Okay, so I’ve been tagged several times in this “favorite opera lines” thing going around, and even though I’ve already done 5 of my favorites, I will go ahead and do more because why not?
So in no particular order:
...Can I just do all of Tatyana’s letter scene? please? okay.
Schchastye bilo tak vozmozhno,
Tak blizko! Tak blizko!
Happiness was once possible,
so close! So close!
-Eugene Onegin, Act III
Už je večer,
smím odbednit okeničky.
Všude tma, všude tma,
jenom měsíček bědným
lidem září a plničko,
plničko, hvězd..
Night falls;
now I can open the blinds.
Everything is dark, everything is dark,
and the poor have only the moon
and a whole legion of stars...
-Jenufa, Act II
Selig sind die Liebenden.
Die der Liebe sind,
sind nicht des Todes.
Und auferstehen werden
die dahingesunken
sind um Liebe.
Blessed are those who love.
Those who love
are not of the dead.
And those who died
for love
shall rise again.
-Das Wunder der Heliane, Act I
Le malheur, ma fille, n'est pas d'être méprisée,
mais seulement de se mépriser soi-même.
The misfortune, my daughter, is not to be held in contempt,
but only to have contempt for yourself.
-Dialogues des Carmélites, Act III
Prends cette île
qu'il est toujours en mon pouvoir
de te donner!
Un flot azuré bat ses grèves,
elle est belle, plaisante,
et c'est l'île des rêves!
Take this island
which is still in my power
to give you!
An azure wave beats at its shores;
it is beautiful, pleasant,
and it is the island of dreams!
-Don Quichotte, Act V
C'est Thaïs, l'idole fragile qui vient
pour la dernière fois s'asseoir à la table fleurie.
Demain, je ne serai pour toi plus rien qu'un nom.
This is Thaïs, the fragile idol who comes for the last time to sit at your flowered table. Tomorrow, I will be nothing more to you than a name.
-Thaïs, Act I
Ist das noch der Diwan, - auf dem sich -
dein Vater - verblutet hat? -
Is this still the sofa- on which-
your father- bled to death?
-Lulu, Act II
L'error che v'imputai...
Io... stessa... avea commesso.
The crime of which I accused you...
I...I myself...committed with him.
-Don Carlo, Act IV
“Rivolto allor Gesù al popolo assembrato
mostrò l'adultera ch'era a suoi piedi e così disse...
‘Quegli di voi che non peccò,
la prima pietra scagli.’
E la donna... la donna
perdonata s'alzò.”
Perdonata... perdonata... perdonata!
Iddio lo pronunziò.
“Then Jesus turned to the assembled people,
indicating the adulteress who was at his feet, and spoke thus:
‘Those of you who have not sinned,
throw the first stone.’
And the woman...the woman,
forgiven, arose.”
Forgiven...forgiven...she is forgiven!
God has spoken it.
-Stiffelio, Act III
Écoutez! Ces martyrs de la foi sont en prière là...et du Seigneur ils chantent les louanges...
en attendant la mort!
Vous, dans ce triste lieu,
répondez comme si vous étiez devant Dieu!
Listen! These martyrs of the faith are praying there...and they sing the praises of the Lord...while awaiting death!
You, in this place of grief,
answer as if you were before God!
-Les Huguenots, Act V
È se accusarmi il mondo vuol
pur di qualche errore,
m'accusi di pietà,
non di rigore.
And if the world wants to accuse me
of some error,
let it accuse me of mercy,
not cruelty.
-La clemenza di Tito, Act II
Ein Traum hat mir den Traum Zerstört,
Ein Traum der bittren Wirklichkeit
Den Traum der Phantasie.
Die Toten schicken solche Träume,
Wenn wir zu viel mit
Und in ihnen leben.
Wie weit darf sie es,
Ohn' uns zu entwurzeln?
A dream has dashed my dream to earth,
a dream of crude reality has killed
the dream of fantasy.
The dead send us such dreams
when we spend too much life
with and in them.
How far can we go in grief
before disaster?
-Die tote Stadt, Act III
Che un dì rinasca, io spero,
dell'aurea età l'albore;
che degli umani in core
regni fraterno amor.
