“Lucia di Lammermoor” by Gaetano Donizetti libretto (English)

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

ACT TWO

Scene 1

Enrico Ashton's apartments in the castle
(He is seated at a table with Normanno.)

NORMANNO
Lucia will come to you soon.

ENRICO
I nervously await her.
To honour our distinguished marriage,
already in the castle
have assembled
my noble kinsmen;
Arturo will be here soon...
And if she stubbornly dares to refuse?

NORMANNO
Do not fret...your enemy's
absence, his letters
we intercepted, and the false report
that he is afire with a new flame,
will stifle the blind love
in Lucia's heart.

ENRICO
She is coming. Give me
the forged letter.
(Normanno hands him the letter.)
Now ride out to the highway
leading to Scotland's royal city,
and amid cheers and joyful shouts
escort Arturo here.

(Normanno leaves. Lucia enters and lingers near the
door; her pallor, the bewildered expression all point to
her suffering and to the beginnings of a mental
derangement.)

ENRICO
Come nearer, Lucia.
I hoped to see you happier today,
this day when Hymen's torches
are lit for you. You look at me and say nothing?

LUCIA
This mortal pallor which horribly
masks my face
mutely blames you
for my grief and anguish.
May God forgive you
for your inhuman cruelty,
may God forgive you,
etc.

...for my grief.

ENRICO
I was made justly harsh
by your unworthy passion;
but enough of the past,
I am still your brother.
I have cooled my anger,
now cool your insane love,
I have cooled my anger,
etc.

A noble husband...

LUCIA
Stop, I beg you!

ENRICO
Why?

LUCIA
I am promised to another.

ENRICO
You cannot be...

LUCIA
Enrico!

ENRICO
(angrily)
You cannot be.

LUCIA
I gave a solemn promise to another.

ENRICO
Enough.
(giving her the forged letter)

This letter gives you ample proof
of your lover's cruel villainy.
Read it.

LUCIA
(Lucia reads: surprise, then great anxiety are etched on
her countenance, and a tremor shakes her from head
to foot.)
Ah!...My heart falters!

ENRICO
(running to her aid)

You are giddy!

LUCIA
Oh, misery!
Alas, a fatal bolt from the blue!
I suffered in tears, I languished with grief,
my hopes, my life, I pledged to one heart,
the moment of death is upon me!
He gave his faithless heart to another!

ENRICO
A mad, evil love consumed you,
you betrayed your kin for a vile seducer.

LUCIA
Oh, God!

ENRICO
But heaven gave you just reward:
he gave his fickle heart to another.

LUCIA
Alas!
The terrible moment has come for me, yes,
he gave his fickle heart to another,
etc.

ENRICO
A mad, evil love consumed you,
etc..
He gave his fickle heart to another,
etc.
(Festive music is heard in the distance.)

LUCIA
What can it be?

ENRICO
Joyous music
for his arrival!

LUCIA
What?

ENRICO
The bridegroom is coming.

LUCIA
A shudder courses through my veins!

ENRICO
The marriage-bed awaits you.

LUCIA
The tomb, the tomb awaits me!

ENRICO
This is the crucial hour!

LUCIA
A mist is before my eyes!

ENRICO
Listen to me.
William is dead - we shall see
Mary upon the throne...
prostrate in the dust
is the party I supported...

LUCIA
Ah, I tremble!

ENRICO
From ruin Arturo can rescue me,
and only he...

LUCIA
But how can I... ?

ENRICO
You must save me.

LUCIA
Enrico!

ENRICO
Come to your husband!

LUCIA
I have sworn to wed another!

ENRICO
You must save me.

LUCIA
But...

ENRICO
You must!

LUCIA
Oh, heaven! Oh, heaven!

ENRICO
If you betray me,
my fate is sealed for ever...
you rob me of honour and life

and deliver me to the executioner's axe.
In your dreams you will see me,
an angry, menacing spectre!
That bloody axe
will always be before your eyes,
etc.

LUCIA
(with tearful eyes, appealing to Heaven)
You who see my tears,
you who read what is in my heart,
if my grief is not ignored in Heaven,
as it is on earth,
Take, Eternal God,
this hopeless life of mine,
I am so wretched that death
will be a boon for me,
etc.

