Let's Opera! Il Trovatore.

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

Bonjour, trolls and trollettes. Pleased to meet you. I am your incredibly slim, stylish, fashionable, charming, and irresistible Let's Opera! host, and while this lasts I'll also be your guide into incline, unrelenting incline. You can call me Kimagure Majo Yousei, and I am in no way a feline. Promise.

Inspired by Kz3r0's opera threads and Vaarna's Let's Read threads I decided to try my hand at something new and kind of different: Let's opera! So in this thread of mine, as well as a couple more future ones I have already planned, we will listen opera while we read the librettos in both the original language and a translation, and don our monocles and top hats to discuss this and that in a cultured and refined enviroment between an update and the next. Which means this will probably be about me and Kz3r0 talking among ourselves while crickets play unfitting music and balls of dry grass roll around, but I wanted to try my hand at it anyway.

In this one thread, as you can surely deduce from the thread's subject, we will be listening Verdi's Il Trovatore. By which I mean I will upload it to YouTube, bit by bit, and I will post here the link to the video, which at least for now will be a static image with music, and the bit's libretto in both Italian and english, and you can read while they sing and stuffies. I will be making the translation myself with a little bit of guidance from other translations I have read, and that's kind of half the point of this all, so feel free to point any mistakes I make so that I can fix them.

Before proceeding, however, I will do a little bit of an introduction for those of you who aren't into this. Il Trovatore is one of the three operas that represent the middle point of Verdi's career and evolution as a composer, in which it can be argued he starts moving away from the kind of solid structure the medium had developed into and finding his own way of doing things, at times even playing with the public's spectatives and the medium's tropes to surprise them and confuse them. The other two operas from this, let's say, trilogy are Rigoletto and La Traviata, and I plan on doing all those three at the very least.

The libretto is an adaptation written mostly by Salvadore Cammarano of the homonymous play by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez, a well known spanish dramaturge who became pretty important thanks to, precisely, that work of his, which kind of sent his career rocketing through the roof. Cammarano himself was a pretty prolific librettist, also known as that guy who wrote Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor, and he kind of died writing this one. Literally, so Verdi got the not often seen chance of not only asking for a second opinion but also of getting directly and deeply involved in the libretto with the help of a young upstart poet by the name of Leone Emanuele Bardare.

According to Enrico Caruso, who even the most commonerish of you must know at least by name, the only thingie you need to make a good Il Trovatore are the four greatest singers in the entire world. The entire work hangs from just four roles: Il Conte Di Luna, Manrico, Leonora, and Azucena. Everyone else is just colour and movement, fluff and background lore. We will be listening to the recording Carlo Maria Giulini directed back in the eighties, which includes a pretty good line up and I like enough for me to have it on one of the memory thingies I always keep on my purse so I can listen to it every now and then, when it strikes me to do so. This recording is considered kind of atypical and not the most representative, however, by a lot of people. I don't care, shoo.

The Dramatis Personae, now.

Il Conte Di Luna, which means Count of Luna if you didn't knew, is a nobleman in the Prince of Aragon's payroll, and is in love with Leonora, the local distressed soprano blonde. He is sung by a Baritone and is, all in all, a really funny character. It is interesting to point that it was Verdi who codified the Baritone voice, and up until then it was considered indistinct from a Bass, or at least a variation of it. Verdi was so in love with Baritones that he did a lot of work for and with them, and today there is the concept of a Verdi baritone as being almost it's own type of voice. In this recording the role goes to Giorgio Zancanaro.

Manrico is an officer in the Prince of Urgel's army. He is also in love with Leonora, and is the titular troubadour. That's what trovatore means, if you were wondering. He is sung by a tenor, Placido Domingo in this one recording. Domingo does him very well, and this recording convinced me Domingo was kind of born to play this kind of idealistic and nice and slightly emo character. His deserto sulla terra is, like, one of the most totally D'awww! Have huggies! moments in opera. Ever.

Azucena's a gypsy and Manrico's mother. She is sung by a Mezzo Soprano, Brigitte Fassbaender here. I really love how she does the role, it's coarse and weird and cool at the same time. Mezzo Soprano characters tend to have a lot more character and personality than most sopranos, since we are at it. Most of the time, at least.

Leonora's a noblewoman who is in love with Manrico yet courted by a Conte Di Luna who doesn't know how to take no for an answer. A soprano does her, Rosalind Plowright in this recording. Note, however, that since then Rosalind Plowright's range has gone into Mezzo Soprano territory and she no longer is considered a Soprano. I'm not that much into sopranos, myself. Most of the time they are too aetheric and innocent and distressed damsel and, like, conceptually blonde, if you get my meaning. I tend to get sleepy when an opera goes into those long arias were a Soprano girl sings alone and really slowly about her woes for ten straight minutes while i'm bitting my nails in expectation of what will happen when she actually stops holding the drama down to do bird imitations. Though I do really like a couple of soprano roles, usually written by Mozart, and get to at least enjoy a good amount of others.

Those are the important ones. I have the rest of the cast written somewhere so just kind of ask me if you hear some other voice you like and want to check names.

That's it, more or less. On a final note I plan on adding other recordings and versions I like later on, once the Libretto is complete, every now and then.



And since we are at it, in before round two of Wagner's boring and overrated. M:

Erm, I mean... If I were a feline, that is. But I'm not, so we won't need to go there at all. Promise.

 

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

TABLE OF CONTENTS



Act the first; Il Duello.

Scene the first.
Scene the second.

Act the second; La Zingara

Scene the first.

 

[Gondolin]

'sup, Black Cat?

 

[Sceptic]

Wagner is boring and overrated.

There, I've done my part

Tremendous incoming if you stick to this.

Watched Il Trovatore earlier this year. Love it. Though it's got one of the most twisted plots I've seen in an opera: infanticide, fratricide, multi-layered vengeance... very Codexian.

Also, if you are who I think you are, just drop the alt thing already. We love your work anyway

 

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

Act the first; Il Duello. Scene the first.
In which exposition happens. No one really minds, though, given the expositors have pretty good voices.



The story begins with a secondary character, Ferrando, as well as some of the Count of Luna's household members and bodyguards. Ferrando himself is none other than the captain to the Count's guard, and is played by Evgeny Nesterenko. We are in the Aljaferia Palace, a real moorish castle in Zaragoza. The oldest building in the castle, a pretty massive tower, is usually called the troubadour tower given it's central to Antonio Garcia Gutierrez’ drama. Google Images has some pretty cool photographs on the castle, if you are feeling curious. It's a pretty impressive example of moorish-spaniard architecture.

Some notes before we start, though. The scene makes use of several different words for owl, yet again I am only able to translate that as, say, owl. Is there any other way to write owl in english, leaving aside adding a barn before it? Finally, there are three or four different words for witch used through the scene, but I did translate them all as witch because that's how I personally understood the situation and the way the character was being interpreted by the superstitious guards and Familiars.

And if someone cares Il Duello means The Duel.

Remember I'm taking corrections not only on the actual translation but on the writing and flow of it. Some phrases and lines are really hard to write in english while keeping most of the explicit details, given both are really different languages. It's much easier to make a 1:1 translation that sounds nice into spanish or french, and I'm quite scared of leaving outside details so I prefer to err to the side of wooden writing than to the side of leaving details outside.

In the end part of the point of this is me practicing my italian, so I'm quite open to critique.



---> http://youtu.be/4IrltTpuOEU <---

Attrio nel palazzo dell'Aliaferia. Da un lato, porta che mette agli appartamenti del Conte di Luna. Ferrando e molti familiari del Conte giacciono presso la porta; alcuni uomini d'arme passeggiano in fondo.

Atrium in the palace of Aljaferia. To the side, door leading into the Count of Luna's chambers. Ferrando and many of the Count's familiars rest near the door; some men at arms walk through the far side.

Ferrando, ai familiari vicini ad assopirsi: All'erta, all'erta! Il Conte c'è d'uopo attender vigilando; ed egli talor, presso i veroni della sua cara, intere passa le notti.

