Struggle of the Soul: The Power of Words

THE MET: LIVE IN HD
OTELLO
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Struggle of the Soul: The Power of Words
TRACK 1
OTELLO: Esultate!
L’orgoglio musulmano sepolto è in mar.
Nostra e del ciel è gloria!
Dopo l’armi lo vinse
l’uragano.
EVERYONE:
Evviva Otello! Vittoria!
Notes
Rejoice!
The Muslims’ pride is buried in the sea.
Glory belongs to us and to heaven!
Battered by our weapons, they were
finished off by the hurricane.
Long live Othello! Victory!
TRACK 2
Ed ora!
Ora e per sempre addio sante
memorie,
addio sublimi incanti del pensier!
Addio schiere fulgenti, addio vittorie,
dardi volanti e volanti corsier!
Addio, addio vessillo trionfale e pio,
e diane squillanti in sul mattin!
Clamori e canti di battaglia,
addio!
Della gloria d’Otello è questo il fin.
OTELLO:
And now!
Now and forever, farewell sacred
memories,
farewell sublime charms of thought!
Farewell glittering legions,
farewell victories, flying arrows and
flying chargers!
Farewell triumphant, sacred banner
and morning trumpet calls! The clamor
and songs of battle, farewell!
This is the end of Othello’s glory.
TRACK 3
OTELLO: Dio! mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali
della miseria, della vergogna,
far de’ miei baldi trofei trionfali
una maceria,una menzogna…
e avrei portàto la croce crudel
d’angoscie e d’onte
con calma fronte
e rassegnato al volere del ciel.
God, you could have thrown at me all
the misfortunes of misery, of shame,
reduced the bold trophies of my
triumphs to rubble, to lies…
and I would have borne the cruel cross
of anguish and shame
with a calm face,
resigned to the will of Heaven.
TRACK 4
Ma—o pianto, o duol!—
m’han rapito il miraggio
dov’io, giulivo, l’anima acqueto.
Spento è quel sol,
quel sorriso, quel raggio
che mi fa vivo, che mi fa lieto!
OTELLO:
But—o tears, o sorrow—
they robbed me of the vision on which
I, joyous, calmed my soul.
Extinguished is that sun, that smile,
that ray that makes me alive, that
makes me happy.
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THE MET: LIVE IN HD
OTELLO
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Struggle of the Soul: The Power of Words (CO N T I N U E D)
TRACK 5
Notes
OTELLO:
E tu m’amavi per le mie
sventure ed io t’amavo per la tua pietà.
And you loved me for my misfortunes,
and I loved you for your piety.
Ed io t’amavo per le tue
sventure e tu m’amavi per la mia pietà.
And I loved you for your misfortunes,
and you loved me for my piety.
DESDEMONA:
TRACK 6
IAGO:
Mio signore…
OTELLO:
Che brami?
IAGO: Cassio, nei primi dì del vostro
amor, Desdemona non conosceva?
OTELLO:
Sì. Perchè fai tale inchiesta?
IAGO: Il mio pensiero è vago d’ubbie,
non di malizia.
OTELLO:
Di’ il tuo pensiero, Iago.
My lord…
What do you want?
Cassio, in the first days of your love,
didn’t he know Desdemona?
Yes. Why do you ask?
It was just a random thought, no harm
meant.
Tell me your thought, Iago.
TRACK 7
Temete, signor, la gelosia!
è un’idra fosca, livida, cieca, col suo
veleno se stessa attossica,…
IAGO:
Beware of jealousy, sir. It’s a grim, dark,
blind hydra that attacks itself with its
own poison…
TRACK 8
IAGO:
…vivida piaga le squarcia il seno.
OTELLO: Miseria mia!
No! il vano sospettar nulla giova.
Pria del dubbio l’indagine,
dopo il dubbio la prova,
dopo la prova
(Otello ha le sue leggi supreme),
amore e gelosia vadan dispersi
insieme!
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…a garish wound rends her breast.
Oh woe is me!
No! Vain suspicion is no help.
Before doubt comes investigation;
after doubt comes proof;
after proof
(Otello observes his supreme laws),
love and jealousy will both be
scattered!
THE MET: LIVE IN HD
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Struggle of the Soul: The Power of Words (CO N T I N U E D)
TRACK 9
Non parlo ancor di prova,
pur, generoso Otello, vigilate!
IAGO:
Notes
I don’t yet speak of proof,
but, munificent Othello, be vigilant!
TRACKS 10 AND 11
Instrumental
TRACK 12
…così è pur vero, che se il Moro
io fossi vedermi non vorrei d’attorno
un Iago.
IAGO:
…but this is the truth: if I were the
Moor, I would not want to find myself
around an Iago.
