“Il trittico (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi)” by Giacomo Puccini libretto (English)

Contents: The Cloak; Sister Angelica; Gianni Schicchi

Sister Angelica

Characters

Sister Angelica — soprano
The Princess, her aunt — contralto
The Abbess — mezzo-soprano
The Sister Monitor — mezzo-soprano
The Mistress of the novices — mezzo-soprano
Sister Genevieve — soprano
Sister Osmina — soprano
Sister Dolcina — soprano
The nursing sister (sick nurse sister) — mezzo-soprano
The alms sisters — sopranos
A novice — soprano
The lay sisters — soprano and mezzo-soprano
Offstage chorus of women, children, and men

The action takes place in a convent in the latter part of the Seventeenth Century.

At the back, beyond the right-hand arches, is
the cemetery; beyond the left-hand arches is
the garden. In the centre are cypresses, a
cross, herbs and flowers. At the back, on the
left, between yellow water-iris plants is a
fountain, whose spray falls into an earthenware basin.
A sunset in springtime. A ray of sunlight
falls on the spray from the fountain. The stage
is empty. The sisters are in the chapel, singing.

CHORUS (offstage)
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
(Two lay sisters are late. They cross the scene,
pause for a moment to listen to the bird-song
from the cypresses, then they go into the chapel.)

Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
(Sister Angelica is also late. She enters from
the right and goes towards the chapel. She
opens the door and does the penance for
latecomers, which the lay sisters omitted to do:
she kneels down and kisses the ground, then
closes the door behind her.)

Holy Mary, pray for us sinners.

SISTER ANGELICA (offstage)
Pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.

CHORUS
Pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

(The sisters come out of the chapel two by two.
The abbess stops in front of the cross
and the nuns bow to her as they pass.
The abbess blesses them and, when all the sisters
have gone past, she withdraws.
The nuns do not disperse yet, but stay together,
making a semi-circle of little groups.
The sister monitor comes into the middle.)

SISTER MONITOR
(to the two lay sisters)
Sisters in humility, you failed to keep quindene;
as did Sister Angelica; she, however, did full penance.
You sisters, on the other hand, sinned
unthinkingly,
and you have lost one day of quindene!

ONE LAY SISTER
I admit the fault and call for a heavy punishment,
and the stricter it is, the more I shall thank you,
sister in humility.
(She waits to hear her penance.)

MISTRESS OF THE NOVICES
(explaining to the novices)
Whoever arrives late for choir
must kneel and kiss the ground.

SISTER MONITOR
(to the lay sisters)
You will say to yourselves twenty times the
prayer for the afflicted, for slaves
and for those who are in mortal sin.

ONE LAY SISTER
With Joy and zeal!

BOTH LAY SISTERS
Christ the Lord,
Loving Bridegroom,
I wish only to please you,
Loving Bridegroom,
now and at the hour of my death.
Amen.
(They go off, contrite, under the right-hand arches.)

SISTER MONITOR
(to Sister Lucilla, handing her spinning materials)
Sister Lucilla, to work.
Be on your way, and keep silent.
(Sister Lucilla goes off to spin thread.)

MISTRESS OF THE NOVICES
(to the two novices)
Because this evening at choir
she laughed and made others laugh.

SISTER MONITOR
(to Sister Osmina)
You, Sister Osmina, you kept
two scarlet roses hidden in your sleeves in
chapel.

SISTER OSMINA
That’s not true!

SISTER MONITOR
Sister, go to your cell.
(Sister Osmina shrugs her shoulders.)
Don’t be slow! The Virgin is watching you!
(Sister Osmina leaves; all eyes are upon her,
and follow her as she goes under the arches
and disappears into her cell.)

SIX SISTERS
Queen of Virgins, pray for her.
(Sister Osmina slams her cell door shut.)

SISTER MONITOR
And now, sisters In joy,
since It please the Lord,
and to be able to return more joyfully
to labour for the love of him,
have some recreation!

THE SISTERS
Amen!
(The sisters’ white figures scatter around the
cloister and beyond the arches. Sister Angelica
hoes the earth and waters the herbs and flowers.)

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
Oh sisters, sisters, I want to tell you
that a ray of sunlight has come within the convent walls!
Look where it is falling, there among the greenery!
The sunlight is on the water-irises!
The three evenings of the golden fountain are beginning!

THE SISTERS
That’s right: shortly we’ll see the water turn gold.

ONE SISTER
And for two more evenings.