Ferrando, to the sleepy familiars nearby: Attention, attention! To the Count it is our duty to keep watch; He, as usual, near his beloved's balcony spends the whole night.

Familiari: Gelosia le fiere serpi gli avventa in petto!

Familiars: Jealousy the fierce serpents throws in his chest!

Ferrando: Nel trovator, che dai giardini move notturno il canto, d'un rivale a dritto ei teme.

Ferrando: In the troubadour, who sings in the gardens at night, a rival he rightfully fears.

Familiari: Dalle gravi palpebre il sonno a discacciar, la vera storia ci narra di Garzia, germano al nostro Conte.

Familiars: Tell us, to remove sleepiness from our heavy eyelids, the true story of Garzia, brother-german of our Count.

Ferrando: La dirò: venite intorno a me.

Ferrando: I will. Come around me.

I Familiari eseguiscono

The Familiars do as told.

Armigeri: Noi pure...

Bodyguards: Us too...

Familiari: Udite, udite.

Familiars: Hear, hear.

Tutti accerchiano Ferrando.

Everyone gets close to Ferrando.



---> http://youtu.be/3whn5ibA4_U <---

Ferrando: Di due figli vivea padre beato il buon Conte di Luna: fida nutrice del secondo nato dormia presso la cuna. Sul romper dell'aurora un bel mattino ella dischiude i rai; e chi trova d'accanto a quel bambino?

Familiars: As the happy father of two sons lived the good Count of Luna. The second son's loyal wetnurse slept next to the craddle. As the day breaks she opens and eye; and what does she finds besides the child?

Coro: Chi?... Favella... Chi mai?

Chorus: Who? Speak... To whom?

Ferrando: Abbietta zingara, fosca vegliarda! Cingeva i simboli di una maliarda! E sul fanciullo, con viso arcigno, l'occhio affiggeva torvo, sanguigno! D'orror compresa è la nutrice... Acuto un grido all'aura scioglie; ed ecco, in meno che il labbro il dice, i servi accorrono in quelle soglie; e fra minacce, urli e percosse la rea discacciano ch'entrarvi osò.

Ferrando: A despicable gypsy, a crone surrounded by all the signs of a witch! And in the child, with grim visage, her eye rested menacingly, ardent! Of horror full the wetnurse a sharp scream let go and thus, in less than the mouth can say it, the Familiars rush through the door. And between threats, yells, and strikes they chased away the offender who dared entering thus.

Coro: Giusto quei petti sdegno commosse; l'insana vecchia lo provocò.

Chorus: Righteous outrage moved those breasts; the insane crone provoked it.

Ferrando: Asserì che tirar del fanciullino l'oroscopo volea... Bugiarda! Lenta febbre del meschino la salute struggea! Coverto di pallor, languido, affranto ei tremava la sera. Il dì traeva in lamentevol pianto... Ammaliato egli era!

Ferrando: She swears she wanted nothing but to read the child's fortune... Liar! A slow fever his health wrecked: Pale, languid, exhausted through the nights he trembled, and the day brought wretched weeping... Cursed he was!

Il coro inorridisce.

The chorus is appaled.

Ferrando: La fattucchiera perseguitata fu presa, e al rogo fu condannata; ma rimaneva la maledetta figlia, ministra di ria vendetta! Compi quest'empia nefando eccesso!... Sparve il fanciullo e si rinvenne mal spenta brace nel sito istesso ov'arsa un giorno la strega venne! E d'un bambino... ahimè! L'ossame bruciato a mezzo, fumante ancor!

Ferrando: The witch was pursued and caught, and to the pyre was she condemned; But her acursed daughter remained, administer of her revenge! The unholy one fulfiled the nefandous trespass... The child disappeared, and the embers from the witch's pyre were found badly doused. (still burning, maybe?) And from a child... Ay! The half burnt bones, smoking still!

Coro: Ah scellerata!... oh donna infame! Del par m'investe odio ed orror!

Chorus: Wicked, vile woman! Equally inspires hate and horror!

Alcuni: E il padre?

Some: And what of the father?

Ferrando: Brevi e tristi giorni visse: pure ignoto del cor presentimento gli diceva che spento non era il figlio; ed, a morir vicino, bramò che il signor nostro a lui giurasse di non cessar le indagini... ah! fur vane!...

Ferrando: He lived few and sad days, and to his heart a mysterious presentiment insisted his son wasn't dead. Close to death he asked from our lord never to stop looking for him... But, ah!, it was in vain!

Armigeri: E di colei non s'ebbe contezza mai?

Bodyguards: And wasn't from her ever heard again?

Ferrando: Nulla contezza... Oh, dato mi fosse rintracciarla un dì!...

Ferrando: Nothing. Ah, if only was it given to me to track her down someday!

Familiari: Ma ravvisarla potresti?

Familiars: But would you be able to recognize her?

Ferrando: Calcolando gli anni trascorsi... Lo potrei.

Ferrando: Taking into account the years gone by... I would.

Armigieri: Sarebbe tempo presso la madre all'inferno spedirla.

Bodyguards: It's about time to send her to hell, to her mother.

Ferrando: All'inferno? È credenza che dimori ancor nel mondo l'anima perduta dell'empia strega, e quando il cielo è nero in varie forme altrui si mostri.

Ferrando: To hell? It's said the evil witch's soul in the world remains still, and when the sky is black in many forms she appears.

Coro, con terrore: E vero!

Chorus, with horror: It's true!

Alcuni: Su l'orlo dei tetti alcun l'ha veduta!

Some: At the edge of the roof some have seen her!

Altri: In upupa o strige talora si muta!

Others: In hoopoe and striga (A creature witches are said to be able to turn into, kind of a monstrous vampiric owl lady.) she turns sometimes!

Altri: In corvo tal'altra; più spesso in civetta! Sull'alba fuggente al par di saetta.

Others: In crow other times, and much more into owl! And at dawn she escapes like lightning.

Ferrando: Morì di paura un servo del conte, che avea della zingara percossa la fronte!

Ferrando: Died of fright a servant of the count, who had hit, of the gypsy, the brow.

Tutti si pingono di superstizioso terrore.

All of them are tinged with superstitious terror.

Ferrando: Apparve a costui d'un gufo in sembianza Nell'alta quiete di tacita stanza!... Con l'occhio lucente guardava il cielo attristando d'un urlo feral! Allor mezzanotte appunto suonava...

Ferrando: To this man she appeared in the form of an owl in the deep quietness of a silent chamber! With a gleaming eye watched, grimly darkening the sky with a feral cry! And as the bells of midnight did sound toll...

Una campana suona a distesa mezzanotte.

A bell announces the coming of midnight.

Tutti: Ah! Sia maledetta la strega infernal!

Ferrando: Ah! Damned be the infernal witch!

Con subito soprassalto odonsi alcuni tocchi di tamburo. Gli uomini d'arme accorrono in fondo; i Familiari corrono verso la porta.

All of a sudden some strokes of drums are heard. The men of arms run towards the back, the familiars run towards the door.



And thus ends the first scene. Next time we meet we will get some quite nice and dynamic soprano moments as we meet Leonora and Ines, her handmaiden. The next scene is quite longer, though, and thus I will probably have to cut it into two or three parts for it to be manageable.

Having the cover in all the videos is kind of boring and generic, though, so i'm going to host a, uhm, thingie! Like, I want you to draw me a Codexian Devil singing opera to use. Yes, you. Meaning my, like, two and a half readers. I'll go cry myself to sleep, yes. That I'll do.

After answering my two and a half fans, that is.






@ Gondolin

I am not an african american feline, good sir, but a capricious witch fairy, as my name clearly indicates. I am direly confused by your words.

@ Sceptic

Totally. I thought what basicaly amounts to the story of how a masterful trolling attempt came to fruition to be the only right way to kick this into motion.

And I'm glad someone understands me on Wagner! Do you like Die Feen?



That aside,

huggies for my two and a half readers!



14.12.2011: Updated the translation to correct the thingies Kz3r0's pointed at. Thankies! Have huggies!

