“Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi libretto (English)

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

ACT ONE

Scene One

A hall in the royal palace at Memphis
(Left and right, a colonnade decorated with statues
and flowering shrubs. Rear, a great door beyond which
can be seen temples, the palaces of Memphis and the
pyramids.)

RAMFIS
Yes, it is rumoured that the Ethiopian has dared
to challenge us again, threatening
Thebes and the valley of the Nile. Shortly
a messenger will bring us the details.

RADAMÈS
Have you consulted
Holy Isis?

RAMFIS
She has named
the supreme commander
of the Egyptian armies.

RADAMÈS
Oh, fortunate man!

RAMFIS (looking steadily at Radamès, meaningfully)
He is young and brave. Now I shall go
to inform the King of the deity’s decree.
(Ramfis goes out.)

RADAMÈS (solo)
If only that warrior were I!
If my dream might come true!
An army of brave men, led by me –
victory, and the applause of all Memphis!
To return to you, my sweet Aida,
decked with the victor’s laurels,
to say. “I fought, I won for you!”
Heavenly Aida, divine form,
mystic garland of light and flowers,
you are the queen of my thought,
you are the splendour of my life.
That I might bring you once more
the blue skies, the soft breezes of your native land,
a royal crown to deck your brow,
a royal throne for you, in the sun!
Oh, heavenly Aida, divine form,
mystic halo of light and flowers,
you are the queen, etc.
(Amneris enters.)

AMNERIS
What rare joy shines
on your face! What noble pride
flashes in your eyes!
How enviable indeed
would be that woman whose beloved face
might kindle so joyful a light in you!

RADAMÈS
My heart was lost
in an adventurous dream. Today the goddess
has named the warrior who will lead
the Egyptian legions into battles. Ah! if I were
chosen for such an honour...

AMNERIS
Was it not perhaps
some greater, sweeter dream
which spoke to your heart? Have you
no desires, no hopes, here in Memphis?

RADAMÈS
I! (What an interrogation!
Perhaps she has discovered
the secret love which burns in my heart...
perhaps she has read in my thoughts
her slave-girl’s name!)

AMNERIS
(Oh, woe if love for another
should burn in his heart!
Woe to him if my eyes
should see through this fatal mystery!)

RADAMÈS (seeing Aida)
It is she!

AMNERIS (to herself)
He is moved! The glance
with which he looked at her!
Aida! Could it be she
who is my rival?

(turning to Aida)
Come, my child, come near me.
You are neither slave nor handmaiden
here, where for love of you
I have called you sister. You weep?
Tell me the reason for your tears,
tell me your secret.

AIDA
Alas, I have heard
the frightful war cry sounds,
I fear for my country,
for myself, for you.

AMNERIS
Is this true? No greater care
disturbs you?
(aside, looking at Aida)
Ah! Tremble, evil slave, tremble!
Let me sound your heart!
Tremble, for the truth is clear to me
when I see your tears, your blushes!

RADAMÈS (aside, looking at Amneris)
In her face, anger
and suspicion blaze like a fire.
Woe if our secret love
she should ever read in our hearts!

AIDA (to herself)
No, not only for my country
is my heart in anguish;
the tears I shed are the tears
of unhappy love!

(The King enters, preceded by his guard and followed
by Ramfis, ministers, priests, officers and others.)

THE KING
High reasons of state have led me
to summon you, O faithful Egyptians.
A messenger has arrived
from Ethiopia. He brings grave tidings.
Hear them now.
(to an officer)
Let the messenger come forward.
(The messenger enters.)

MESSENGER
The sacred soil of Egypt has been invaded
by the fierce Ethiopian.
Our fields have been laid waste,
our crops burned.
Spurred on by this easy victory, the foe
is marching now on Thebes.

ALL
They dare to do this!

MESSENGER
A fierce, relentless warrior heads them –
Amonasro!

ALL
The King himself!

AIDA (to herself)
My father!

MESSENGER
Thebes, already in arms, will fall
upon the barbarian invader from her hundred
gates, spreading war and death.

THE KING
Yes! Let war and death
be our battle cry!

ALL
War! War! etc.
Tremendous, pitiless war!

THE KING (coming near to Radamès)
Holy Isis
has already named the leader
of our invincible legions:
Radamès!

ALL
Radamès!

RADAMÈS
Ah! praised be the gods!
My prayers are answered!

AMNERIS (to herself)
He, the leader!

AIDA (to herself)
I am afraid!

MINISTERS and CAPTAINS
Radamès! Radamès!

THE KING
Go now, O warrior,
to the Temple of Vulcan. There put on
the sacred arms; go forth to victory!
Onward! Go forth, Egyptian heroes,
to the sacred banks of the Nile.
From every heart let the cry sound out –
War and death, death to the invader!