THE SISTERS
It’s May! It’s May!
It’s the lovely smile of Our Lady
coming on that sunbeam.
Queen of mercy, thank you, thank you.

A NOVICE
Mother, I ask permission to speak.

MISTRESS OF THE NOVICES
To praise the holy and beautiful always.

THE NOVICE
What is the special grace of the Virgin that
is delighting the sisters?

MISTRESS OF THE NOVICES
A radiant sign of God’s goodness!
For only three evenings in the year
when we leave choir,
God lets us see the sun
falling on the fountain and turning it gold.

THE NOVICE
And on the other evenings?

MISTRESS OF THE NOVICES
Either we leave too early and the sun is still high
or too late, and the sun has set.

THE SISTERS
Another year has passed!
Another year has gone by!
And one sister is missing.
(A sad silence falls on the cloister; the sisters
are absorbed in silent prayer, and seem to
evoke an image of the sister who is no longer
there.)

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
Oh sisters in holy works,
when the spray is gleaming,
when the spray has turned gold,
wouldn’t it be good to take
a pail of golden water
to Bianca Rosa’s grave?

THE SISTERS
Yes, our sister who is resting
would surely wish it.

SISTER ANGELICA
Desires are the flowers of the living,
they do not blossom in the land of the dead,
because the Virgin Mother gives her help
and in her benevolence
freely anticipates desire:
before a desire can blossom
the Mother of Mothers has granted it.
Oh sister, death is life more beautiful!

SISTER MONITOR
Not even when we are alive can we have
desires.

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
If they are slight and pure, why not?
Do you not have a desire?

SISTER MONITOR
Not I!

ONE SISTER
Nor I!

ANOTHER SISTER
Not I!

A NOVICE
Not I!

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
I do, I confess it.
(looking up)
My gentle Lord,
you know that before,
in the world, I was a shepherdess.
For five years I haven’t seen a little lamb;
Lord, will it displease you
if I say that I desire
to see one little lamb,
to be able to stroke it,
to touch its damp nose

and hear it bleat?
if it is a sin, I offer you
my Miserere mei.
Forgive me, Lord,
You who are the Lamb of God.

SISTER DOLCINA
I have a desire too!

THE SISTERS
Sister, we know what your desires are!
Something nice to eat!
Some tasty fruit!
Greed is a serious sin!
She’s greedy! She’s greedy!
(Sister Dolcina looks upset and chastened.)

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
(together with some other sisters, approaching
Sister Angelica)
Sister Angelica, what about you? Do you have desires?

SISTER ANGELICA
(turning towards the group)
Me? No, sister, no.
(Sister Angelica turns back to her flowers. The
sisters group together on the opposite side
and mutter.)

THE SISTERS
May Jesus forgive her, she has told a lie!
She has told a lie!

A NOVICE
Why?

THE SISTERS
We know that she has a great desire!
She would like some word of her family.
She has been in the convent more than
seven years,
with no news.
And she appears resigned, but she is so
troubled.
(moving further away from Sister Angelica)
In the world she was very rich; the abbess said so.
She was a lady! A lady!
A lady! A princess!
They wanted her to enter, seemingly as a punishment.
Why? Why?
Who knows? Well? Well?
(The group breaks up.)

INFIRMARY SISTER
(running up)
Sister Angelica, listen!

SISTER ANGELICA
Oh, Infirmary sister, what has happened?
Tell me!

INFIRMARY SISTER
Out In the garden there, Sister Chiara
was pruning the roses on the trellis;
suddenly a swarm of wasps came out
and stung her right on her face!
Now she’s in her cell, moaning.
Oh sister, soothe her pain.

THE SISTERS
Poor thing! Poor thing!

SISTER ANGELICA
Wait, I have a herb and a flower.
(She searches quickly among the herbs and flowers.)

INFIRMARY SISTER
Sister Angelica always has a good recipe
made from flowers;
she always finds some blessed herb
to soothe pain.

SISTER ANGELICA
(to the infirmary sister, handing her a herb)
Here, this is spurge;
bathe the inflammation
with the milk from it;
(giving her another herb)
and make a potion with this.
Tell Sister Chiara that it will be very bitter,
but it will do her good.
And tell her, too, that wasp stings
are small discomforts,
and not to complain,
because complaining increases the distress.

INFIRMARY SISTER
I shall tell her.
Thank you, sister, thank you.

SISTER ANGELICA
I am here to serve.
(Two almoner sisters enter from the left,
leading a little donkey laden with goods.)

ALMONER SISTERS
Mary be praised!

