Texts and Translations (Texts and translations have

Texts and Translations
(Texts and translations have been supplied to Vocal Arts DC by the artist’s management, and
have not been edited or altered in any way.)
Drei Lieder, op. 83
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Poem by JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE (1749-1832)
“Wonne der Wehmuth”
“The Joy of Sadness”
Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Tränen der ewigen Liebe!
Ach, nur dem halbgetrockneten Auge
Wie öde, wie tot die Welt ihm erscheint!
Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Tränen unglücklicher Liebe!
Do not dry, do not dry,
Tears of eternal love!
Ah, only to the half-dry eye
How bleak, how dead the world seems!
Do not dry, do not dry,
Tears of unhappy love.
“Was zieht mir das Herz so?”
“What tugs at my heart so?”
Was zieht mir das Herz so?
What tugs at my heart so?
Was zieht mich hinaus?
Und windet und schraubt mich
What pulls me outside?
And twists and wrenches me
Aus Zimmer und Haus?
Wie dort sich die Wolken
From my room and my house?
Look how the clouds
Am Felsen verziehn!
Da möcht ich hinüber,
Disappear around those rocks!
I’d like to go there,
Da möcht ich wohl hin!
Nun wiegt sich der Raben
Geselliger Flug;
I'd very much like to go there!
Now the ravens careen by
In their gregarious flight;
Ich mische mich drunter
Und folge dem Zug.
Below, I join with them
And follow their course.
Und Berg und Gemäuer
Umfittigen wir;
And mountain and ruins
we circle about;
Sie weilet da drunten,
Ich spähe nach ihr.
She lingers down below,
I look out for her.
Da kommt sie und wandelt;
Ich eile sobald,
Here she comes taking a walk;
Right away I hurry,
Ein singender Vogel,
Im buschigen Wald.
A singing bird,
Into the bushy forest.
Sie weilet und horchet
Und lächelt mit sich:
She lingers and listens
And smiles to herself:
"Er singet so lieblich
Und singt es an mich."
"He sings so sweetly
And he sings for me. "
Die scheidende Sonne
Vergüldet die Höh'n;
The setting sun
Gilds the mountain heights;
Die sinnende Schöne,
Sie läßt es geschehn.
The pensive fair damsel,
Watches it happen.
Sie wandelt am Bache
Die Wiesen entlang,
She wanders by the brook
Along the meadows edge,
Und finster und finstrer
Umschlingt sich der Gang;
And darker and darker
turns the path;
Auf einmal erschein ich,
Ein blinkender Stern.
Suddenly I appear
A twinkling star.
"Was glänzet da droben,
So nah und so fern?"
"What shines up there,
So close and so far away? "
Und hast du mit Staunen
Das Leuchten erblickt,
And when you, with wonder,
This light have beheld,
Ich lieg dir zu Füßen,
Da bin ich beglückt!
I’ll lie at your feet,
And be happy there!
"Kleine Blumen, kleine Blätter"
"Little Flowers, Little Leaves"
Kleine Blumen, kleine Blätter
Streuen mir mit leichter Hand
Gute, junge Frühlingsgötter
Tändelnd auf ein luftig Band.
Little flowers, little leaves
Strew for me with a light hand
Good, young spring gods
Trifling on a ribbon of breeze.
Zephir, nimm's auf deine Flügel,
Schling's um meiner Liebsten Kleid;
Und so tritt sie vor den Spiegel
All in ihrer Munterkeit.
Zephir, take it on your wings,
Entwine it round my sweetheart’s dress;
And thus she’ll step before the mirror
In all her exuberance.
Sieht mit Rosen sich umgeben,
Selbst wie eine Rose jung.
Einen Blick, geliebtes Leben!
Und ich bin belohnt genug.
She’ll see herself surrounded with roses,
Even as a young Rose herself.
Take a look, beloved life!
And I’ll have reward enough.
Fühle, was dies Herz empfindet,
Reiche frei mir deine Hand,
Und das Band, das uns verbindet,
Sei kein schwaches Rosenband!