 

[Gondolin]

@ Gondolin

I am not an african american feline, good sir, but a capricious witch fairy, as my name clearly indicates. I am direly confused by your words.

[...]

That aside,

huggies for my two and a half readers!

Right. Your name does not indicate anything to me, clearly or otherwise. But do carry on with this LP.

 

[Terpsichore]

Hello unknown cat.

 

[Sceptic]

Gah. Listening to opera always feels weird. I only got into it when I started going to live performances. Love the singing in this version though. Can't wait for Manrico to appear, I'm a huge fan of Domingo. Probably my favorite tenor of the Three.

Totally. I thought what basicaly amounts to the story of how a masterful trolling attempt came to fruition to be the only right way to kick this into motion.

Never thought of it as trolling, but now that you mention it it's perfect

And I'm glad someone understands me on Wagner! Do you like Die Feen?

I'd never even heard of it. Reading a bit about it, I'm curious. I actually like some of Wagner. He's got some gorgeous pieces (Lohengrin opening!), and some extremely memorable ones, but I just find him too much. I can only bear him in small doses. And then he goes and makes a six hour opera. SIX. Seriously?

 

[laclongquan]

I thought opera is for hearing only. We even have to read as well?

 

[SCO]

Alas, it actually has a story, though they try to disguise it

The ultimate storyfags:
opera fans who actually can follow it without the brochure.

 

[Ulminati]

Welcome back Black Cat

 

[Erebus]

I watched Il trovatore about a year ago and really enjoyed it. Given the complexity of the plot, I was a bit surprised by how brief it turned out to be (for an opera, anyway). Unlike many operas, it doesn't have many repetitions or drawn-out scenes.

 

[Comte]

Placido Domingo just a typical Opera pretty boy hunk

 

[Kz3r0]

Welcome, whimsical, magical, kawaii stranger, and thank you for this great thread of incline.

If you don't mind I will make some observations.

Act the first; Il Duelo. Scene the first.

Il Duello, double l, sounds as an elongated l.

Attrio nel palazzo dell'Aliaferia. Da un lato, porta che mette agli appartamenti del Conte di Luna. Ferrando e molti familiari del Conte giacciono presso la porta; alcuni uomini d'arme passeggiano in fondo.

For familiari you should look at famigli, they could comprise both blood relatives and strangers adopted in the family, a wikipedia link, because I am lazy:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famiglio
As you will notice it has another meaning, more relevant to your interests.
And, according to Merriam, familiar should have a similar meaning in English too:

a member of the household of a high official

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familiar

Ferrando, ai familiari vicini ad assopirsi: All'erta, all'erta! Il Conte c'è d'uopo attender vigilando; ed egli talor, presso i veroni della sua cara, intere passa le notti.

Ferrando, to the sleepy servants nearby: Attention, attention! The Count has ordered us to keep watch as he usually near his beloved's balcony spends the whole night.

D'uopo here means that it's their proper duty to do so, no specific orders involved, it's an archaism however.

Familiari: Gelosia le fiere serpi gli avventa in petto!

Servants: The terrible serpents of jealously throw themselves against his chest!

Here the agent is Jealousy, think of it as a Greek Goddess, and the time is also different, the translation should be along these lines:

"Jealousy the fierce serpents throws in his chest."

Ferrando: Nel trovator, che dai giardini move notturno il canto, d'un rivale a dritto ei teme.

Ferrando: In the troubadour, who sings in the gardens at night, a crafty rival he fears.

So you know the jargon of dritto, lol, but in this case is an archaic form for diritto, right, nowadays means straight, they are saying that the Count is right in fearing him as his rival.

Familiari: Dalle gravi palpebre il sonno a discacciar, la vera storia ci narra di Garzia, germano al nostro Conte.

Servants: Tell us, to remove sleepiness from our heavy eyelids, the true story of Garzia, brother of our Count.

Germano is specific term for brothers with the same parents, a needed specification at the time, redundant today, and German in English has a similar meaning, it's archaic for both Italian and English by the way:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/german

Ferrando: Abbietta zingara, fosca vegliarda! Cingeva i simboli di una maliarda! E sul fanciullo, con viso arcigno, l'occhio affiggeva torvo, sanguigno! D'orror compresa è la nutrice... Acuto un grido all'aura scioglie; ed ecco, in meno che il labbro il dice, i servi accorrono in quelle soglie; e fra minacce, urli e percosse la rea discacciano ch'entrarvi osò.

Ferrando: A despicable gypsy, a crone surrounded by all the signs of a witch! And in the child, with grim visage, her eye rested menacingly, ardent! Of horror full the (wetnurse?) a sharp scream let go and thus, in less than the mouth can say it, the servants rush through the door. And between threats, yells, and strikes they chased away the criminal that dared entering thus.

I think that instead of mouth you can safely use lip, not big deal.
Rea means culprit or culpable, another minor issue.

Coro: Giusto quei petti sdegno commosse; l'insana vecchia lo provocò.

Chorus: In those breasts the insane crone must have provoked righteous indignation.

I would phrase it in this way:
Righteous outrage moved those(theirs) breasts; the insane crone provoked it.

Ferrando: La fattucchiera perseguitata fu presa, e al rogo fu condannata; ma rimaneva la maledetta figlia, ministra di ria vendetta! Compi quest'empia nefando eccesso!... Sparve il fanciullo e si rinvenne mal spenta brace nel sito istesso ov'arsa un giorno la strega venne! E d'un bambino... ahimè! L'ossame bruciato a mezzo, fumante ancor!

Ferrando: The witch was pursued and caught, and to the pyre was she condemned; But her acursed daughter remained, agent to her revenge! The unholy one fulfiled the evil (excesses?)... The child disappeared, and the embers from the witch's pyre were found badly doused (still burning, maybe?). And from a child... Ay! The half burnt bones, smoking still!

If you don't want to translate ministra intio minister directly you could use administer instead.
For eccesso, trespass could be viable, I think.

Ferrando: Morì di paura un servo del conte, che avea della zingara percossa la fronte!

Ferrando: A servant of the count died of fright, when the gypsy kissed his forehead.

Sorry, but the second part is a little bit different:
A servant of the count died of fright, who had hit, of the gypsy, the brow.
It refers at when they sent away the witch the first time, inferring that this attracted her revenge towards this particular person..

Tutti si pingono di superstizioso terrore

All of them are prey of superstitious terror.

Pingono is another archaic way to say that they were tinged with superstitious terror.

Ferrando: Apparve a costui d'un gufo in sembianza Nell'alta quiete di tacita stanza!... Con l'occhio lucente guardava il cielo attristando d'un urlo feral! Allor mezzanotte appunto suonava...

Ferrando: To this man she appeared in the form of an owl in the deep quietness of a silent chamber! With gleaming eyes was she watching the sky sadden from a savage howl! (... le fuck? That's probably my fault, feel free to correct that.)

Attristare here derives from tristo, in this particular contest would mean casting an ominous shadow over the sky, an inauspicious announcement.

 

[Luzur]

are we really this deprived of games to LP?

 

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

Act the first; Il Duello. Scene the second.






The second scene begins with Leonora and her handmaiden, Ines, sung, I believe, by Anna di Stasio on this recording, in the gardens of the palace. Later we will meet both Manrico and the Count of Luna, and they will proceed to school us on how real men act. Cue fifteen pages of you wretched woman with the hots for unrepentant sociopaths, etc. There are some lines really hard to translate here, so I must warn you some wooden phrases and a couple of mistakes are surely lurking ahead. I believe it came with much better flow than the previous one, though.

This scene also contains several nice moments: Tacea la notte placida, deserto sulla terra, a really cute duet with Leonora and Ines, and the very nice Di Gelosso Amor Sprezzato, which, for me at least, makes Il Conte a really likeable character, full of zeal and passion and a kind of twisted cuteness.



---> http://youtu.be/3Cfk6yLTreY <---

Giardini del palazzo. Sulla destra marmorea scalinata che mette agli appartamenti. La notte è inoltrata; dense nubi coprono la luna.

The palace's gardens. To the right a marmol stairway leads into the chambers. The night is advanced; dense clouds cover the moon.

