“Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi libretto (English)

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

ACT TWO

A room in the ducal palace
(There is a door on each side and a larger one at the far end flanked by full-length portraits of the Duke and his wife. A high-backed chair stands near a velvet-covered table and other furniture.)

DUKE (entering, agitated)
She has been stolen from me!
When, O heaven? In those few moments,
before some inner voice
made me hastily retrace my steps!

The gate was open, the house deserted!
And where is she now, that dear angel?
She who first kindled my heart
with the flame of a constant affection?
So pure that her modest demean our
almost convinced me to lead a virtuous life!
She has been stolen from me!
And who dared do this?...But I shall be avenged.
The tears of my beloved demand it.
I seem to see the tears
coursing from her eyes
as, bewildered and afraid
at the surprise attack,
remembering our love,
she called her Walter’s name.
But he could not defend you,
sweet, beloved maid;
he who would pledge his very soul
to bring you happiness;
he who, in loving you, envied
not even the angels.
He who, in loving you, etc.
(Marullo, Ceprano, Borsa and other courtiers enter.)

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
My lord, my lord!

DUKE
What is it?

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
Rigoletto’s mistress has been carried off.

DUKE
What? From where?

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
From his house.

DUKE
Ah! ah! Tell me, how was it done?

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
Together we went at nightfall,
to a street on the edge of the town;
there, as we had foreseen,
we found a most beautiful girl.
It was Rigoletto’s paramour,
but as soon as we saw her, she vanished.
Our plans to abduct her were ready,
when along came the jester himself,
whom we convinced, the simpleton,
that we were after Ceprano’s countess.
So once we had set up the ladder,
he, blindfolded, held it secure.
So once we had set up the ladder, etc.
We climbed up and in less than no time
had carried the young girl away.

DUKE (to himself)
Heavens!

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
When he realised how we’d paid him out,you should have heard him curse!

DUKE (to himself)
Dear God! It’s her, my beloved!

(aloud)
But where is the poor girl now?

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
We brought her here ourselves.

DUKE (to himself)
Ah, heaven has not stolen everything from me!
(He hurries away. Rigoletto enters, humming to himself
and trying to disguise his grief.)

MARULLO
Poor Rigoletto!

RIGOLETTO
La ra, la ra, la ra, etc.

CHORUS
Here he comes!...Be silent!

RIGOLETTO
La ra, la ra, la ra, la ra, etc.

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
Good morning, Rigoletto.

RIGOLETTO (to himself)
They were all in on it!

CEPRANO
What news, jester?

RIGOLETTO
What news, jester?
Only that you are more
of a bore than usual.

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
Ha! ha! ha!

RIGOLETTO
La ra, la ra, la ra, etc.
(restlessly searching everywhere; to himself)
Where can they have hidden her?...

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS (aside)
See how upset he is!

RIGOLETTO
La ra, la ra, la ra, etc.

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
Yes! See how upset he is!

RIGOLETTO (to Marullo)
I am glad
that the cold air last night
did not harm you in the least...

MARULLO
Last night!...

RIGOLETTO
Yes!...Ah, it was a fine trick!

MARULLO
But I was asleep all night!

RIGOLETTO
Ah, you were asleep! So I dreamed it!
La ra, la ra, la ra, etc.
(He moves off. Seeing a handkerchief on the table, he
examines the monogram agitatedly.)

CHORUS (aside)
See how he inspects everything!

RIGOLETTO
(throwing down the handkerchief; to himself)
It isn’t hers.
(aloud)
Is the Duke still asleep?

CHORUS
Yes, he is still asleep.
(One of the Duchess’s pages enters.)

PAGE
The Duchess wishes to speak to the Duke.

CEPRANO
He’s asleep.

PAGE
Wasn’t he here with you just now?

BORSA
He went hunting.

PAGE
Without his escort! Unarmed!

ALL
Don’t you understand
that he can’t see anyone right now?

RIGOLETTO
(standing apart, he has followed the conversation
attentively, and now leaps among them, crying out:)
Ah, she is there, then! She is with the Duke!

ALL
Who?

RIGOLETTO
The girl you carried off
from my house last night.
But I shall get her back.
She’s in there!

ALL
If you’ve mislaid your mistress,
look for her elsewhere.

RIGOLETTO
I want my daughter!

ALL
His daughter!