Feel what this heart feels,
Reach out your hand freely to me,
And let the ribbon that binds us,
Be no weak ribbon of roses!
Translations by Gregory Scott Stuart
Tre sonetti di Petraca
FRANZ LISZT (1811–1886)
Poems by FRANCESCO PETRARCA (1304–1374)
“Pace non trovo"
“I find no peace”
Pace non trovo, e non ho da far guerra,
E temo, e spero, ed ardo, e son un ghiaccio:
E volo sopra'l cielo, e giaccio in terra;
E nulla stringo, e tutto il mondo abbraccio.
I can’t find peace and don’t know how to
fight,
I fear, and hope, and burn and am like ice,
I fly over the skies and lie on earth,
And I grasp nothing, though all the world
embrace.
Tal m'ha in priggion, che non m'apre, né
serra,
Né per suo mi ritien, né scioglie il laccio,
E non m'uccide Amor, e non mi sferra;
Né mi vuol vivo, né mi trahe d'impaccio.
Veggio senz'occhi; e non ho lingua e grido;
E bramo di perir, e chieggio aita;
Ed ho in odio me stesso, ed amo altrui:
Pascomi di dolor; piangendo io rido;
Egualmente mi spiace morte e vita.
In questo stato son, Donna, per Voi.
She who holds me captive neither locks me
in nor lets me out,
Nor claims me for her own or unties the
knot.
Love neither kills me nor does it set me free
Neither does it want me to live, nor to get
me out of trouble.
I see without eyes, I can’t find words and yet
I cry out,
I wish to die and I seek help;
I hate myself and love another;
I feed on grief and laugh amidst my tears;
Equally death and life displease me,
To such a state you have brought me,
woman, for you.
“Benedetto sia’l giorno”
“Blessed be the day”
Benedetto sia'l giorno, e'l mese, e l'anno,
E la stagione, e'l tempo, e l'ora, e'l punto
E'l bel paese e'l loco, ov'io fui giunto
Da'duo begli occhi che legato m'ànno;
Blessed be the day and the month and the
year,
And the season and the time and the hours
and the points,
And the beautiful country and the place
where I was seized
By two beautiful eyes that have bound me;
E benedetto il primo dolce affanno
Ch'i' ebbi ad esser con Amor congiunto,
E l'arco e la saette ond'i'fui punto,
E le piaghe, ch'infino al cor mi vanno.
Benedette le voci tante, ch'io
Chiamando il nome di Laura ho sparte,
E i sospiri e le lagrime e'l desio.
E benedette sian tutte le carte
Ov'io fama le acquisto, e il pensier mio,
Ch'è sol di lei, si ch'altra non v'ha parte.
And blessed be the first sweet suffering
That I had in order to be in love joined,
And the bow and the arrows with which I
was pierced
And the wounds that at last my heart
conquered.
Blessed be the voices that I
Calling the name of Laura have scattered,
And the sighs and the tears and the desire;
And blessed be all the writings
Where I fame for them obtained, and my
thought
that is only of her, no other has any part.
“I’vidi in terra angelici costumi”
“I saw on earth heavenly qualities”
I'vidi in terra angelici costumi,
E celesti bellezze al mondo sole;
Tal che di rimembrar mi giova, e dole:
Che quant'io miro, par sogni, ombre, e fumi.
I saw on earth heavenly qualities
And celestial beauties unique in the world;
so that to remember both pleases me and
hurts me,
That what I look at seems dreams, shadows
and smoke.
E vidi lagrimar que'duo bei lumi,
Ch'han fatto mille volte invidia al sole;
Ed udì' sospirando dir parole
Che farian gir i monti, e stare i fiumi.
Amor! senno! valor, pietate, e doglia
Facean piangendo un più dolce concento
D'ogni altro, che nel mondo udir si soglia.
Ed era 'l cielo all'armonia s'intento
Che non si vedea in ramo mover foglia.
Tanta dolcezza avea pien l'aer e 'l vento.
And I saw weeping those two beautiful eyes,
Which have made a thousand times jealous
the sun;
And I her sighing, say words
That would move mountains and stop rivers.