Ines: Che più t'arresti? L'ora è tarda: vieni. Di te la regal donna chiese, l'udisti.

Ines: What else holds you? It's late, come. You are to become the lord's wife, you heard it.

Leonora: Un'altra notte ancora senza vederlo...

Leonora: Another night without seeing him...

Ines: Perigliosa fiamma tu nutri! Oh come, dove la primiera favilla in te s'apprese?

Ines: You are feeding a dangerous flame! Oh! How, when did you catch the first spark?

Leonora: Ne' tornei. V'apparve bruno le vesti ed il cimier, lo scudo bruno e di stemma ignudo, sconosciuto guerrier, che dell'agone gli onori ottenne... Al vincitor sul crine il serto io posi. Civil guerra intanto arse... Nol vidi più! Come d'aurato sogno fuggente imago! ed era volta lunga stagion... ma poi...

Leonora: In tournament. In dark clothes and helm he appeared, the shield black and devoid of heraldry. An unknown warrior who all the honours of the contest (or "the honours of battle", it's indistinct) obtained, and it was me who placed the garland among the victor's mane. Meanwhile, the civil war raged... And I did not see him again! As from a golden dream escaped, his image! And so it was for a long time... but then...

Ines: Che avvenne?

Ines: What happened?

Leonora: Ascolta. Tacea la notte placida, e bella in ciel sereno la luna il viso argenteo mostrava lieto e pieno... Quando suonar per l'aere, infino allor sì muto, dolci s'udiro e flebili gli accordi d'un liuto, e versi melanconici un trovator cantò. Versi di prece ed umile qual d'uom che prega Iddio, in quella ripeteasi un nome... il nome mio! Corsi al veron sollecita... Egli era! egli era desso! Gioia provai che agli angeli solo è provar concesso... Al core, al guardo estatico la terra un ciel sembrò.

Leonora: Hear. Silent the quiet night, and beautiful in the serene sky showed the moon her argent face, joyous and full... When sounding through the air, complete before it's silence, sweet were heard the faint chords of a lute, and melancholic verses a troubadours did chant. Verses of prayer and humility as those from a man who prays to God, in which was repeated a name... my name! Prompt I ran to the balcony... It was he! It was he alright! I did taste that which only angels are allowed to taste... To the heart, to the extatic sight, earth as heaven felt.

Ines: Quanto narrasti di turbamento m'ha piena l'alma! Io temo...

Ines: What you tell fills my soul with anxiety! I fear...

Leonora: Invano!

Leonora: In vain!

Ines: Dubbio, ma triste presentimento in me risveglia quest'uomo arcano! Tenta obliarlo...

Ines: I doubt. A sad presage wakes in me this mysterious man! Try to forget him...

Leonora: Che dici! oh basti!

Leonora: What do you say? Oh, stop!

Ines: Cedi al consiglio dell'amistà... Cedi...

Ines: Give in to the counsel of friendship... surrender...

Leonora: Obliarlo! Ah, tu parlasti detto che intendere l'alma non sa. Di tale amor che dirsi
mal può dalla parola, d'amor che intendo io sola, il cor s'inebriò! Il mio destino compiersi non può che a lui dappresso... S'io non vivrò per esso, per esso io morirò!

Leonora: To forget him! Ah, you speak in commands that understand nothing of the soul. Of such a love that hardly can be put in words, of a love I alone understand, is my heart inebriated! My fate can't be fulfilled but next to him... If I don't live thus, thus I die!

Ines: Non debba mai pentirsi chi tanto un giorno amò!

Ines: May she who one day thus loved never needs to repent!

Ascendono agli appartamenti. Il conte di Luna entra in le giardino.

They ascend into their chambers. The Count of Luna enters the garden.



---> http://youtu.be/1mmfHCoxtTI <---

Conte: Tace la notte! Immersa nel sonno, è certo, la regal signora; ma veglia la sua dama... Oh! Leonora, tu desta sei; mel dice, da quel verone, tremolante un raggio della notturna lampa... Ah! l'amorosa fiamma m'arde ogni fibra! Ch'io ti vegga è d'uopo, che tu m'intenda... Vengo... A noi supremo è tal momento...

Count: A quiet night! Deep in slumber, certainly, the royal mistress; but her lady keeps watch... Oh! Leonora, you are awake; The flickering nightly lamp, in that balcony, tells me so... Ah! The flame of love burns my every fiber! For me to see you and then for you to understand me, I come. For us, supreme is such a time...

Cieco d'amore avviasi verso la gradinata. Odonsi gli accordi d'un liuto: egli s'arresta.

Blind of love he sets out for the steps. The chords of a lute are heard, he stops.

Count: Il Trovator! Io fremo!

Count: The troubadour! I tremble!

La voce de Manrico: Deserto sulla terra, col rio destino in guerra e sola spese un cor al trovator!

Manrico's voice: Left alone upon the earth, with the stream of fate (I have seen it translated as with terrible fate too, so maybe that's the right one.) at war, is but by a heart that lives the troubadour!

Count: Oh detti! Io fremo!

Count: Oh, recitations! I tremble!

La voce de Manrico: Ma s'ei quel cor possiede, bello di casta fede, e d'ogni re maggior il trovator!

Manrico's Voice: But if such heart he had, beautiful in chaste faith, greater than all kings would be the troubadour!

Conte: Oh detti! Oh gelosia! Non m'inganno... Ella scende!

Count: Oh, recitations! Oh, jealously! I don't deceive me... she descends!

S'avvolge nel suo mantello.

He wraps himself on his cloak

Leonora, correndo verso il Conte: Anima mia!

Leonora, running towards the Count: My soul! (This may sound weird for some people. In the romance languages it is basicaly another way of saying my love.)

Conte, fra sè: Che far?

Count, to himself: What to do?

Leonora: Più dell'usato è tarda l'ora; io ne contai gl'istanti co' palpiti del core! Alfin ti guida pietoso amor tra queste braccia...

Leonora: The hour is later than usual; I have counted the moments with the beats of my heart! At last merciful love brought you to those arms...

Manrico: Infida!

Manrico: Treacherous woman!

La luna mostrasi dai nugoli, e lascia scorgere una persona, di cui la visiera nasconde il volto.

The moon comes through the clouds and let a person be seen, the face hidden by his helm's cover.

Leonora: Qual voce... Ah, dalle tenebre tratta in errore io fui!

Leonora: That voice... Ah, by the darkness dealt in error I was!

Riconoscendo entrambi, e gettandosi ai piedi di Manrico, agitatissima.

Recognizing both she throws herself to Manrico's feet, very agigated.

Leonora: A te credei rivolgere l'accento e non a lui... A te, che l'alma mia sol chiede, sol desia... Io t'amo, il giuro, io t'amo d'immenso, eterno amor!

Leonora: To you I believed I was answering those words, not to him. To you, the one my soul wants, desires... I love you, I swear, I love you with immense, eternal love!

Conte: Ed osi?

Count: You dare?

Manrico, sollevando Leonora: Ah, più non bramo!

Manrico, helping Leonora to her feet: Ah, say no more!

Count: Avvampo di furor! Se un vil non sei discopriti.

Count: I flare with anger! If you aren't vile, show your face!

Leonora: Ohimè!

Lenora: Ay!

Conte: Palesa il nome...

Count: Reveal to me your name...

Leonora: Deh, per pietà!

Leonora: Ah! Mercy!

Manrico, sollevando la visiera dell'elmo: Ravvisami. Manrico io son.

Manrico, raising the helm's cover: Recognize me. I am Manrico.

Conte: Tu... Come! Insano temerario! D'Urgel seguace, a morte proscritto, ardisci volgerti a queste regie porte?

Count: You... How?! Reckless madman! Urgel's henchman, to death condemned, boldly you turn to those royal gates?

Manrico: Che tardi? Or via, le guardie appella, ed il rivale al ferro del carnefice consegna.

Manrico: What stops you? Now, call for the guards, and your rival to the executioner's iron deliver.

