nessun dorma
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 nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
che ti fa mia!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà!…
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
vincerò, vincerò!
Opera has it all; sex, mindless violence, terrible jumps in logic and plot no one seems to care about. Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best known tenor arias in all opera. Loosely translated as "None Shall Sleep," it is sung by Il principe ignoto, The Unknown Prince, who falls in love at first sight with the charming but spoiled Princess Turandot. The entire opera revolves around the idea that anyone who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles and if they fail they will be beheaded. Why anyone would wish to do this is beyond me but that is opera-logic for you.
Even if you know nothing about opera, you have probably seen Luciano Pavarotti sing this tune, it is one of his signature pieces.
Shelby showed me this 1998 video of Aretha Franklin stealing the Grammy Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Apparently she …
… stepped in at the last instant for ailing opera star Luciano Pavarotti … and blowing everybody away with Nessun dorma, the hero's big aria from Puccini's Turandot … Franklin sang the Unknown Prince's signature number in Pavarotti's key (three steps lower than her own) with a 72-piece orchestra after a mere eight minutes [!] of preparation backstage.
When I was done listening to it all I could think was "Bless the Queen of Soul!" I love this!
None shall sleep!…
None shall sleep!
Even you, my Princess,
in your chill room,
watching the stars
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
no one shall know my name …
No! … No! …
But on your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!…
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, O night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win!
I will win! I will win!