ENRICO
That bloody axe
will always be before your eyes,
etc.

Scene 2

The grand hall of the castle.
(The scene is ready for the reception of Arturo. Enrico,
Arturo, Normanno, knights and ladies, relations of
Ashton, pages, equerries, inhabitants of Lammermoor
and servants)

CHORUS
For you, all around
we join in rousing jubilation,
because of you, we see
reborn the day of hope,
here friendship guides you,
here love leads you,

new life is all around,
here love leads you,
like a star on a treacherous night,
like laughter in sorrow.
like a star,
etc.

ARTURO
Your fortune's star has suffered
a brief eclipse,
I shall see it rise again
brighter and more splendid.
Give me your hand, Enrico,
and accept my cordial greeting,
I come to you as friend,
brother and protector.

CHORUS
Ah!...For you we join in jubilation,
etc.

ARTURO
I come to you as friend,
etc.

...brother and protector,
etc.

CHORUS
...like a star on a treacherous night,
etc.

...brother and protector,
etc.

ARTURO
Where is Lucia?

ENRICO
She will be here now.
(aside to Arturo)
If she is bowed down by sorrow,

you must not be surprised.
Crushed and numb with grief,
she mourns her dead mother.

ARTURO
I know, yes, yes, I know.

ENRICO
Overcome with sorrow,
she mourns her mother.

ARTURO
Now settle a doubt.
Rumour has it that Edgardo
has rashly dared
to look upon her...
such effrontery!

ENRICO
Yes, it is true, that madman dared, but...

ARTURO
Ah!

CHORUS
Lucia is coming, she is coming.

ENRICO
(to Arturo)
She weeps for her dead mother.
(Lucia enters despondently, supported by Alisa and
Raimondo.)

ENRICO
(presenting Arturo to Lucia)

Here is your husband-to-be.

(Lucia shrinks from Arturo. Enrico whispers warningly
to her.)
Be careful! Do you want to ruin me?

LUCIA
(aside)

Oh, God!

ARTURO
I pray you accept the vows
of my tender love for you.

ENRICO
(going to the table for the marriage contract, and
breaking into Arturo's words; to Lucia)
Be careful!

(to Arturo)
It is the time to sign the marriage-contract.

LUCIA
Oh God!

ENRICO
Come.

ARTURO
A most pleasant invitation!
(He signs the contract and Enrico adds his own
signature. Meanwhile Raimondo and Alisa lead the
trembling Lucia to the table.)

LUCIA
(aside)
I must go to the sacrifice! What misery!

ENRICO
(to Lucia)
Do not hesitate! Sign!

RAIMONDO
(aside)

Sustain, o Lord, this poor girl.

ENRICO
Sign!
(Lucia signs the contract.)

LUCIA
(aside)
I have signed my death-warrant!

ENRICO
(aside)
I breathe again!

LUCIA
(aside)
I freeze and burn. I feel faint.
(A noise is heard at the door as if someone is trying to
force his way in.)

ALL
What a commotion! Who is it?
(Edgardo enters wrapped in a cloak.)

EDGARDO
Edgardo!

ALL
Edgardo! Day of terror!

LUCIA
Edgardo! What a bolt from the blue!

EDGARDO
(aside)
Who curbs me at such a moment,
who stemmed the flood of my anger?
Her grief, her terror, are the proof,
are the proof of her remorse!
But like a withered rose,
she hovers between death and life!
I surrender, I am touched,
I love you, heartless girl, I love you still!

ENRICO
(aside)

Who checks my fury
and the hand which darted to my sword?
I heard within me a plea
for the unhappy girl!
She is my kin! I have betrayed her!
She hovers between death and life!
Ah, I cannot quell
the remorse in my soul!

LUCIA
(aside)
I hoped that terror
would cut short my life,
but death will not help me...
I must live on in anguish!
The veil fell from my eyes.
I was betrayed by earth and Heaven!
I would weep, but I cannot,
even tears have forsaken me.

RAIMONDO
(aside)
What a terrible moment!
I cannot find words to say!
A dense cloud of terror
seems to dim the sun's rays!