Conte: Il tuo fatale istante assai più prossimo è, dissennato! Vieni...

Count: Your fated time is near, fool! Come...

Leonora: Conte!

Leonora: Count!

Conte: Al mio sdegno vittima è d'uopo ch'io ti sveni...

Count: As a sacrifice to my indignation you must be bled...

Leonora: Oh ciel! T'arresta...

Leonora: Oh, heaven! Stop...

Conte: Seguimi...

Count: Follow me...

Manrico: Andiam...

Manrico: Let's go...

Leonora: Che mai farò? Un sol mio grido perdere lo puote... M'odi...

Leonora: What can I do? A single word of mine can lose him... Hear me!

Conte: No! Di geloso amor sprezzato arde in me tremendo il foco! Il tuo sangue, o sciagurato,
ad estinguerlo fia poco!

Count: No! From a jealous love despised burns in me the tremendous fire! Your blood, wretch, to extinguish it will not be enough.

Conte, a Leonora: Dirgli, o folle, Io t'amo, ardisti! Ei più vivere non può... Un accento proferisti che a morir lo condannò!

Count, to Leonora: You said, crazy woman, I love you, boldly! And he can't live anymore... You uttered a word that condemned him to die!

Leonora: Un istante almen dia loco il tuo sdegno alla ragione... Io, sol io, di tanto foco son, pur troppo, la cagione! Piombi, ah! piombi il tuo furore sulla rea che t'oltraggiò... Vibra il ferro in questo core, che te amar non vuol, né può.

Leonora: For at least an instant yield, madman, your indignation to reason... It is me, only me, of such fire, by much, the reason! Pour, ah! Pour your fire over the offender who insulted you... (or "the culprit of insulting you", pick the one you like the most) Twist the iron on this heart that wants not to love you, nor is able to.

Manrico: Del superbo vana è l'ira! Ei cadrà da me trafitto. Il mortal che amor t'ispira, dall'amor fu reso invitto.

Manrico: Of this presumptuous is in vain the rage! He will fall by my lunge. The mortal your love inspires, by love was rendered indomitable.

Manrico, al Conte: La tua sorte è già compita... L'ora ormai per te suonò! Il suo core e la tua vita il destino a me serbò!

Manrico, to the Count: Your luck is already spent... Your hour is near to ring! Her heart and your live fate to me has offered!

I due rivali si allontanano con le spade sguainate; Leonora cade, priva di sentimenti.

The two rivals leave with swords unsheathed. Leonora falls, unconscious.



And thus the first act's second scene, and the act itself, comes to an end. Will our hero die from tetosterone poisoning so early in the story? The next time we meet we will discover the outcome of their contest, and we will also meet the one main character we still haven't met. Many singing and dancing gypsies, too.

I actually like this scene we just went through very much. And from the point in which the Count comes into the garden the entire situation goes straight into a mixture of epic and hysterical in a handbasket, it's pretty nicely done.

Some people read it as the Count being a posesive jerk, but I am not so sure. It is kind of understandable he is mad, given the context and situation, and Il Trovatore can't really claim the moral highground when he is just as willing to slay the Count over a mixture of politics and jealously as the Count himself is willing to slay the troubadour over it. I like them both, and both are, in their own way, deeply devoted to Leonora.

Anyways. More epic singing next time we meet, then. Goodbye, for now!






@ Kz3r0

Thank you very much for the corrections. And I'm sorry about the really foolish mistakes. I'll be correcting that part shortly.



I'm glad you enjoy the little project, in any case.

"So you know the jargon of dritto, lol, but in this case is an archaic form for diritto, right, nowadays means straight, they are saying that the Count is right in fearing him as his rival."

So would it be, like, in the troubadour, who sings in the gardens at night, the Count rightfully fears a rival instead? It also kind of reinforces the idea it is their duty to keep watch while the Count does his anti-troubadour thing, that way.

"I think that instead of mouth you can safely use lip, not big deal."

I did translate it as lips firstly, but thought it did sound kind of weird in that phrase when put on english.

"Sorry, but the second part is a little bit different"

I'm sorry about that one. The phrase kind of left me throughly confused, so I took the line from another translation of the libretto. My bad.

"Attristare here derives from tristo, in this particular contest would mean casting an ominous shadow over the sky, an inauspicious announcement."

How would you translate that particular line? It has me quite stumped, to be honest.

And sorry about Duelo, I guess my brain was offline when it happened.



@ Sceptic

Die Feen it's a pretty weird opera. The story goes Wagner had written it very differently at first, but that when he later asked his lady friend what she thought about it she went kind of ewww. And thus he went and wrote it all over again in the way he thought she would like it, turning it into a very un-Wagnerian Wagnerian opera.

It's also the only Wagnerian opera I can listen to from begining to end and throughly enjoy. Which doesn't mean I believe Wagner to be bad or awful, that would be retarded. He is an impressive but very long winded composer, and one I have a conflictive relationship with: When he's awesome he is like a butterfly, graceful and beautiful but fragile and short lived. When he gets boring or bombastic, though, he is boring and bombastic for a loooooooooooong while.

So I have that very same problem with him: I love dearly some particular scenes, or segments, or events from his works. I greatly enjoy his overtures, too, and in my opinion the entire concept of leitmotiv is in my opinion one of the most awesome thingies to ever happen to opera, in particular, and music, in general, but I can't sit through one of his operas, from begining to end and paying attention all the while, no matter how hard I try. And hard I have tried, believe me. All drama and tension and exitement he builds up gets drowned in way too many scenes outliving their welcome, and all of a sudden I'm thinking on how very much I would like to be doing my homework instead.



@ Erebus

Indeed. I too have a very low resistance to really drawn out scenes and repetition, so most of the Opera I enjoy tends to be quite dynamic. I like to think that's because I am as attracted to the drama as to the music, but probably I'm just too easily distracted and ADDish for my own good.

 

[Erebus]

It's nice to have both the original text and the translation next to each others (even though I studied the language for a year and it's quite close to my mother tongue, I'm definitely not able to understand complex sentences in italian).

And the recording you chose is very enjoyable !

 

[Quilty]

RpgCodex, the final refuge of us prestigious fags.

Carry on, good sir.

 

[Sceptic]

Placido!

He really does fit the role. I couldn't imagine it at first by just picturing him, but his voice is perfect for the character, especially in his first lines when he's still not even on stage.

I'm glad someone else described Wagner as bombastic I have the exact same relation with him. It's why I mentioned Lohengrin in particular, as I think that for the most part it avoids the bombastic that he tends to in his other works. And it's why I find Die Walkure sooooooooo tiresome even though I love large portions of it. I'm gonna have to look up Die Feen, thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Kz3r0]

@ Kz3r0

Thank you very much for the corrections. And I'm sorry about the really foolish mistakes. I'll be correcting that part shortly.



I'm glad you enjoy the little project, in any case.

Thanks to you, for fighting the good fight against the decline.





Here some other suggestion:

Ines: Che più t'arresti? L'ora è tarda: vieni. Di te la regal donna chiese, l'udisti.

Ines: What else holds you? It's late, come. You are to become the lord's wife, you heard it.

Here is the royal dame demanding the presence of Leonora, her lady-in-waiting, there's no mention of her becoming the Count' s wife here.

Leonora: Obliarlo! Ah, tu parlasti detto che intendere l'alma non sa. Di tale amor che dirsi
mal può dalla parola, d'amor che intendo io sola, il cor s'inebriò! Il mio destino compiersi non può che a lui dappresso... S'io non vivrò per esso, per esso io morirò!

Leonora: To forget him! Ah, you speak in commands that understand nothing of the soul. Of such a love that hardly can be put in words, of a love I alone understand, is my heart inebriated! My fate can't be fulfilled but next to him... If I don't live thus, thus I die!

Seems to me that the sense here is that is the soul that doesn't know how to intend what is said.

La voce de Manrico: Deserto sulla terra, col rio destino in guerra e sola spese un cor al trovator!

Manrico's voice: Left alone upon the earth, with the stream of fate (I have seen it translated as with terrible fate too, so maybe that's the right one.) at war, is but by a heart that lives the troubadour!