RIGOLETTO
Yes, my daughter! After such a sweet revenge,
what? You’re not laughing?
She’s in there...I want her...Give her back.
(running towards the centre door, but finding it barred
by the courtiers)

Courtiers, vile, damnable rabble,
how much were you paid for my treasure?
There’s nothing you won’t do for money,
but my daughter is beyond any price.
Give her back...or this hand, though unarmed,
will prove a dread weapon indeed.
A man will fear nothing on earth
when defending his children’s honour.
Assassins, open that door!
(He again attacks the door, is dragged away from it by
the courtiers, struggles awhile, then gives up,
exhausted.)
The door, the door, assassins, open it.
Ah! You’re all against me!
All against me!
(weeping)
Then I’ll weep. Marullo, my lord,
you whose soul is as gentle as your heart,
tell me, where have they hidden her?
Marullo, my lord, tell me, where have they hidden her?
She’s in there...isn’t she?
isn’t that so?...in there?....isn’t that so?
You don’t answer...Alas!
My lords, forgive me, have pity!
Give an old man back his daughter!
To give her back can cost you nothing now,
but to me my daughter is everything.
Lords, forgive me, etc.
(Gilda suddenly runs from the room on the left and
throws herself into her father’s arms.)

GILDA
Father!

RIGOLETTO
Oh, God! My Gilda!
Sirs, she is all
the family I have.
Don’t be afraid now, my angel child...
(to the courtiers)
It was only a joke wasn’t it?
I, though I wept before, now laugh.
(to Gilda)
Why do you still weep?

GILDA
The shame, father!

RIGOLETTO
Good God! What do you mean?

GILDA
To you alone I confess...

RIGOLETTO (to the courtiers)
Off with you, all of you!
And if your Duke should dare approach,
tell him not to enter, tell him I am here.

BORSA, MARULLO, CEPRANO, CHORUS
(among themselves)
With children and with madmen,
pretence is often best.
We’ll leave, but still keep watch
to see what he may do.
(They go out.)

RIGOLETTO
Speak...we are alone.

GILDA (to herself)
O Heaven, give me courage!
(to Rigoletto)
Each holy day, in church,
as I prayed to God,
a fatally handsome young man
stood where I could see him...
Though our lips were silent,
our hearts spoke through our eyes.
Furtively, only last night he came
to meet me for the first time.
“I am a student and poor,”
he said so tenderly,
and with passionate fervour
told me of his love.
He went...my heart was rapt
in the sweetest dreams,
when suddenly the men broke in
who carried me away;
they brought me here by force,
cruelly afraid.

RIGOLETTO (to himself)
Ah! I asked infamy, O God,
only for myself,
so that she might be raised
as high as I had fallen.
Ah, beside the gallows
one must raise an altar!
But all is now lost,
the altar is cast down!
(to Gilda)
Weep, my child, weep...

GILDA
Father!

RIGOLETTO
...and let your tears fall upon my breast.

GILDA
Father, an angel speaks through you
and consoles me, etc.

RIGOLETTO
Weep, my child, etc.
When I have finished what I must do here,
we can leave this house of doom.

GILDA
Yes.

RIGOLETTO (to himself)
A single day has changed everything!
(Preceded by an usher, Count Monterone enters
between two halberdiers and crosses the back of the
room.)

USHER
Open up: Monterone is to go to the dungeon.

MONTERONE
(halting before the Duke’s portrait)
Since my curse has been in vain,
and neither steel nor thunderbolt
has struck your breast,
you will live on, o Duke, in happiness.
(He goes out between the guards.)

RIGOLETTO
No, old man, you’re wrong...you shall be avenged.
(passionately addressing the portrait)
Yes, revenge, terrible revenge
is all that my heart desires.
The hour of your punishment hastens on,
that hour which will be your last.
Like a thunderbolt from the hand of God,
the jester’s revenge shall strike you down.

GILDA
O my father, what a fierce joy
flashes in your eyes!

RIGOLETTO
Revenge!

GILDA
Forgive him: and then we too may hear
the voice of pardon from Heaven.

RIGOLETTO
Revenge!

GILDA
Forgive him!

RIGOLETTO
No!

GILDA (to herself)
He betrayed me, yet I love him; great God,
I ask for pity on this faithless man!

RIGOLETTO
Like a thunderbolt, etc.

GILDA
Forgive him, etc.
(They leave through the main door.)

libretto by Dale McAdoo, 1956, revised 1989

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