Love, wisdom, virtue, compassion, and pain
Form weeping a more sweet harmony
Than any other that can be heard in the
entire world;
And there was in the air a harmony so
intense
That could not be seen the branches move a
leaf,
The air and the wind were full of so much
sweetness.
Translations by Unknown
Intermission
Quattro canzoni d’Amaranta
FRANCESCO PAOLO TOSTI (1846-1916)
Poems by GABRIELE ANNUNZIO (1863-1938)
“Lasciami! Lascia ch'io respiri, lascia”
“Leave me! Let me breathe.”
Lasciami! Lascia ch'io respiri, lascia
ch'io mi sollevi! Ho il gelo nelle vene.
Ho tremato. Ho nel cor non so che
ambascia...
Ahimè, Signore, è il giorno! Il giorno viene!
Leave me! Let me breathe.
Let me rise! My veins are frozen.
I trembled. In my heart there is some
unknown distress.
Alas, Lord, it is day, the day is dawning!
Ch'io non lo veda! Premi la tua bocca
su' miei cigli, il tuo cuore sul mio cuore!
Tutta l'erba s'insànguina d'amore.
La vita se ne va, quando trabocca.
Don’t let me see him! Press your mouth
on my eyes, your heart on my heart!
The grass is bloodstained with love.
Life ends when it is at its height.
Trafitta muoio, e non dalla tua spada.
Mi si vuota il mio petto, e senza schianto.
Non è sangue? Ahi, Signore, è la rugiada!
L'alba piange su me tutto il suo pianto.
I die, pierced, but not by your sword.
My heart is emptying, but there is no wound.
Is it not blood? Oh, my Lord, it is the dew!
Dawn is shedding all its tears on me.
Translation by Unknown
"L'alba sepàra dalla luce l'ombra"
L'alba sepàra dalla luce l'ombra,
E la mia voluttà dal mio desire.
O dolce stelle, è l'ora di morire.
Un più divino amor dal ciel vi sgombra.
Pupille ardenti, O voi senza ritorno
Stelle tristi, spegnetevi incorrotte!
Morir debbo. Veder non voglio il giorno,
Per amor del mio sogno e della notte.
Chiudimi, O Notte, nel tuo sen materno,
Mentre la terra pallida s'irrora.
Ma che dal sangue mio nasca l'aurora
E dal sogno mio breve il sole eterno!
“The Dawn Separates the Shadow from
the Light”
The dawn separates the shadow from the
light,
And my sensual pleasure from my desire.
O sweet stars, now's the hour to die.
A more divine love banishes you from the
heavens.
Gleaming eyes, O you that won’t return
Sad stars, be extinguished uncorrupted!
I must die. I do not want to see the day,
For the love of my dream and of the night.
Envelop me, O Night, in your maternal
bosom,
While the pale earth is moist with dew.
But from my blood may the dawn be born
And from my brief dream the eternal sun!
Translation by Gregory Scott Stuart
"In van preghi"
"You beg in vain"
In van preghi, in vano aneli,
in van mostri il cuore infranto.
Sono forse umidi i cieli
perché noi abbiamo pianto?
Il dolor nostro è senz'ala.
Non ha volo il grido imbelle.
Piangi e prega! Qual dio cala
pel cammino delle stelle?
Abbandónati alla polve
e su lei prono ti giaci.
La supina madre assolve
d'ogni colpa chi la baci.
In un Ade senza dio
dormi quanto puoi profondo.
Tutto è sogno, tutto è oblìo:
l'asfodèlo è il fior del Mondo.
You beg in vain, you yearn in vain,
in vain you show your broken heart.
Are the heavens soaked
with our tears?
Our grief is fixed.
The cowardly cry remains.
Weep and beg! Which is the god
who comes down on the path of the stars?
Give yourself up to the dust
and lie there prone.
The mother earth absolves from their sins
all those who kiss her.
Sleep deeply
in a godless Hades.
All is a dream, all is oblivion:
the asphodel is the flower of the world.