Here I think that Manrico refers to Leonora' s affection for him, e sola spese un cor al trovator!, and her alone spent(spared) a heart(a thought, a sentiment) for the troubadour.

Conte: Oh detti! Oh gelosia! Non m'inganno... Ella scende!

Count: Oh, recitations! Oh, jealously! I don't deceive me... she descends!

I am not the most qualified for correct English, but myself should be used instead of me here.

Some people read it as the Count being a posesive jerk, but I am not so sure. It is kind of understandable he is mad, given the context and situation, and Il Trovatore can't really claim the moral highground when he is just as willing to slay the Count over a mixture of politics and jealously as the Count himself is willing to slay the troubadour over it. I like them both, and both are, in their own way, deeply devoted to Leonora.

Opera is about human passions, almost all of the male characters are possessive jerks, they were different times.
However here the Count act in a very virile manner, confronting his rival one on one instead of calling the guards, or as a fool with too much pride.

"So you know the jargon of dritto, lol, but in this case is an archaic form for diritto, right, nowadays means straight, they are saying that the Count is right in fearing him as his rival."

So would it be, like, in the troubadour, who sings in the gardens at night, the Count rightfully fears a rival instead? It also kind of reinforces the idea it is their duty to keep watch while the Count does his anti-troubadour thing, that way.

More or less.

"I think that instead of mouth you can safely use lip, not big deal."

I did translate it as lips firstly, but thought it did sound kind of weird in that phrase when put on english.

I fear that only a native speaker could answer that, I usually try to translate Italian in English as directly as possible.

"Attristare here derives from tristo, in this particular contest would mean casting an ominous shadow over the sky, an inauspicious announcement."

How would you translate that particular line? It has me quite stumped, to be honest.

The usage of grim in English seems to me to correspond to the Italian usage of tristo.

Con l'occhio lucente guardava il cielo attristando d'un urlo feral!

I woiuld translate in this way:
"With a gleaming eye watched, grimly darkening the sky with a feral cry."

 

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

The next update, covering the entire first scene from the second act, will be either later today or early tomorrow. I'm sorry for the slight delay, but there are a lot of really long paragraphs on this one and some pretty twisty lines.



@ Erebus

I'm happy you enjoy the recording. It's one of my favorites. :3

And, well, I'm having quite a trouble myself with complex lines, as you may have noticed on some of the really foolish mistakes I made. My grammar is pretty spotty, so at times I get really twisted and @_@. At least I have managed to remember the verbal tenses already, at least partly.



@ Quilty

Madam, and carry on I will. I'm glad you are enjoying it!





@ Sceptic

Indeed. His voice is perfect for the role, and his Desserto is very nice because of it. While the character has his fair share of manly and passionate moments he is defined as a romantic and an idealist with a touch of melancholy by that aria, and that fits him like a glove.

I usually prefer opera to be more graceful and charming than epic and grand, so all those thunderlike events and scenes Wagner loves can get pretty tiring for me too. Die Feen is pretty graceful, I think, though it has it's grandeur too. Maybe I am a bit more lenient with it than with the others given Fairies are my favorite topic, like, ever, but I did enjoy it pretty much. I hope you like it, too. :3

And no chat on Wagner can pass without this being linked. M:



@ Kz3r0

Here I think that Manrico refers to Leonora' s affection for him, e sola spese un cor al trovator!, and her alone spent(spared) a heart (a thought, a sentiment) for the troubadour.

Ah, that's a much prettier reading, yes. I got confused by spese. Thank you!

Here is the royal dame demanding the presence of Leonora, her lady-in-waiting, there's no mention of her becoming the Count' s wife here.

T_T Alright, I'm done looking for guidance on other translations when confused. They fail worse than I do.

I am not the most qualified for correct English, but myself should be used instead of me here.

You are totally right.

Seems to me that the sense here is that is the soul that doesn't know how to intend what is said.

You are right. "You speak commands that understanding the soul doesn't know how" or something along those lines, right? I don't know what happened here, I'm sorry.

Opera is about human passions, almost all of the male characters are possessive jerks, they were different times. However here the Count act in a very virile manner, confronting his rival one on one instead of calling the guards, or as a fool with too much pride.

That's part of what I think makes opera as beautiful and relatable as it is, the passion. That alone, by itself, gives it a natural and innate moral ambiguity and character depth, at least when skillfully written and sung, that stories based on events or ideas or concepts can't have so gracefully, nor with such ease. Most of the really good ones are just about people whose ambitions and passions put them in a collision course with each other and through obstacles and tragedies so pretty you can't but enjoy to suffer through, and that's awesome.

And I believe the count to be both: He's virile and brave and manly, yet he doesn't know when to stop. Both are, in a way. They leave quite the smoking trail behind.



And thank you very much for correcting all those mistakes. Some of them are pretty shameful, to be honest.

 

[Kz3r0]

@ Kz3r0

And thank you very much for correcting all those mistakes. Some of them are pretty shameful, to be honest.

Don't worry, you are doing a great job, the language used in opera is fairly contrived and subservient to singing needs, many would find difficult to understand it immediately.

 

[lightbane]

Well, this thread is something... Unique. Not bad, person-that-is-not-a-black-cat.

are we really this deprived of games to LP?

It's certainly beats the alternative: A fuckton of skyrim threads, including lps-oh wait

 

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

Act the second; La Zingara. Scene the first.






The first scene of the second act begins with Manrico recovering from wounds in a ruined house around which gypsies have made camp, or something similar. An uncertain amount of time has passed from the previous act, and as you will see the wounds Manrico is recovering from are not those suffered in the duel that closed the previous act but, instead, in a later one, in a battle amidst which he came across the count, again.

This scene is massive, and quite hard to translate. There's a lot of dialogue and exposition, and much lyrical language. This scene's also more or less a sucession of very identificable, representative, and enjoyable segments: The anvil chorus, stride la vampa, condotta ell'era in ceppi, and mal reggendo all'aspro assalto. Azucena, the one from among the four main roles we still had to meet, gets the spotlight in this scene, and I personally find her role in this recording, sung by Brigitte Fassbaender, quite enjoyable and interesting, and with a lot of character.

In any case, consider this a beta version. I am quite unsure about the translation on this one update, and kind of unhappy with the flow, but given I already got delayed quite a bit I will post it and then edit it as I polish it. And, again, feel free to suggest this or that as you see fit.





---> http://youtu.be/7aqLg7Tu2_w <---

---> (If that doesn't work click here, here, here, and here instead) <---

Un diruto abituro sulle falde di un monte della Biscaglia. Nel fondo, quasi tutto aperto, arde un gran fuoco. I primi albori. Azucena siede presso il fuoco. Manrico le sta disteso accanto sopra una coltrice ed avviluppato nel suo mantello; ha l'elmo ai piedi e fra le mani la spada, su cui figge immobilmente lo sguardo. Una banda di Zingari è sparsa all'interno.

A ruined dwelling on the lower slopes of a mount in Biscaglia. Behind, almost completely open, a great fire burns. The first lights of morning. Azucena sits next to the fire. Manrico, close to her, is stretched on a matress and wrapped on his cloak; he has his helm near his feet and between the hands the sword. A group of Gypsies is spread all around.

Zingari: Vedi! Le fosche notturne spoglie de' cieli sveste l'immensa volta; sembra una vedova che alfin si toglie i bruni panni ond'era involta. All'opra! all'opra! Dagli, martella.

Gypsies: See! The gloom of night empties the sky, naked the great vault; seems like a widow who at last removes the black clothes in which she was wrapped. To action! To work! Yield to the hammer.

Danno di piglio ai loro ferri del mestiere; al misurato tempestare dei martelli cadenti sulle incudini, or uomini, or donne, e tutti in un tempo infine intonano la cantilena seguente.

They resolutely hammer the iron of their craft; to the measured tempest of the hammers' cadence join, now men, now woman, and all in the end, singing the following cantinela.

Gypsies: Chi del gitano i giorni abbella? La zingarella!