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OTELLO
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Struggle of the Soul: I Believe
Text and translation
Parallel passage from the
Apostles’ Creed
TRACK 13
IAGO: Credo in un Dio crudel che m’ha
creato simile a sè, e che nell’ira io
nomo.
I believe in a cruel God, who made me in
his image, and in my anger I call to him.
I believe in one God, the Father
almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God, born
of the Father before all ages. God
from God, Light from Light, true God
from true God, begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
TRACK 14
IAGO: Dalla viltà d’un germe, o d’un
atòmo vile son nato. Son scellerato
perchè son uomo, e sento il fango
originario in me.
through him all things were made.
From the vileness of a seed or some
particle, I was born vile.
I am evil, because I am a man, and
I feel the primordial slime within me.
TRACK 15
Sì, quest’è la mia fè!
Credo con fermo cuor,
siccome crede la vedovella al tempio,
che il mal ch’io penso e che da me
procede per il mio destino adempio.
IAGO:
Yes. Dis is my faith! I believe with a heart
as steadfast as that of a widow in Church,
that by the evil which I think and which I
do, I fulfill my destiny.
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For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of
the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under
Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and
was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
How Iago’s version differs
from the liturgy
THE MET: LIVE IN HD
OTELLO
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Struggle of the Soul: I Believe (CO N T I N U E D)
Text and translation
Parallel passage from the
Apostles’ Creed
How Iago’s version differs
from the liturgy
TRACK 16
Credo che il giusto è un istrion
beffardo, e nel viso e nel cuor; che
tutto è in lui bugiardo: lagrima, bacio,
sguardo, sacrificio ed onor.
IAGO:
He will come again in glory to judge
the living and the dead and his
kingdom will have no end.
I believe a just man is a disingenuous
actor in both mind and heart; that
everything about him is a lie: tear, kiss,
glance, sacrifice and honor.
TRACK 17
IAGO: E credo l’uom gioco d’iniqua
sorte dal germe della culla al verme
dell’avel. Vien dopo tanta irrision, la
Morte.
And I believe man is the plaything of
unjust fate, from the seed of the cradle
to the worms of the grave. AJer all this
derision comes Death.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the giver of life, who proceeds from
the Father and the Son, who with
the Father and the Son is adored
and glorified, who has spoken
through the prophets. I believe in
one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church. I confess one Baptism for the
forgiveness of sins
TRACK 18
IAGO: E poi? E poi?
La Morte è il Nulla.
È vecchia fola il ciel.
And then? And then?
Death is Nothingness. Heaven is an old
wives’ tale.
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead and the life of the world to
come. Amen.
TRACK 19
Tracks 13–18 continuously
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Struggle of the Soul: Pray For Us
Text and translation
Parallel passage from
the Ave Maria
TRACK 20
Ave Maria, piena di grazia,
eletta fra le spose e le vergini sei tu,
sia benedetto il frutto, o Benedetta,
di tue materne viscere,
DESDEMONA:
Hail Mary full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of Thy womb,
Hail Mary, full of grace, you are chosen
from all women, both married and
maiden. Blessed be the fruit, oh Blessed
One, of your maternal womb,
TRACK 21
Gesù.
Prega per chi, adorando te, si prostra.
DESDEMONA:
Jesus.
Jesus.
Pray for those who, while adoring you,
bow before you.
TRACK 22
Prega pel peccator, per
l’innocente, e pel debole oppresso
e pel possente, misero anch’esso,
tua pietà dimostra.
DESDEMONA:
—
Pray for the sinner, for the innocent, and
for the weak who are oppressed, and to the
powerful, who are also forlorn, show your
mercy.
TRACK 23
Prega per chi sotto
l’oltraggio piega la fronte,
e sotto la malvagia sorte;
DESDEMONA:
Pray for those who hide their faces from
insult and from wicked fate;
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—
How Desdemona’s version
differs from the original
THE MET: LIVE IN HD
OTELLO
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Struggle of the Soul: Pray For Us (CO N T I N U E D)
Text and translation
Parallel passage from
the Ave Maria
How Desdemona’s version
differs from the original
TRACK 24
DESDEMONA: … per
noi tu prega,
prega sempre, e nell’ora della morte
nostra, prega per noi, prega per noi,
prega!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for
us sinners, now and at the hour of our
death.
…pray for us, pray always, and at the
hour of our death, pray for us, pray for
us, pray!
TRACK 25
Ave Maria… nell’ora della
morte. Ave! Amen
DESDEMONA:
Hail! Amen
Hail Mary…at the hour of our death.
Hail! Amen
TRACK 26
Tracks 20–25 continuously
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