THE SISTERS
For ever!
(The sisters surround the donkey, while the
almoner sisters unload the goods and pass
them to the sister cellarer.)

ALMONER SISTERS
A good collection this evening, sister cellarer!

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
A skin of oil.

SISTER DOLCINA
Oh! Good!

SECOND ALMONER SISTER
Hazelnuts, six strings.

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
A little basket of walnuts.

SISTER DOLCINA
Good with salt and bread!

SISTER MONITOR (reproving her)
Sister!

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
Here’s flour!
And here’s a small cheese, still seeping milk,
as good as a cake;
and a bag of lentils,
some eggs, butter and that’s all.

THE SISTERS
A good collection this evening, sister cellarer!

(The second almoner sister leads the donkey away.)

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
(to Sister Dolcina)
For you, sister glutton...

SISTER DOLCINA
A little bunch of currants!
Will you take some, sisters!

THE SISTERS
Thank you! Thank you!

ONE SISTER
Oh, if I take a berry, it will torture her!

SISTER DOLCINA
No, take some!

THE SISTERS
Thank you! Thank you!
(They group together on the right eating the
currants amid gentle laughter.)

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
Who came into the visiting room this evening?

THE SISTERS
No one. No one. Why?

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
A splendid carriage has stopped outside the
main gate.

SISTER ANGELICA
(turning to the almoner sister, suddenly
gripped by anxiety)
What did you say, sister?
There’s a carriage outside?
A grand one? Grand? Grand?

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
A noble family’s.
It must be waiting for someone who has
come into
the convent, and perhaps in a moment
the bell of the visiting room will ring.

SISTER ANGELICA
Oh, tell me sister, what was the carriage like?
Did it have a coat of arms? An ivory crest?
And inside was it covered in deep blue silk
embroidered with silver?

FIRST ALMONER SISTER
I don’t know, sister, I don’t know;
I only saw a carriage, it was lovely!

THE SISTERS
(looking at Sister Angelica with curiosity)
She’s turned white.
Now she’s quite crimson!
Poor thing! She’s upset!
She’s upset! Poor thing!
She’s hoping that they’re from her family!
(A bell rings. The sisters come running up from
all sides.)
Someone’s coming to the visiting room!
A visitor is coming!
For whom? For whom? For whom?
For whom can it be?

ONE SISTER
If only it were for me!
If only it were my cousin
bringing good lavender seed.

ANOTHER SISTER
For me! If only it were my mother
bringing us the white doves.
(Sister Genovieffa comes up to the group,
pointing out Sister Angelica with pity.)

SISTER ANGELICA
(looking up to heaven)
Oh Mother elect, read what is in my heart.
Smile to the Saviour for me.

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
(to Sister Angelica)
Oh sister in love,
we pray to the Star of Stars
that this visitor will be for you.

SISTER ANGELICA
Good sister, thank you, thank you.
(The abbess enters.)

THE ABBESS
Sister Angelical
(The abbess makes a sign to the sisters to
leave; as they go, they see that the fountain
has turned gold, and, taking a little pail of
water, they go off towards the cemetery and disappear.)

SISTER ANGELICA
Mother, Mother, speakl Who is it? Who is it?
Mother, speak I have been waiting for seven years,
waiting for a word, for a letter.
I have offered everything up to the Virgin in
total expiation.

THE ABBESS
Offer up your present anguish to her as well.
(Sister Angelica, drained, drops slowly to her
knees and calms herself.)

THE SISTERS (from the cemetery)
Lord, grant her eternal rest,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Amen. Amen.

SISTER ANGELICA
Mother, I am calm and humble.

THE ABBESS
Your aunt, the Princess, has come to see you.

SISTER ANGELICA
Ah!

THE ABBESS
Obedience and necessity inform what is said
in the visiting room.
Every word is heard by the Holy Virgin.

SISTER ANGELICA
Let the Virgin hear me. Amen.
(The abbess walks towards the visiting room
door. Sister Angelica gets up and goes to the
archway of the visiting room. Sister porter
opens the door then waits at the side. We are
now in the visiting room. A dark and severe
figure passes in front of the abbess and sister
porter. She carries herself with natural
aristocratic dignity: it is the princess. She
enters, walking slowly and leaning on an
ebony stick. She comes to a halt and glances

coldly at her niece, betraying no emotion.
Seeing her aunt, Sister Angelica is gripped by
emotion, but she restrains herself, since the
figures of the abbess and sister porter can still
be made out in the shadows. The doors close
behind the two nuns. Sister Angelica,
emotional and nearly fainting, goes up to her
aunt, but the princess holds out her left hand,
indicating that she will only allow her hand to
be kissed. Sister Angelica takes the hand to
her lips and then falls to her knees as her
aunt sits down. Sister Angelica never takes her
eyes off the old woman's face: she gazes at
her pleadingly and pitifully. Her aunt, on the
other hand, looks deliberately straight ahead.)

