Giacomo Puccini
My real reason for choosing this month's poet is that I recently stumbled upon an mp3 of Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma from Puccini's opera Turandot. I saw Turandot performed when I was in high school; I admit I don't remember much of the plot, but I did remember this aria. And so, reproduced for your reading pleasure, here it is:
CALAF
Nessun dorma!
Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o principessa,
nella tua fredda stanza
guardi le stelle che tremano
d'amore e di speranza!
Ma il mio mistero
è chiuso in me,
il mio nome nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò,
quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglerà
il silenzio che ti fa mia!
VOCI DI DAME
Il nome suo nessun saprà...
E noi dovrem, ahimè,
morir! Morir!
CALAF
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontane, stelle!
Tramontane, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
Vincerò! Vincerò!
Translation by Erin O'Brien
CALAF
No one sleeps!
No one sleeps!
Even you, oh princess,
in your cold room
you watch the star that tremble
with love and with hope!
But my mystery
is closed in me,
my name no one knows!
No, no, on your mouth I will say it,
when the light shines!
And my kiss will loosen
the silence that makes you mine!
VOICES OF WOMEN
Your name no one knows...
And we will sleep, alas,
to die! To die!
CALAF
Scatter, oh night!
Set, stars!
Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win!
I will win! I will win!
Listen to the aria - click here
to download an mp3 of the Nessun Dorma by violinist Vanessa Mae.
I have an mp3 of Pavarotti singing it,
too. Send me an email if
you want to hear it!
Puccini Links:
Puccini's
Operas - A good resource for information on Puccini's operas.
Giacomo
Puccini: His Life and the Poetry of His Operas - A nice looking site,
with an essay on Puccini as a poet. There is also a lot of interesting
information on La Bohème.
Giacomo
Puccini: Centro Studi - Information on the Puccini Centro Studi, a
group in Italy that collects information on Puccini. The page is in Italian
and English
Past Poets:
Frank
Bidart
Elizabeth
Bishop
Carlo Goldoni
Charlotte
Brontë