Gypsies: Who the days of the gypsy beautifies? The little gypsy girl!

Uomini, alle donne: Versami un tratto; lena e coraggio il corpo e l'anima traggon dal bere.

Men, to the women: Pour me a treat; vigour and courage the body and the soul draw from drink.

Le donne mescono ad essi in coppe.

The women pour to them in cups.

Tutti: Oh guarda, guarda! Del sole un raggio brilla più vivido nel mio/tuo bicchiere! All'opra, all'opra... Dagli, martella... Chi del gitano i giorni abbella? La zingarella!

Everyone: Oh see, see! Of the sun a ray shines more lively in my/your glass! To action, to work... Yield to the hammer... Who the days of the gypsy beautifies? The little gypsi girl!

Azucena: Stride la vampa! La folla indomita corre a quel fuoco lieta in sembianza; urli di gioia intorno echeggiano: Cinta di sgherri donna s'avanza! Sinistra splende sui volti orribili la tetra fiamma che s'alza al ciel! Stride la vampa! Giunge la vittima nero vestita, discinta e scalza! Grido feroce di morte levasi; l'eco il ripete di balza in balza! Sinistra splende sui volti orribili la tetra fiamma che s'alza al ciel!

The flames clash! The wild mob runs to the fire delighted in semblance; joyful howls echo all around. Surrounded by pigs (in the sense of policemen) the woman moves forward! Sinister shines upon their horrible faces the bleak flame raising to the sky! The flames clash! Arrives the victim clad in black, unfastened and barefoot! Fierce screams of death are raised; the echo repeats it from crag to crag! Sinister shines upon their horrible faces the bleak flame raising to the sky!

Zingari: Mesta è la tua canzon!

Gypsies: Sad is your song!

Azucena: Del pari mesta che la storia funesta da cui tragge argomento!

Azucena: As sad as the terrible story from which pulls its plot!

Rivolge il capo dalla parte di Manrico e mormora sommessamente.

She turns towards Manrico and whispers softly.

Azucena: Mi vendica... Mi vendica!

Azucena: Revenge me... revenge me!

Manrico, fra sè: L'arcana parola ognor!

Manrico, to himself: Again the mysterious word!

Vecchio Zingaro: Compagni, avanza il giorno. A procacciarci un pan, su, su! Scendiamo per le propinque ville.

Old Gypsy: Comrades, the day advances. To procure our bread, come on, come on! let's descend the neighbouring village.

Uomini: Andiamo.

Men: Let's go.

Ripongono sollecitamente nel sacco i loro arnesi.

They promptly place the tools in their sacks.

Donne: Andiamo.

Women: Let's go.

Tutti scendono alla rinfusa giù per la china; tratto tratto e sempre a distanza odesi il loro canto.

They descend the slope in bulk ; Every now and then, and always at a distance, is heard their chanting.

Zingari: Chi del gitano i giorni abbella? La zingarella!

Gypsies: Who the days of the gypsy beautifies? The little gypsy girl!

Manrico: Soli or siamo; deh, narra questa storia funesta.

Manrico: We are alone; now, tell this terrible story.

Azucena: E tu la ignori, Tu pur! Ma, giovinetto, i passi tuoi d'ambizion lo sprone lungi traea! Dell'ava il fine acerbo e quest'istoria... La incolpò superbo
conte di malefizio, onde asseria colto un bambin suo figlio... Essa bruciata venne ov'arde quel foco!

Azucena: And you ignore it, you too! But, young boy, the passing of your ambition it spurs in length! Of the bitter end of your ancestor is this story... The proud count charged her with sorcery, which a child, his son, had seized... She was burnt where that fire now burns.

Manrico, rifuggendo con raccapriccio dalla fiamma: Ahi! Sciagurata!

Manrico, retreating with horror from the flame: Ay, poor miserable!



---> http://youtu.be/-ukN7uXuat8 <---

Azucena: Condotta ell'era in ceppi al suo destin tremendo! Col figlio sulle braccia, io la seguia piangendo. Infino ad essa un varco tentai, ma invano aprirmi...
Invan tentò la misera fermarsi e benedirmi! Ché, fra bestemmie oscene, pungendola coi ferri, al rogo la cacciavano gli scellerati sgherri! Allor, con tronco accento: Mi vendica! esclamò. Quel detto un'eco eterna in questo cor lasciò.

Azucena: Taken was she, in shackles, to her terrible fate! With son in arms I followed crying. To her, in vain, I tried to open myself passage... In vain tried the pitiful to stop and bless me! And, among obscene curses, pricking her with irons, to the pyre threw her the villanous pigs! Then, with broken words: Avenge me! she did exclaim. Such saying an eternal echo in this heart left.

Manrico: La vendicasti?

Manrico: Did you avenge her?

Azucena: Il figlio giunsi a rapir del Conte: Lo trascinai qui meco... Le fiamme ardean già pronte.

Azucena: For the son of the Count I reached: I brought him with me... The flames burnt now promptly.

Manrico: Le fiamme! oh ciel! Tu forse?

Manrico: The flames? Oh, heavens! You could?

Azucena: Ei distruggersi in pianto... Io mi sentiva il core dilaniato, infranto! Quand'ecco agli egri spirti, come in un sogno, apparve la vision ferale di spaventose larve! Gli sgherri ed il supplizio! La madre smorta in volto... Scalza, discinta! Il grido, il noto grido ascolto... Mi vendica! La mano convulsa tendo... stringo la vittima... nel foco la traggo, la sospingo... Cessa il fatal delirio... L'orrida scena fugge... La fiamma sol divampa, e la sua preda strugge! Pur volgo intorno il guardo e innanzi a me vegg'io dell'empio Conte il figlio...

Azucena: Distressed with tears, I felt my heart ripped to shreds, broken! While here of the suffering spirit, like in a dream, appeared with tragic vissage, a dreadful Lemur! (An obscure translation of Larva which I believe to be the right one in this case, being a manifestation of the vengeful and restless dead, which were also called masks, another reading for larva) The soldiers, the torment! The mother pale of face... Barefooted, unfastened! The scream, the well known call I hear... Avenge me! The feverish hand I tighten... I press the victim.... Into the fire I draw her, I push her... The irresistible frenzy stops... The horrid scene flees... The flames flare up, and their prey melts! I turn around my sigh and before me I see the cruel Count's son...

Manrico: Ah! come?

Manrico: Ah! How?

Azucena: Il figlio mio, Mio figlio avea bruciato!

Azucena: My son, I had burnt my son!

Manrico: Che dici! quale orror!

Manrico: What do you say! Such horror!

Azucena: Sul capo mio le chiome sento rizzarsi ancor!

Azucena: The hairs of my head I feel standing up still!

Azucena ricade, Manrico ammutolisce colpito d'orrore e di sorpresa. Momenti di silenzio.

Azucena relapses, Manrico is struck dumb with horror and surprise. A moment of silence.

Manrico: Non son tuo figlio? E chi son io, chi dunque?

Manrico: I am not your son? Who I am, who then?

Azucena: Tu sei mio figlio!

Azucena: You are my son!

Manrico: Eppur dicesti...

Manrico: But you said...

Azucena: Ah! Forse... Che vuoi! Quando al pensier s'affaccia il truce caso, lo spirto intenebrato pone stolte parole sul mio labbro... Madre, tenera madre non m'avesti ognora?

Azucena: Ah! Maybe... What do you want? When my thoughs face the cruel fate, the tenebrous spirit puts foolish worlds in my lips... Mother, tender mother haven't I always been?

Manrico: Potrei negarlo?

Manrico: Would I be able to deny it?

Azucena: A me, se vivi ancora, nol dei? Notturna, nei pugnati campi di Velilla, ove spento fama ti disse, a darti sepoltura non mossi? La fuggente aura vital non iscovrì, nel seno non t'arrestò materno affetto? E quante cure non spesi a risanar le tante ferite!

Azucena: To me, that you live now, don't owe? At night, in the battlefield of Velilla, where wasted your fame told you, to give you burial didn't I go? The fleeting breath of life didn't I discover, and motherly love didn't stop it in your breast? And how many cares didn't I spent to heal the many wounds!