THE PRINCESS
Prince Gualtiero, your father,
Princess Clara, your mother,
when they approached death twenty years ago,
(She breaks off to cross herself.)
they entrusted their children to me with the
entire family estate.

I was to divide it when I decided it was
convenient,
and in total fairness.
This is what I have done.
Here is the document. You may peruse it,
discuss it, sign it.

SISTER ANGELICA
I stand before you after seven years.
Let this holy place inspire you.
It is a place of mercy, a place of pity.

THE PRINCESS
Of penance.
I have to inform you of the reason
why I have come to this division.
Your sister Anna Viola is to be married.

SISTER ANGELICA
Married! Little Anna Viola married?
My little sister?
Oh, oh, it’s seven years!
Seven years have passed! Oh, oh!
Oh my little blonde sister, about to marry,
oh my little sister, may you be happy!
And whose ring will she wear?

THE PRINCESS
Someone who for love has pardoned the sin
with which you stained our white crest.

SISTER ANGELICA
My mother’s sister, you are unrelenting!

THE PRINCESS
What are you saying? And what can you be thinking?
Unrelenting! Unrelenting!
Do you invoke your mother against me?
Against me!
Do you invoke your mother against me?
Often, in the evening, there in our chapel,
I reflect.
In the silence of those reflections
it seems that my spirit leaves me
to meet with your mother’s
in mysterious, supernatural dialogue.
How distressing it is, how distressing it is
to hear the dead lamenting and weeping!
When the mystical ecstasy disappears
I retain one single word for you:
Atone! Atone!
Offer my Justice up to the Virgin.

SISTER ANGELICA
I have offered everything up to the Virgin, yes everything.

But there is one sacrifice I cannot make;
to the gentle Mother of Mothers
I cannot offer to forget my son!
My son! My son, my son!
My son!
The baby that was taken away from me!
My son,
whom I have seen and kissed only once!
My baby! My baby far away!
This is the word that I have called out for seven years!
Tell me about him!
How is he, how is my son?
What is his sweet face like?
What are his eyes like?
Tell me about him, about my son!
Tell me about him!
(The princess is silent.)
Why are you silent?
Why, why?
Another moment of this silence
and you will be damned for eternity!
The Virgin is listening to us and She will
Judge you!

THE PRINCESS
Two years ago he was struck by a cruel disease.
Everything was done to save him.

SISTER ANGELICA
He’s dead?
Everything was done to save him.
Ah!
(Sister Angelica suddenly falls to the ground.
Her aunt gets up to help her, thinking she has
fainted, but, noticing Angelica's sobbing, she
stops herself. She turns towards a holy picture
on the wall and with both hands leaning on
the stick, bows her head and prays in silence.
There is now the half-light of evening in the
visiting room. Sister porter comes in carrying
an oil-lamp which she puts down on the table.
The princess turns and speaks softly to sister
porter. The sister leaves, then returns with the
abbess. She brings in a small table, a pen and
ink. Hearing the two sisters come in, Sister
Angelica turns round, understands and in
silence drags herself to the table and signs
the document. The two sisters leave. The
princess takes the paper and goes towards
her niece, but Sister Angelica draws back. The
princess then goes to the door and taps with
her stick. Sister porter opens the door, enters,
and taking the lamp, walks out ahead of the
princess who follows her. At the threshold she
turns to glance at her niece, then she leaves
and disappears. Sister porter closes the door.
Evening has fallen; in the cemetery the sisters
are lighting candles at the graves.)

Without your mother, my baby, you died.
Your lips, without my kisses,
faded and grew cold, cold,
oh my baby, and you closed your lovely eyes.
Not able to cuddle me,
you crossed your little hands on your chest.
And you died without knowing
how much your mother here loved you.
Now that you are an angel in heaven,
now you can see your mother.
You can come down through the firmament
and I can feel you hovering round me.
You’re here, you’re here, you kiss and caress me.
Oh, tell me, when shall l see you in heaven?
When shall I kiss you?
Oh, sweet end to all my sadness!
When shall I ascend into heaven to you?
When may I die?
When may I die, may I die?
Tell your mother, lovely baby,
with a tiny twinkling of a star.
Speak to me, speak to me, my love, my love, my love!
(The sisters, coming from the cemetery,
approach Sister Angelica and surround her.)