Translation by Unknown
"Che dici, o parola del Saggio?"
"What do the words of the wiseman say?"
Che dici, o parola del Saggio?
What do the words of the wiseman say?
"Conviene che l'anima lieve,
sorella del vento selvaggio,
“It is fitting that the light soul,
sister of the wild wind,
trascorra le fonti ove beve."
must pass the source where it would drink.”
Io so che il van pianto mi guasta
le ciglia dall'ombra sì lunga...
I know that my useless weeping
has spoilt my long shady lashes...
O Vita, e una lacrima basta
a spegner la face consunta!
Oh Life, one tear is enough
to put out this weak flame.
Ben so che nell'ansia mortale
si sfa la mia bocca riarsa...
I know that my parched lips
are broken with human anguish...
E un alito, o Vita, mi vale
a sperder la cenere scarsa!
and one single breath, oh Life
would scatter the few ashes.
Tu dici: "Alza il capo; raccogli
You say to me, “Lift your head gracefully
con grazia i capelli in un nodo;
e sopra le rose che sfogli
coil your hair in a knot;
and laughing, with the roses you pluck,
ridendo va incontro all'Ignoto.
go to meet the unknown.
L'amante dagli occhi di sfinge
mutevole, a cui sei promessa,
The lover you are promised to,
with his mysterious, changing eyes,
ha nome Domani; e ti cinge
con una ghirlanda più fresca."
is called Tomorrow; and he twines
a fresher garland around you”.
M'attende: lo so. Ma il datore
He is waiting for me, I know. But the Giver
di gioia non ha più ghirlande:
ha dato il cipresso all'Amore
of joy has no more garlands:
he has given the cypress to Love
e il mirto a Colei ch'è più grande,
and the myrtle to something greater,
il mirto alla Morte che odo
rombar sul mio capo sconvolto.
to Death, which I can hear
thundering around my ravaged head.
Non tremo. I capelli in un nodo
segreto per sempre ho raccolto.
I do not tremble. I have coiled my hair
into a secret, eternal knot.
Ho terso con ambe le mani
With both hands I have wiped
l'estreme tue lacrime, o Vita.
L'amante che ha nome Domani
away your last tears forever, oh Life.
The lover called Tomorrow
m'attende nell'ombra infinita.
is waiting for me in the endless darkness.
Translation by Unknown
“Sogno”
“Dream”
FRANCESCO PAOLO TOSTI (1846-1916)
Poem by OLINDO GUERRINI (18451916), under the pseudonym Lorenzo
Stecchetti
I dreamed you were at my knees,
Like a saint who prays to the Lord ...
You were looking into the depths of my
eyes,
Your eyes were sparkling with love.
Ho sognato che stavi a' ginocchi,
Come un santo che prega il Signor ...
Mi guardavi nel fondo degli occhi,
Sfavillava il tuo sguardo d'amor.
Tu parlavi e la voce sommessa...
Mi chiedea dolcemente mercè...
Solo un guardo che fosse promessa,
Imploravi, curvato al mio piè.
Io taceva e coll'anima forte
Il desio tentatore lottò.
Ho provato il martirio e la morte
pur mi vinsi e ti dissi di no.
Ma il tuo labbro sfiorò la mia faccia...
E la forza del cor mi tradì.
Chiusi gli occhi, ti stesi le braccia...
Ma, sognavo...E il bel sogno svanì.
You were speaking and your subdued voice
...
Was asking me gently for mercy ...
Only a glance that might be a pledge,
Were you imploring, bent at my feet.
I was silent and with my soul resolute
struggled against tempting desire.
I experienced torture and death
But I won and I said no to you.
But your lips lightly touched my face ...
And the strength of my heart betrayed me.
I closed my eyes, you stretched your arms ...
But, I was dreaming ... And the beautiful
dream vanished.
Translation by Gregory Scott Stuart
“Malia”
FRANCESCO PAOLO TOSTI (1846-1916)
Poem by ROCCO EMANUELE
PAGLIARA (1856-1914)
Cosa c'era ne 'l fior che m'hai dato?
forse un filtro, un arcano poter?
