“Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi libretto (English)

Contents: Roles; Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four

ACT FOUR

Scene One

A hall in the King’s palace
(Left, a great door leading to the underground
judgement chamber. A passage, right, leads to
Radamès cell.)

AMNERIS
(sadly, standing before the door)
My hated rival has escaped.
Radamès awaits, from the hands
of the priests, the traitor’s punishment.
But he is not a traitor,
even if he revealed the secret plan.

He meant to flee – with her!
Traitors all! Death to them – death!
Oh, what am I saying? I love him,
I still love him, with a mad, a desperate
love, which is killing me.
Oh! if only he might love me!
I should like to save him. How? I shall try!
Guards, bring Radamès to me.
(Radamès enters escorted by guards.)
The priests even now are in counsel,
deciding you fate.
But you can still establish your innocence
in answer to the dread accusations.
Clear yourself, and I shall ask
pardon for you from the King.
In that way, I can bring
both pardon and life you.

RADAMÈS
The judges shall never hear me
try to defend myself.
Before the gods and man
I feel myself neither traitors no guilty.
My incautious words
revealed the secret, it is true.
But both my thought
and my honour remain unstained by guilt.

AMNERIS
Then defend yourself – save yourself.

RADAMÈS
No.

AMNERIS
You will die –

RADAMÈS
Life
is hateful to me. The source
of all joy is now dry,
every hope is gone.
I wish only to die.

AMNERIS
To die! Ah, you must live!
Yes, you shall live in my love.
For you, I have already felt
the horrible anguish of death.
I loved, I suffered,
I passed the nights in tears.
My country, my throne, my life –
I should give up all for you.

RADAMÈS
For her, I too betrayed
my country and my honour.

AMNERIS
Do not speak of her!

RADAMÈS
Infamy
is my lot – and you ask me to live?
You brought me to the depths of misery,
you took Aida from me.
Perhaps, because of you, she is dead –
and you offer me my life?

AMNERIS
Aida dead, because of me?
No, she is alive!

RADAMÈS
She is alive!

AMNERIS
In the desperate flight
of the fleeing hordes
only her father died.

RADAMÈS
And she?

AMNERIS
She disappeared,
nothing is known of her.

RADAMÈS
May the gods lead her
safely to her home.
May she never know the fate
of the one who will die for her!

AMNERIS
If I save you, swear to me
that you will never see her again.

RADAMÈS
I cannot!

AMNERIS
If you renounce her
forever, you will live!

RADAMÈS
I cannot!

AMNERIS
Once more –
renounce her.

RADAMÈS
It is in vain.

AMNERIS
Madman – you insist on dying?

RADAMÈS
I am ready to die!

AMNERIS
Who will save you, wretch,
from the fate which awaits you?
You have changed into hatred
a love which had no equal.
Only heaven
can now avenge my tears, etc.

RADAMÈS
Death is the greatest good,
if I may die for her;
In going to meet my fate
my heart will know great joy;
I have no fear of mortal wrath,
your pity is the only thing I fear, etc.

AMNERIS
Ah, who will save him?...
Only heaven, etc.

(Radamès goes out, surrounded by guards.)

AMNERIS (she falls desolately into a chair)
Alas! I shall die!
Oh, who will save him?
And it was I who cast him
into their hands! Now I curse
my jealously, which brought his death
and eternal mourning in my heart!
(She turns and sees the priests, who are going down
into Radamès’s underground prison.)
Ah, there they are –
the pitiless ministers of death!
Oh, may I not see them, these white-robed ghouls!
(She covers her face with her hands.)
And it was I who cast him
into their hands! etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS (in the vault)
Spirit of the gods, descend upon us!
Let thy eternal ray enlighten us;
let our lips pronounce thy justice.

AMNERIS
O gods, take pity on my anguished heart!
He is innocent – save him, O gods!
My grief is desperate, overwhelming!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Spirit of the gods, etc.

AMNERIS
Oh, who will save him? I shall die!

(Radamès, surrounded by guards is led into the vault.
Amneris, seeing him, cries out.)

RAMFIS (in the vault)
Radamès! Radamès! Radamès!
You revealed
your country’s secrets to the enemy!
Defend yourself.

PRIESTS
Defend yourself.

RAMFIS
He is silent.

ALL
Traitor!

AMNERIS
Ah, pity! He is innocent! Pity! O gods!

