(from Cilea's "L'Arlesiana")
[Federico loves a girl of ill repute, so his family arranges a marriage with a childhood sweetheart. The heart-broken lad compares his sad adventure to the well known tale of a shepherd boy. He knows he will never foreget his one true love.]
E la solita storia del pastore...
Il povero ragazzo voleva raccontarla
e s'addormi.
C'e nel sonno l'oblio.
Come l'invidio!
Anch'io vorrei dormir cosi,
nel sonno almen l'oblio trovar!
La pace sol cercando io vo'.
Vorrei poter tutto scordar!
Ma ogni sforzo e vano.
Davanti ho sempre
di lei il dolce sembiante.
La pace tolta E solo a me.
Perche degg'io tanto penar?
Lei! sempre lei mi parla ancor!
Fatale vision, mi lascia!
Mi fai tanto male,
Ahime!
[Translation:]
It's That Familiar Tale
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It's that familiar tale you've heard of the shepherd...
That penniless young man, attempting to retell it,
fell sound asleep.
In such slumber there's oblivion.
How I've envied him!
Like him, I would sleep all of my days-
at least if I slept, I might forget!
I seek only peace, it's all I need!
Forget it all, never recall!
Yet all is futile effort,
before me will always be
that sweet face of hers, alas!
My peace and my quiet, forever gone!
Why must I suffer so, oh why?
She, always she, speaks again to me!
Vision so fatal, please vanish!
How you have harmed me!
Alas!
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