SISTER GENOVIEFFA
Sister, oh good sister,
the Virgin has answered your prayer.

THE SISTERS
You must be happy, sister,
the Virgin has given her grace.

SISTER ANGELICA
Grace has come down from heaven,
already I am utterly on fire with it,
it is glowing, glowing.
Sisters, now I can see the goal.

THE SISTERS
Amen.

SISTER ANGELICA
Sisters, I am happy, I am happy!
Let us sing!
Now there is singing in heaven.
Let us praise the Holy Virgin!

THE SISTERS
Let us sing! Now there is singing in heaven.
Amen.
(The signal of the clappers is heard in the
background. The sisters go off to their cells;
each opens the door of her cell, goes in and
closes the door behind her.)
Let us praise the Holy Virgin!
Let us praise the Holy Virgin!

SISTER ANGELICA
Ah, let us praise her!

THE SISTERS
Amen.

SISTER ANGELICA (from her ceil)
Grace has come down from heaven.
(Night has fallen. Above the chapel the stars
have come out, and moonlight is falling on the
cypresses. Sister Angelica comes from her cell,
holding an earthenware bowl. Putting it down,
she collects some stones and builds a little
stove with them. She gathers twigs and
branches, bundles them together and puts
them in between the stones. She goes to the
fountain and fills the bowl with water, then with
a flint lights the fire and puts the bowl in place
to boil. She goes gathering herbs and flowers.)
“Sister Angelica always has a good recipe
made with flowers.”
My friendly flowers, who keep
drops of poison in your tiny breasts,
oh, I have lavished so much care on you.
Now you reward me.
Through you, my flowers, I shall die.
(She turns to face the cells.)
Farewell, good sisters, farewell, farewell!
I am leaving you for ever.

My son has called me.
In the light of a star
his smile appeared to me,
he said: “Mummy, come to Paradise!”
Farewell! Farewell!
Farewell, little chapel! I prayed so much in you.
You kindly accepted prayers and tears.
Holy grace has come down to me!
I am dying for him and I shall see him again in heaven.
Ah!
(She embraces the cross, kisses it and,
bending down, takes the bowl and drinks the
poison; then she leans against a cypress tree
and drops the bowl. The clouds cover the
moon and the scene turns dark. Her act of
suicide brings her back to reality.)
Oh, I am damned!
I have killed myself, I have killed myself!
I am dying, I am dying in mortal sin!
(She drops to her knees in despair.)
O Mother of God, Mother of God, save me, save me.
For the love of my son!

CHOIR (offstage, in the distance)
Queen of virgins, hail, Mary!

SISTER ANGELICA
I’ve gone mad!

CHOIR
Mother most chaste, hail, Mary!

SISTER ANGELICA
Do not let me die in damnation!

CHOIR
Queen of peace, hail, Mary!

SISTER ANGELICA
Give me a sign of grace,
give me a sign of grace,
Mother of God! Mother of God! Save me!
(The miracle begins. The little chapel is flooded
with light. The door opens slowly to reveal the
church filled with angels.)

CHOIR
Oh glorious among virgins,
exalted amid the stars.
He who created you, when small,
was fed with the milk of your breast.

SISTER ANGELICA
Oh Mother of God, save me!
A mother begs you, a mother beseeches you!
Oh Mother of God, save me!

CHOIR
What unhappy Eve destroyed,
you restore with the fruit of your womb.

So that poor sinners may rise to the stars
you open the gates of heaven.
Glorious among virgins, hail, Mary!
(The Queen of solace appears in the doorway,
and in front of her, a blond child, all in white.
The Virgin directs the little boy towards his dying mother.)

SISTER ANGELICA
Ah!

CHOIR
Queen of virgins!

SISTER ANGELICA
Ah!

CHOIR
Faithful Virgin! Holy Mary!
Glorious among virgins! Hail, Mary!
(The child takes a first step.)
Mother most pure! Hail, Mary!
(The child takes a second step.)
Tower of David! Hail, Mary!
(The child takes a third step. Sister Angelica
falls back gently and dies. The miracle
continues to glow.)

End of Opera

libretto by Kenneth Chalmers

Contents: The Cloak; Sister Angelica; Gianni Schicchi