I hope that one day the dawn
of the Golden Age is reborn;
that brotherly love reigns
in the heart of humanity.
-Il viaggio a Reims, Act I
Gibt es einen, der nicht trivial ist?
Is there an ending that isn’t trivial?
-Capriccio, Final Scene
Tutto nel mondo è burla.
L'uom è nato burlone,
La fede in cor gli ciurla,
Gli ciurla la ragione.
Tutti gabbati! Irride
L'un l'altro ogni mortal.
Ma ride ben chi ride
La risata final.
Everything in the world is a joke.
Man is born a joker,
In his mind, his reason is
always wavering.
Everyone is fooled! Every
mortal taunts each other.
But he laughs well who
has the last laugh.
-Falstaff, Act III
Les métaux, ces fleurs souterraines
Aux impérissables couleurs,
Ne brillent qu'au front des reines,
Des rois, des papes, des grands-ducs,
et des empereurs.
Honneur aux maîtres ciseleurs!
Tra la la la,
Honneur aux maîtres ciseleurs!
Metals, those underground flowers
with never-fading colors,
only shine on the brows of queens,
of kings, of popes, of grand dukes,
and of emperors.
Honor to the master metalworkers!
Tra la la la...
Honor to the master metalworkers!
-Benvenuto Cellini, multiple appearances throughout the opera
Leicht kann des Frommen Herz auch wanken
Und überschreiten Recht und Pflicht,
Wenn Lieb' und Furcht der Tugend Schranken,
Verzweiflung alle Dämme bricht.
Ist's recht, auf einer Kugel Lauf
Zwei edler Herzen Glück zu setzen?
Und unterliegen sie den Netzen,
Womit sie Leidenschaft umflicht,
Wer höb' den ersten Stein wohl auf?
Wer griff' in seinen Busen nicht?
Even the pious heart can easily swerve
And step away from right and duty,
When love and fear of rightousness' limits
Despair breaks all bounds.
Is it right that two noble hearts' happiness depends on the course of one bullet?
And if they are defeated by the nets
in which passion entwines them,
Who is to raise the first stone?
Who does not look into his own heart?
-Der Freischütz, Act III
Adieu donc, vains objets qui nous charment sur terre !
Salut, premiers rayons de l'immortalité !
L'infini m'appelle et m'éclaire ;
Je meurs pour la justice et pour la liberté.
So farewell, useless things which charm us on earth!
Greetings, first light of immortality!
The infinite calls me and enlightens me;
I die for justice and for liberty.
-Hérodiade, Act IV
Liberté, redescends des cieux,
Et que ton règne recommence!
Liberty, come down again from the skies,
and may your reign begin anew!
-Guillaume Tell, Act IV
Écoute bien:
Là-bas au fond du cimetière,
il est deux grands tilleuls! c'est là que pour
toujours je voudrais reposer!...
Si cela
m'était refusé... si la terre
chrétienne est interdite au corps
d'un malheureux,
près du chemin
ou dans le vallon solitaire
allez placer ma tombe!
En détournant les yeux
le prêtre passera...
Mais, à la dérobée,
quelque femme viendra visiter le banni...
et d'une douce larme, en son ombre tombée
le mort, le pauvre mort... se sentira béni...
Listen well!
Down there, at the back of the cemetery,
there are two great linden trees! It is there I wish to rest forever!...
If this is refused me...
if Christian ground is forbidden to the corpse
of a wretched man,
go place my grave
near the road
or in the lonely valley!
While turning his eyes away
the pastor will pass by...
but if, in secret,
some woman will come visit the banished man...
and with a gentle tear having fallen on his spirit...
the dead man, the poor dead man...will feel blessed...
-Werther, Act IV
Tu vois bien que je parle la sienne
quand je l'embrasse ainsi...
You well see that I speak the same [language as her]
when I embrace her like this...
-Ariane et Barbe-bleue, Act II
Pourquoi, les maîtres?
Parce qu'ils t'on fait naître, se croient-ils le droit
d'emprisonner ta jeunesse adorable?
Why are they the masters?
Because they gave birth to you, they believe they have the right
to lock away your adorable youth?
-Louise, Act II