Nel toccarlo, il mio core ha tremato,
m'ha l'olezzo turbato il pensier.
Ne le vaghe movenze, che ci hai?
Un incanto vien forse con te?
Freme l'aria per dove tu vai,
spunta un fiore ove passa 'l tuo piè.
Io non chiedo qual plaga beata
fino adesso soggiorno ti fu:
non ti chiedo se Ninfa, se Fata,
se una bionda parvenza sei tu!
Ma che c'è nel tuo sguardo fatale?
Cosa ci hai nel tuo magico dir?
Se mi guardi, un'ebbrezza m'assale,
Se mi parli, mi sento morir!
“Enchantment”
What was in the flower you gave me?
perhaps a philter, a mysterious power?
As I touched it, my heart trembled,
its perfume unsettled my thoughts.
What is it in your lovely movements?
Do you bring a magic charm with you?
The air trembles where ever you go,
a flower springs up where you tread.
I do not ask in which blessed dominion
until now I have sojourned to you:
I do not ask if you are a nymph, a siren,
or a fair apparition!
But what is it in your fateful glance?
What is it in your magical speech?
If you look at me, intoxication overwhelms
me,
If you speak to me, I would die!
Translation by Gregory Scott Stuart
“Ideale”
FRANCESCO PAOLO TOSTI (1846-1916)
Poem by CARMELO ERRICO (1848-1892)
Io ti seguii come iride di pace
Lungo le vie del cielo:
Io ti seguii come un'amica face
De la notte nel velo.
E ti sentii ne la luce, ne l'aria,
Nel profumo dei fiori;
E fu piena la stanza solitaria
Di te, dei tuoi splendori.
In te rapito, al suon de la tua voce,
Lungamente sognai;
E de la terra ogni affanno, ogni croce,
In quel sogno scordai.
Torna, caro ideal, torna un istante
A sorridermi ancora,
E a me risplenderà, nel tuo sembiante,
Una novella aurora.
“Ideal”
I followed you like a rainbow of peace
along the pathways of heaven.
I followed you like a welcoming beacon
in the shroud of night.
I felt you in the sunshine, in the air,
in the scent of flowers,
and even an empty room seemed full of you,
and of your splendors.
Enraptured by you,
at the sound of your voice,
I dreamt endlessly.
And all of life’s sorrows and worries
were then forgotten.
Return, dear beloved,
Return for a moment
to again smile upon me,
And in your visage will shine
a new dawn.
Return, dear beloved, return.
Translation by Unknown
“Vorrei morire”
FRANCESCO PAOLO TOSTI (1846-1916)
Poem by LEONARDO MARIA
COGNETTI (1848-1906)
Vorrei morir ne la stagion dell'anno,
Quando `e tiepida l'aria e il ciel sereno,
Quando le rondinelle il nido fanno,
Quando di nuovi fior s'orna il terreno;
Vorrei morir, vorrei morir quando tramonta
il sole,
Quando sul prato dormon le viole,
Lieta farebbe a Dio l'alma ritorno
A primavera e sul morir del giorno.
Vorrei morir, vorrei morir,
Lieta farebbe a Dio l'alma ritorno
A primavera e sul morir del giorno.
Ma quando infuria il nembo e la tempesta,
Allor che l'aria si fa scura scura:
Quando ai rami un foglia pi`u non resta,
Allora di morire avrei paura.
“I would like to die”
I would like to die in the season of the year,
When the air is warm and the sky is clear,
When the swallows make their nest,
When new flowers adorn the land;
I would like to die, I would like to die when
the sun sets,
When the violets are sleeping in the
meadow,
My soul’s return would make God happy
In Spring and at the sunset of the day.
I would like to die, I would like to die …
My soul’s return would make God happy
In Spring and at sunset of the day.
But when the storm cloud and the tempest
rage,
When the air gets very dark,
When on the branches remains not a leaf,
Then would I be afraid to die.
Translation by Gregory Scott Stuart