Like a withered rose,
she hovers between death and life,
whoever does not feel for her,
has the heart of a tiger.

ENRICO
She is my kin. I have betrayed her,
etc.

EDGARDO
Who curbs me at such a moment?
etc.

ALISA, CHORUS
Like a withered rose,
etc.

ARTURO
What a terrible moment,
etc.

ENRICO
Ah, she is my kin,
etc.

LUCIA
I would weep...but I cannot,
etc.

RAIMONDO
Whoever does not feel for her,
etc.

EDGARDO
Ah, I surrender, I am touched,
etc.

ARTURO and ENRICO
Begone, you wretch,
(drawing their swords)
or your blood shall be shed.

CHORUS
Begone, you wretch...

EDGARDO
(drawing his sword)

I shall die, but other blood
shall flow with mine.

RAIMONDO
(intervening commandingly)
Respect in me
the awful majesty of God.
In His name I command you
to lay down your anger and your swords.
Peace, peace...He abhors
a murderer, and it is written:
He who harms his brother by the sword,
shall perish by the sword.
(They all put up their swords.)
Peace, peace.

ENRICO
(advancing towards Edgardo)

You madman! What brings you here?

EDGARDO
My destiny and my right.

ENRICO
Scoundrel!

EDGARDO
Yes. Lucia swore to marry me.

RAIMONDO
Ah, forget this ill-fated love -
she is another's...

EDGARDO
Another's? No...

RAIMONDO
(showing him the contract)
Look!

EDGARDO
(reading, then fixing his gaze on Lucia)
You are trembling...confused...
Is this your hand? Answer me!
(pointing to the signature)
Is this your signature? Answer!

LUCIA
(sobbing)
Yes.

EDGARDO
(throwing the ring towards her)
Then take back your ring, false heart.

LUCIA
Ah!

EDGARDO
Give me mine.

LUCIA
At least...

EDGARDO
Return it.

LUCIA
Edgardo! Edgardo!
(In utmost confusion she returns the ring.)

EDGARDO
You have betrayed Heaven and love.
Accursed be the moment,
when I first fell in love with you,
evil, abominable brood,
I should have fled from you,
abominable, accursed,
I should have fled from you.

LUCIA
Ah!

EDGARDO
Ah, may God destroy you!

ENRICO
Insane presumption! Begone! Begone!

RAIMONDO
Insane presumption! Peace!

CHORUS
Mad presumption!
etc.

ARTURO, ENRICO and CHORUS
Be gone, escape, the fury which inflames me,
its full force will only be checked for a moment,
but soon, more terrible, more fierce,
it will fall on your loathsome head,
but soon,
etc.

RAIMONDO
Unhappy man! Come, save yourself!
Your own life, her well-being respect...

Live on...maybe your grief will pass,
the mercy of God lightens all burdens.

LUCIA
(falling to her knees)
God, save him at this cruel moment,
hear the plaint of an unhappy girl.
And the prayer of boundless grief
that finds no hope on earth,
is my heart's plea which will linger
on my dying lips,
is my heart's last plea,
etc.

EDGARDO
(flinging his sword away)

Kill me, and bridesman to the marriage
shall be the sacrifice of a betrayed heart.
The threshold bathed in my blood
will be a sweet sight for the wench!
Over my bloodless corpse she will
tread more gaily to the altar,
over my bloodless corpse,
etc.

ENRICO, ARTURO and CHORUS
Begone! go!
Go, the stain will be cleansed with your
blood, so black a stain of outrage!
Go, fly, my burning fury
refrins one moment from striking.
Before long, stronger and fiercer,
it shall fall on the heads of thos is abhors.

ALISA, RAIMONDO andCHORUS
Ah! Save yourself! Unhappy man!
Flee, make haste!
Your own life, her well-being respect...

Live on...maybe your grief will pass,
the mercy of God lightens all burdens.
How often does one single torment
become replaced by a thousand joys.
(Raimondo supports Lucia, whose grief is now extreme;
Alisa and the ladies surround them. The others pursue
Edgardo to the door as the curtain falls.)

libretto by Gwyn Morris

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