Manrico: Che portai nel dì fatale... Ma tutte qui, nel petto! Io sol, fra mille già sbandati, al nemico volgendo ancor la faccia! Il rio De Luna me piombò col suo drappello; io caddi, però da forte io caddi!

Manrico: Those I had in that fatal day... But all here, in my chest! I alone, between thousands who fled, to the enemy faced! Cruel De Luna pounced on me with his platoon; I fell, but from strenght I fell!

Azucena: Ecco mercede ai giorni che l'infame nel singolar certame ebbe salvi da te! Qual t'acciecava strana pietà per esso?

Manrico: Here the payment for the day on which you forgave the vile in singular duel! Which odd mercy for him did blind you?

Manrico: Oh madre! Non saprei dirlo a me stesso!

Manrico: Oh, mother! I would not know what to say, even to myself!



---> http://youtu.be/4c4_8VbRkP8 <---

Manrico: Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto, ei già tocco il suolo avea: Balenava il colpo in alto che trafiggerlo dovea... Quando arresta un moto arcano, nel discender, questa mano... Le mie fibre acuto gelo fa repente abbrividir! Mentre un grido vien dal cielo, che mi dice: Non ferir!

Manrico: Badly bearing the harsh assault, he had already touch the ground: Flashed, raised, the strike that would pierce him... When a mysterious movement stops the descent of this hand... My every fibre to a sharp cold suddenly shivers! While a scream comes from heaven, telling me: Don't strike!

Azucena: Ma nell'alma dell'ingrato non parlò del cielo un detto! Oh! se ancor ti spinge il fato a pugnar col maledetto, compi, o figlio, qual d'un Dio, compi allora il cenno mio! Sino all'elsa questa lama vibra, immergi all'empio in cor.

Azucena: But in the ingrate's soul heaven didn't say a word! Oh! If now fate pushes to struggle with the accursed, carry on, o son, as that of a God, carry on my will! (It's actually sign instead of will, but that would make the translation read really akwardly) Until up to the hild this twisted blade you plunge into the impious' heart.

Manrico: Sì, lo giuro, questa lama scenderà dell'empio in cor.

Manrico: Yes, I swear, this blade will descend upon the heart of the wicked.

Odesi un prolungato suono di corno.

It is heard, at lenght, the sound of a horn.

Manrico: L'usato messo Ruiz invia! Forse...

Manrico: The worn messenger Ruiz sent! Maybe...

Azucena: Mi vendica!

Azucena: Avenge me!

Resta concentrata.

She remains, absorved.

Manrico, al Messo: Inoltra il piè. Guerresco evento, dimmi, seguìa?

Manrico, to the Messenger: Onward. What warlike events, tell me, followed you?

Messo: Risponda il foglio che reco a te.

Messenger: Will answer the sheet I bring to you.

Manrico: "In nostra possa è Castellor; ne dei tu, per cenno del prence, vigilar le difese. Ove ti è dato, affrettati a venir... Giunta la sera, tratta in inganno di tua morte al grido, nel vicin chiostro della croce il velo cingerà Leonora".

Manrico: "In our power is Castellor; And you must, by the Prince's sign, to watch the defense. When it is given to you, be quick to come... Arriving the night, about the deception of your death in scream, in the neighbouring cloister of the cross the veil will wear Leonora."

Con dolorosa esclamazione

With painful exclamation.

Manrico:Oh giusto cielo!

Manrico: Oh, just heaven!

Azucena, fra sè: Che fia!

Azucena, to herself: What goes?

Manrico, al Messo: Veloce scendi la balza, e d'un cavallo a me provvedi...

Manrico, to the messenger: Quick descend the crag, and of a horse provide me...

Messo: Corro...

Messenger: I ran...

Azucena: Manrico!

Azucena: Manrico!

Manrico: Il tempo incalza... Vola, m'aspetta del colle a' piedi.

Manrico: The time is imminent... Fly, wait for me at the foot of the hill.

Il Messo parte frettolosamente.

The messenger departs hastily.

Azucena: E speri, e vuoi?

Azucena: And what do you hope to do, and want?

Manrico, fra sè: Perderla? Oh ambascia! Perder quell'angelo?

Manrico, to himself: To lose her? Oh, anguish! To lose such angel?

Azucena, fra sè: È fuor di sé!

Azucena, to herself: He's out of himself! (i.e: He's out of his mind!)

Manrico, postosi l'elmo ed il mantello: Addio...

Manrico, putting the helm and the cloak: Farewell...

Azucena: No... ferma... odi...

Azucena: No... stop... hear...

Manrico: Mi lascia...

Manrico: Leave me...

Azucena: Ferma... Son io che parlo a te! Perigliarti ancor languente per cammin selvaggio ed ermo! Le ferite vuoi, demente, riaprir del petto infermo? No, soffrirlo non poss'io... Il tuo sangue è sangue mio! Ogni stilla che ne versi tu la spremi dal mio cor!

Azucena: Stop... It is me who speaks to you! To risk yourself now, languishing, through a journey brutal and solitary! The wound you want, madman, to reopen in the sick chest? No, to suffer such I can't... Your blood is my blood! Every drop that you spill you squeeze from my heart!

Manrico: Un momento può involarmi il mio ben, la mia speranza! No, che basti ad arrestarmi terra e ciel non han possanza... Ah! Mi sgombra, o madre, i passi... Guai per te s'io qui restassi! Tu vedresti ai piedi tuoi spento il figlio dal dolor!

Manrico: In a moment could vanish my wellbeing, my hope! No, enough to stop me earth and heaven have no power... Ah! Let me, o mother, pass... Woe to you if I here were to remain! You would see at your feet lifeless the son, of pain!

S'allontana, indarno trattenuto da Azucena.

He leaves, in vain Azucena's efforts to restrain him.



And thus, with Manrico being, once again, awesome and heroic, is that the first scene of the second act ends. Next time we meet the troubadour will rush to save his beloved from entering a convent and becoming a nun, only to find he's not the only one trying to do so. And the count gets some very nice moments, too.

The second scene is also much shorter than this one we just went through, so there will not be any epic delays this once. Again, I'm quite sorry for the delayed update. I'll try to split the really long or hard to translate scenes in the future into smaller and more manageable updates.

In any case, until the next time it is! Goodbye!






@ Lightbane

I hope you are enjoying it!

@ Kz3r0

Indeed it is. In particular when several of the poetic liberties are either anachronisms or expressions that make sense only in some languages or cultural contexts.

But I'm happy if you think I'm doing fine. d(^_^)b

 

[Kz3r0]

@ Kz3r0

Indeed it is. In particular when several of the poetic liberties are either anachronisms or expressions that make sense only in some languages or cultural contexts.

But I'm happy if you think I'm doing fine. d(^_^)b

Well, translating two foreign languages at once is an achievement in itself , and in many cases is not that there is a clear cut fitting translation.
There are professional works out there that managed to do much worse.


Some minor corrections:

Danno di piglio ai loro ferri del mestiere; al misurato tempestare dei martelli cadenti sulle incudini, or uomini, or donne, e tutti in un tempo infine intonano la cantilena seguente.

They resolutely hammer the iron of their craft; to the measured tempest of the hammers' cadence join, now men, now woman, and all in the end, singing the following cantinela.

Ferri del mestiere is tools of the trade.

Cinta di sgherri donna s'avanza! Surrounded by pigs[/color] (in the sense of policemen)

Interesting translation, but that would be sbirri, for sgherri goons or enforcers would be better.

stringo la vittima... nel foco la traggo, la sospingo...

I press the victim.... Into the fire I draw her, I push her...

In English you must use the gender of the victim, a male, instead of using the gender of the noun as is in Italian.

io caddi, però da forte io caddi!

I fell, but from strenght I fell!

Forte here means strong, brave, bold.

Manrico: L'usato messo Ruiz invia! Forse...

Manrico: The worn messenger Ruiz sent! Maybe...

Usato here stands for usual.




See ya soon non-feline person.