes her tune and her mind.
This page was last updated on: February 13, 2007