RAMFIS
Radamès! Radamès! Radamès!
You deserted
your command on the eve of battle.
Defend yourself.

PRIESTS
Defend yourself.

RAMFIS
He is silent.

ALL
Traitor!

AMNERIS
Ah, pity! Ah, save him! Pity, O gods!

RAMFIS
Radamès! Radamès! Radamès!
You betrayed
your country, your King, your honour.
Defend yourself.

PRIESTS
Defend yourself.

RAMFIS
He is silent.

ALL
Traitor!

AMNERIS
Ah, pity! Ah, save him! Pity, O gods!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Radamès, your fate is decided;
you shall die a traitor’s death.
Beneath the altar of the offended god,
you, living, shall be entombed.

AMNERIS
Entombed alive! Oh, the villains!
their thirst for blood is never appeased –
yet they call themselves heaven’s ministers!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Traitor!

AMNERIS
(assailing the priests as they come up from the vault)
Priests – you have committed a crime!
Infamous, bloodthirsty beasts –
you outrage the gods and man,
punishing the innocent!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
He is a traitor! He shall die.

AMNERIS (to Ramfis)
Priest, this man whom you send to death,
you know well, I once loved.
The curse of a broken heart,
together with his blood, will fall upon you!
You outrage the gods, etc.
Ah, he is no traitor...have mercy, etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
He is a traitor! He shall die.
(They go out slowly.)

AMNERIS
Impious brood! My curse upon you!
Heaven’s vengeance will strike you!

Scene Two

Interior of the Temple of Vulcan and Ramadès’s tomb
(The scene is divided into two levels. The upper part
represents the interior of the Temple of Vulcan,
resplendent with gold and light; the lower lever, a
vault. Long rows of arches disappear into the darkness.
Colossal statues of Osiris, with crossed hands, hold up
the pilasters of the vault. Radamès is seated on the
steps by which he has descended into the vault. Above,
two priests are carefully replacing the stone which
seals the vault.)

RADAMÈS
The fatal stone has closed above me.
This is my tomb. Never again shall I see
the light of day, nor see Aida.
Aida – where are you? May you at least
live happily, never knowing
My horrid fate. A sigh? A ghost,
a vision – no, this is a human form!
Heaven – Aida!

AIDA
Yes, I.

RADAMÈS
You, in this tomb!

AIDA
In my heart, I sensed your fate.
Secretly I came into this tomb
opened to receive you.
And here, far from every human eye,
I have chosen to die with you!

RADAMÈS
To die – so pure, so lovely!
To die, for love of me!
In the flowering of your youth,
to give up your life!
Heaven created you for love,
yet I in loving you have killed you!
No, you shall not die!
I have loved you too much,
you are too lovely to die!

AIDA (in a delirium)
See? The angel of death,
with shining wings, comes near,
to bear us to eternal joys
upon his golden wings.
Above us heaven is opening.
There, every sorrow ends,
and there joy begins,
the joy of immortal love.
(From above are heard the hymns of the priests and
priestesses invoking the gods.)

PRIESTS and
PRIESTESSES
Great Phtha, life-giving
spirit of the world, ah!
We invoke thee!

AIDA
How sad a song!

RADAMÈS
The joy of the priests!

AIDA
Our funeral hymn.

RADAMÈS
(trying to move the stone which closes the vault)
Nor does my strength suffice
to move thee, O fatal stone!

AIDA
It is useless! On earth,
all is finished for us.

RADAMÈS (with sad resignation)
It is true!
(He comes back to Aida, to sustain her.)

AIDA
O Earth, farewell – farewell, vale of tears,
dream of joy which vanished into sorrow.
Heaven opens to us, our wandering souls
fly fast towards the light of eternal day, etc.

AIDA and
RADAMÈS
O Earth, farewell, etc.
Ah! Heaven opens for us, etc.

PRIESTS and PRIESTESSES
Mighty Phtha, etc.
(Aida sinks into the arms of Radamès. Amneris enters<
the Temple, dressed in mourning, and prostrates herself
on the stone which seals the vault.)

AIDA and
RADAMÈS
...O Earth, farewell, etc.
Heaven opens to us!

AMNERIS
I pray for thy peace...beloved, lifeless body;
May Isis, placated, receive you into Heaven!

PRIESTS and PRIESTESSES
Mighty Phtha!

AMNERIS
Peace, I implore of you! Peace, peace, peace!

END

libretto by Dale McAdoo

Contents: Roles; Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four