RAMFIS
Glory to the gods! Let all remember,
it is they who rule our destinies.
Only the power of the gods
can dictate the warrior’s fate.
Let all remember that only the power, etc.

MINISTERS and CAPTAINS
Onward! May our breasts be a fortress
shielding the sacred banks of the Nile.
Let no cry sound but our united cry,
War, war and death to the invader! etc.

THE KING
Go forth, Egyptian heroes, etc.

AIDA (to herself)
For whom do I weep? For whom do I pray?
What power binds be to him?
I must love him, yet he is,
the enemy of my country!

RADAMÈS
A sacred thrill of glory
runs through my heart.

Onward, let us hasten to victory!
War and death to the invader!

AMNERIS
(bearing a banner which she presents to Radamès)
Accept, O leader, from my hands
this glorious banner;
may it be as a light and a guide
on the road to victory.

THE KING
Onward, Egyptian heroes, etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Glory to the Gods, etc.

MINISTERS and CAPTAINS
Onward! May our breasts, etc.

RADAMÈS,
MESSENGER
Onward, let us hasten to victory, etc.

AMNERIS
May it be as a light, etc.

ALL
War! War! etc.
Death to the invader, etc.

AMNERIS
Return victorious!

ALL
Return victorious!
(They all leave, except Aida.)

AIDA
Return victorious! My lips have spoken
the traitorous words! Victorious
over my father, who takes up arms
for me, to give me again
a country, a kingdom and a great name,
which here I must hide. Victorious
over my brothers – that I may see him,
stained with the beloved blood, welcomed
in triumph by Egypt! And behind
his chariot, a King. my father, in chains!
My mad word,
O gods, efface!
Send back this child
to her father’s heart.
Destroy the legions
of our oppressors!
Wretched girl, what have I said? And my love?
Can I, then, forget
this burning love, which, as a wretched slave,
I welcome in rapture like a ray of the sun?
Shall I invoke death
upon Radamès, him whom I love so much?
Ah, never on earth
has a broken heart known such anguish!
The sacred words father and lover –
I can no longer speak them, nor remember.
For each, in my fear and confusion,
I should like to pray, to weep.
But my prayer changes to cursing –
tears, for me, are criminal; so too my sighs.
My mind is lost in a bitter night,
and in such cruel anguish I wish to die.

Oh! gods, have pity on my suffering!
There is no hope for my sorrow!
Fatal love, fearful love,
break my heart and let me die!
Oh! gods, have pity on my suffering! etc.

Scene Two

Interior of the temple of Vulcan at Memphis
(A mysterious light shines down from above. There is a
low row of columns, disappearing in the distance.
Statues of various gods. At mid-scene, on a scaffolding
covered with tapestries, stands the altar decorated
with sacred symbols. The smoke of incense rises from
censers swung on golden tripods. Priests and
priestesses. Ramfis is at the foot of the altar.)

PRIESTESS
Mighty, mighty Phtha, life-giving
spirit of the world, ah!

WITH CHORUS OF
PRIESTESSES
We invoke thee!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Thou, who from nothingness didst draw
the seas, the earth, the heavens,
we invoke thee!

PRIESTESS
Great, great Phtha, fruitful
spirit of the world, ah!

WITH CHORUS OF PRIESTESSES
We invoke thee!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
God, who art of they spirit
both son and father,
we invoke thee!

PRIESTESS
Uncreated, eternal flame,
which sparked the sun, ah!

WITH CHORUS OF
PRIESTESSES
We invoke thee!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Life of the Universe,
mythus of eternal love,
we invoke thee!

PRIESTESSES
Great Phtha!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
We invoke thee!
(Radamès is brought into the temple. He carries no
weapons. As he goes to the altar, the priestesses
perform the sacred dance. The priests, meanwhile,
place a silver veil over Radamès’s head.)

PRIESTESS
Great Phtha!

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
We invoke thee!

RAMFIS (to Radamès)
O youth beloved of the gods,
you hold in trust the destiny of Egypt.
May the sacred sword,
tempered by the gods,
become in your hand
blazing terror and death for the enemy.

PRIESTS
May the sacred sword, etc.

RAMFIS (to the god)
O god, custodian and avenger
of this sacred land,
lift thy hand
over the land of Egypt.

RADAMÈS
O god, leader and judge
of every earthly battle,
protect thou, defend thou
the sacred soil of Egypt! etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Lift thy hand
Over the land of Egypt.
O god, custodian and avenger, etc.
(While Radamès is being invested with the sacred
arms, the priests and priestesses resume the sacred
hymn and the mystic dance.)

ALL
Mighty Phtha, creator of the world, etc.

libretto by Dale McAdoo

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