My Secret Passion

(martha)(she appeared to me)

M'appari tutt''amor, il mio sguatdo l'incontro:
Bella si che il mio cor, ansioso a lei volo:
Mi feri, m'invaghi quell'angelica belta,
Sculta in cor dall'amor cancellarsi non potra:
Il pensier di poter palpitar con lei d'amor,
Puo sopir il martir che m'affana e stranzia il cor.
M'appari tutt'amor, il mio sguardo l'incontro;
Bella si che il mio cor ansioso a lei volo;
Marta, marta, tu sparisti e il mio cor col tuo n'ando!
Tu la pace mi rapisti, di dolor io moriro.

Synopses
Lady harriet and her maid nancy, disguised as peasants called martha and julia, have unwittingly bound themselves for a years' service to lionel and plunket, two local farmers. the women soon es
And though time passes, lionel cannot get martha out of his mind.

English translation
She appeared to me, purest of love,
I discovered with my eyes this vision of delight.
Lovely was she, that my hungry heart, in a snap, to her did fly.
I was hurt, i was charmed by that beauty from above.
Love is etched in my heart, and cannot now be erased.
The mere thought that our hearts
With sweet love might beat as one
Is enough to forget all the sorrow that fills my heart.
She appeared to me, purest of love.
I discovered with my eyes this vision of delight.
Lovely was she, that my hungry heart, in a snap to her did fly.
Marta, marta, you have left me,
And my heart with yours has vanished.
Peace and quiet, gone now forever, i will surely die of pain.

(Pagliacci)(On with the show)

Recitar!...mentre preso dal delirio
non so piu quel che dico e quel che faccio!
Eppur...e d'uopo...sforzati! Bah, sei tu forse un uom?
Tu se' Pagliaccio! Vesti la giubba e la faccia infarina.
La gente paga e rider vuole qua.
E se Arlecchin t'invola Colombina, ridi, Pagliaccio...
e ognum applaudira! Tramuta in lazzi lo spasmo ed il pianto;
In una smorfia il singhiozzo e'l dolor...
Ridi Pagliaccio, sul tuo amore infranto!
Ridi del duol che t'avvelena il cor!
SYNOPSES
Canio, his wife Nedda, and their troupe perform adulterous
comedies in their traveling shows. This time, though, life imitates art. Canio
has just been warned that Nedda is in the arms of another man. When Canio
arrives, the man is gone. 'Tell me his name!' he threatens. Just at
that moment, they announce, 'It's show time!'
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Go on stage, while I'm nearly delirious?
I don't know what I'm saying or what I'm doing!
And yet, chin up! I'll try harder. Bah, you think you're a man?
You're just a clown! On with the show, man,
and put on your white-face.
The people pay you and you must make them laugh.
And if Harlequin should steal your Columbine, laugh,
you're Pagliaccio, and the world will clap for you!
Turn into banter all your pain and sorrow,
and with your clowns' face hide grief and distress...
Laugh loud, Pagliaccio, forget all of your troubles,
Laugh off the pain that so empoisons your heart.

(Tosca)(How the stars seemed to shimmer)

E lucevan le stelle,
e olezzava la terra
stridea l'uscio dell'orto,
e un passo sfiorava la rena.
Entrava ella, fragrante,
mi cadea fra le braccia.
Oh! dolci baci, o languide carezze,
mentr'io fremente le belle forme discogliea dai veli!
Svani per sempre il sogno mio d'amore...
L'ora e fuggita e muoio disperato!
E non ho amato mai tanto la vita!
SYNOPSES
The painter Cavaradossi has been sentenced to death for
helping to hide an escaped political prisoner. As he awaits his fate, he sings
of the sweet memories of his beloved Tosca and his dashed dreams.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
How the stars seemed to shimmer,
the sweet scents of the garden,
how the creaking gate whispered,
and a footstep skimmed over the sand,
how she then entered, so fragrant,
and then fell into my two arms!
Ah sweetest of kiss, languorous caresses,
while I stood trembling, searching her features
concealed by her mantle. My dreams of pure love,
forgotten forever! All of it's gone now!
I die hopeless, despairing, and never before
have I loved life like this!

(Werther) (Why do you wake me now?)

Pourquoi me reveiller, o souffle du printemos?
Sur mon front je sens tes caresses.
Et pourtant bien proche est le temps
Des orages et des tristesses.
Demain, dans le vallon,
Se souvenant de ma gloire premiere,
Et ses yeux vainement chercheront ma splendeur:
Ils ne trouveront plus que deuil et que misere!
Helas! Pourquoi me reveiller, o souffle du printemps?


SYNOPSES
Werther is madly in love with Charlotte, his friends wife. To forget her, he has run away. But when he returns, he finds he is more in love than ever. Werther recites a favorite poem for Charlotte, and at last realizes that fatal truth: Charlotte can never return his love.


ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Why do you wake me now, o sweetest breath of spring?
On my brow I sense your most gentle caress,
yet how soon creeps on the time.
filled with tempests and with distress!
Tomorrow through the vale, the traveler will pass,
recalling all of the glory of the past.
And in vain he will search for the bloom of my youth,
and nothing will he find but deep pain and endless sorrow.
Alas! Why do you wake me now, o sweetest breath of spring!

(La boheme)(How cold your little hand is!)

Che gelida manina! Se la lasci riscaldar.
Cercar che giova? Al buio non si trova.
Ma per fortuna e una notte di luna,
e qui la luna l'abbiiamo vicina.
Aspetti, signorina, le diro con due parole chi son,
chi son, e che faccio, come vivo, Vuole?
Chi son? Chi son? Son un poeta.
Che cosa faccio? Scrivo. E come vivo? Vivo.
In poverta mia lieta scialo da gran signore
rimi ed inni d'amore.
Per sogni e per chimere e per castelli in aria
l'anima ho milionaria.
Talor del mio forziere ruban tutti
i gioielle due ladri: gli occhi belli.
V'entrar con voi pur ora ed i miei sogni usati,
ed i bei sogni miei tosto si dileguar!
Ma il furto non m'accora poiche,
poiche v'ha preso stanza la speranza.
Or che mi conoscete parlate voi.
Deh parlate. Chi siete? Vi piaccia dir?
SYNOPSES
It is Christmas Eve on Paris' Left Bank. Rodolfo is at home
writing when a stranger knocks at the door. It is Mimi, a neighbor, who needs to
borrow a match to relight her candle. Mimi is barely out the door, when she
realizes she has lost her key. As they search for it, Rodolfos' hand falls upon
hers.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
How cold your little hand is! Will you let me warm it for you?
Why bother looking? It's dark, and we won't find it.
It's our good luck, though, this night's filled with moonlight,
up here the moonlight could rest on our shoulders.
Please wait, my dear young lady, and I will quickly tell you
who stands before you, and what I do,
how I make my living. May I?
Who am I? What am I? I am a poet.
What keeps me busy? Writing! And what do I live on? Nothing!
In poverty I'm cheerful, I am a prince who squanders
arias and couplets of longing.
And as for hopes and dreams of love and castles-in-the-air,
Miss, I am a millionaire!
My fortress could be broken in, robbed clean of the fine jewels
I store; if the theives were eyes like yours.
And now that I have seen you, all of my lovely dreaming,
all of the sweetest dreams I've dreamt, quickly have slipped away.
This theft does not upset me, because such treasures
mean nothing now that I'm rich with sweet hope!
And now that you have met me, I ask you please,
Tell me, lady, who you are, I ask you please!

(la boheme)(oh, sweet little lady)


Rodolfo
O soave fanciulla, o dolce viso
Di mite circonfuso alba lunar,
In te ravviso il sogno
Ch'io vorrei sempre sognar!

Mimi
(ah, tu sol comandi, amor!)
Fremon nell'anima dolcezze estreme,
Ecc nel baccio freme amor!
(oh come dolci scendono le sue
Lusinghe al cor...tu sol comandi, amor!)
No, per pieta! sei mia! v'aspettan gli amici...
Gia mi mandi via? vorrei dir...ma non osso,
Di. se venissi con voi? che? mimi!
Sarebbe cosi dolce restar qui. c'e freddo fuori.v
Vi staro vicina! e al ritorno? curioso!
Dammi il braccio, o mia piccina...
Obbedisco, signor! che m'ami...di'...lo t'amo.

Rodolfo e mimi
Amor! amor! amor!

Synopses
Mimi and rodolfo are getting acquainted fast. outside, rodolfos' friends call him to join them. he would rather stay with mimi, but she shyly suggests they all go out together. "tell me you
Me," he pleads. she holds back, at first, but as this duet ends, they sing together for the first time, and their first word is "love."

English translation
Rodolfo
Oh! sweet little lady! oh, sweetest vision,
With moonlight bathing your pretty face!
The dream that i see in you is the dream i'll always dream!

Mimi
(oh, you rule alone, love!)
Deep in my soul trembles the deepest of passions, etc.
Our kisses shudder with love!
(how gently now his words of praise make their way
Into my heart...you rule alone, oh love!)
No, i beg you! you're mine now! your friends are still waiting.
So soon must i leave you? i would like...i can't say it...
Speak! what if i went along? what? mimi!
How sweet instead to stay behind here. it's freezing outside.
I'd be right beside you! what about later? who knows, sir?
Take my arm, my dear young lady...as you say, my dear sir...
Do you love me, say! i certainly do.

Rodolfo and mimi
Love! love! love!