TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS

Batti, batti, o bel Masetto Masetto, hit your poor Zerlina

Batti, batti, o bel Masetto, la tua povera Zerlina: Masetto, hit your poor Zerlina, and
starò qui come agnellina I shall stay here like a lamb
le tue bòtte ad aspettar. to await your blows.

Lascerò straziarmi il crine, Pull out my hair,

lascerò cavarmi gli occhi; and pluck out my eyes!
e le tue care manine I shall let you do these things
lieta poi saprò baciar. and happily kiss your hands afterwards.

Ah, lo vedo, non hai core! I see it now! You haven't the heart!
Pace, pace, o vita mia! Peace, my dearest!
In contento ed allegria Let us rather
notte e dì vogliam passar. pass night and day in happiness.

Lorenzo Da Ponte Translated by Andrew Schneider

L'abbandono The Abandonment

Solitario zeffiretto, Lonely breeze

a che movi i tuoi sospiri? why do you sigh?
Il sospiro a me sol lice, Sighs are meant for me alone
ché, dolente ed infelice, for, grieving and unhappy,
chiamo Dafne che non ode I call on Daphnis who does not hear
l'insoffribil mio martir. my unbearable torment.

Langue invan la mammoletta The sweet-smelling violet, the rose and the
e la rosa e il gelsomino; jasmine languish in vain;
lunge son da lui che adoro, I am far from him whom I adore,
non conosco alcun ristoro and I have no relief
se non viene a consolarmi unless he comes and consoles me
col bel guardo cilestrino. with his beautiful blue gaze.

Ape industre, che vagando Industrious bee, who always flit

sempre vai di fior in fiore, from flower to flower,
ascolta, ascolta. listen, listen:

Se lo scorgi ov'ei dimora, If you find him where he is,

di' che rieda a chi l'adora, tell him to come back to the one who adores him
come riedi tu nel seno as you come back to the bosom of the roses the first
delle rose al primo albor. light of dawn.

Author unknown Translated by Paolo Montonarli

Vanne, o rosa fortunata Go, fortunate rose

Vanne, o rosa fortunata, Go, fortunate rose,

a posar di Nice in petto to rest at Nice's breast
ed ognun sarà costretto and all will be forced
la tua sorte invidiar. to envy your fate.

Oh, se in te potessi anch'io Oh, if I could change myself

transformarmi un sol momento; into you, but for a moment,
non avria più bel contento my heart would long
questo core a sospirar. for no greater happiness.

Ma tu inchini dispettosa, But you bow your head with spite,

bella rosa impallidita, fair faded rose,
la tua fronte scolorita your brow loses all colour
dallo sdegno e dal dolor. from disdain and pain.

Bella rosa, è destinata Lovely rose, it is destined,

ad entrambi un'ugual sorte; that we meet the same fate:
là trovar dobbiam la morte, we shall both meet death there,
tu d'invidia ed io d'amor. you from envy and I of love.

Pietro Metastasio Translated by Camilla Bugge

Per pietà, bell'idol mio For pity's sake

Per pietà, bell'idol mio, For pity's sake, my beautiful idol

non mi dir ch'io sono ingrato; do not tell me that I am ungrateful;
infelice e sventurato unhappy and unfortunate enough
abbastanza il Ciel mi fa. has heaven made me.

Se fedele a te son io, That I am faithful to you,

se mi struggo ai tuoi bei lumi, that I languish under your bright gaze,
sallo amor, lo sanno i Numi Love knows, the gods know,
il mio core, il tuo lo sa. my heart [knows], and yours knows.

Pietro Metastasio Translated by Camilla Bugge

Elle a fui, la tourtelle
Elle a fui, la tourtelle!
Ah! souvenir trop doux!
Image trop cruelle!
Hélas! à mes genoux,
Je l'entends, je le vois!
Je l'entends, je le vois!
Elle a fui, la tourterelle,
Elle a fui loin de toi;
Mais elle est toujours fidèle
Et te garde sa foi.
Mon bienaimé, ma voix t'appelle,
Oui, tout mon coeur est à toi.
Chère fleur qui viens d'éclore
Par pitié réponds moi!
Toi qui sais s'il m'aime encore,
S'il me garde sa foi!
Mon bienaimé, ma voix t'implore,
Ah! que ton coeur vienne à moi.
Elle a fui, la tourterelle,
Elle a fui loin de toi.
Jules Barbier
Fantoches
Scaramouche et Pulcinella
Qu'un mauvais dessein rassembla
Gesticulent, noirs sur la lune.
Cependant l'excellent docteur
Bolonais cueille avec lenteur
Des simples parmi l'herbe brune.
Lors sa fille, piquant minois,
Sous la charmille, en tapinois,
Se glisse demi-nue, en quête
De son beau pirate espagnol
Dont un langoureux rossignol
Clame la détresse à tue-tête.
Paul Verlaine
She has fled, the turtledove
She has fled, the turtledove!
Ah, memory too sweet,
Image too cruel!
Alas, at my knees,
I hear him, I see him!
I hear him, I see him!
She has flown, the turtledove,
She has flown far from you;
But she is always faithful
And keeps her vow
My beloved, my voice calls you
Yes, all my heart is yours
Dear flower, just opened,
Have pity, answer me.
You who knows if he still lives me,
If he keeps his vow.
My beloved, my voice begs you,
Ah, let your heart come to me.
She has flown, the turtledove,
She has flown far from you.
Translation by Ann Feeney
Puppets
Scaramouche and Pulcinella,
brought together by some evil scheme
gesticulate, black beneath the moon.
Meanwhile, the learned doctor
from Bologna slowly gathers
medicinal herbs in the brown grass.
Then his sassy-faced daughter
sneaks underneath the arbor
half-naked, in quest
Of her handsome Spanish pirate,
whose distress a languorous nightingale
deafeningly proclaims.
Translation by Laura Claycomb and Peter Grunberg
Clair de lune Moonlight

Votre âme est un paysage choisi Your soul is a lovely garden, and go
Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques There masque and bergamasque charmingly,
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi Playing the lute and dancing and also
Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques. Sad beneath their disguising fanchise.

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur All are singing in a minor key
L'amour vainqueur et la vie opportune, Of conqueror love and life opportune,
Ils n'ont pas l'air de croire à leur bonheur Yet seem to doubt their joyous revelry
Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune, As their song melts in the light of the moon.

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau, In the calm moonlight, so lovely fair
Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres That makes the birds dream in the slender trees,
Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau, While fountains dream among the statues there;
Les grands jets d'eau sveltes parmi les marbres. Slim fountains sob in silver ecstasies.

Paul Verlaine Translation by William Faulkner

Pantomime Pantomime

Pierrot qui n'a rien d'un Clitandre Pierrot, who is nothing like Clitandre,
Vide un flacon sans plus attendre, empties a bottle without ado,
Et, pratique, entame un pâté. and, ever practical, cuts into a pâté.

Cassandre, au fond de l'avenue, Cassandre, at the end of the avenue,

Verse une larme méconnue sheds a concealed tear
Sur son neveu déshérité. for his disinherited nephew.

Ce faquin d'Arlequin combine That impertinent Harlequin schemes

L'enlèvement de Colombine the abduction of Columbine
Et pirouette quatre fois. and whirls around four times.

Colombine rêve, surprise Columbine dreams, surprised

De sentir un cœur dans la brise at feeling a heart in the breeze
Et d'entendre en son cœur des voix. and at hearing voices in her heart.

Paul Verlaine Translation by Laura Claycomb and Peter Grunberg