“Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi libretto (English)

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

ACT TWO

Scene One

A room in the apartments of Amneris
(Amneris is surrounded by slaves girls, who are dressing
her for the victory celebration. Incense is burning in
censers swung from tripods. Youthful Moorish slaves
dance about her as they wave great feather fans.)

SLAVE-GIRLS
O hero, who, to the sounds of hymns and praise,
set forth on the flight to glory,
like some god of terror,
blazing like the sun,
come, on your head shall shower
the blossoms won from the laurel,
and together the songs of glory
shall sound with the songs of love.

AMNERIS (to herself)
Ah, come, my love, bring madness
and blessed peace to my heart!

SLAVE-GIRLS
Now where are the barbaric hordes
of the mighty invader?
Like mist, they faded away
at the first breath of our champion.
Come, victorious warrior,
come take the prize of glory;
victory has smiled upon you,
on you love too shall smile.

AMNERIS (to herself)
Ah, come, my love, give new life to me, once more,
with the words of love!

Dance of the Moorish slaves

SLAVE-GIRLS
Come, on your head, shall shower, etc.

AMNERIS
Ah, come, my love, etc.
Silence! Aida is coming.
Child of the vanquished, grief is sacred.
(At a sign from Amneris, all withdraw.)
Seeing her now, the fearful
doubt awakens in me again –
now I shall penetrate this fatal secret!
(to Aida, with feigned tenderness)
The fortunes of war have gone against
your people! Poor Aida!
Your heart’s grief I share with you.
I am your friend. You shall have
whatever you wish from me. You shall be happy.

AIDA
Can I be happy,
far from my homeland,
knowing nothing of the fate
of my father and my brothers?

AMNERIS
I weep for you. But there are limits
to earthly sorrow. Time will quiet
the anguish of your heart –
and, more than time, a powerful god –
Love!

AIDA (to herself)
Love, love! Tormenting joy,
sweet rapture, cruel anxiety!
In thy sorrow I find my life,
in thy smile, I find heaven itself.
In thy sorrow, etc.

AMNERIS (to herself)
Ah, her pallor, her confusion
betray the secret fever of love!
I fear to question her,
for I share the anxiety of her heart!
(to Aida)
What new anguish
disturbs you, sweet Aida?
Tell me your secret,
trust in my friendship.
Among those brave men who fought
and conquered your homeland,
was there perhaps one
whom you loved?

AIDA
What do you mean?

AMNERIS
Not to all
has fate been cruel,
since our fearless leader
has died on the battlefield –

AIDA
What did you say? Oh! wretched!

AMNERIS
Yes, Radamès was killed by your people...

AIDA
Alas!

AMNERIS
And can you weep?

AIDA
I shall never cease my weeping!

AMNERIS
The gods have avenged you!

AIDA
The gods have always been against me.

AMNERIS
Tremble! I have read your heart –
you love him –

AIDA
I!

AMNERIS
Do not lie!
One more word and I shall know.
Look into my eyes, I deceived –
Radamès alive!

AIDA
Alive!
Oh, praised be the gods!

AMNERIS
And you still hope to lie to me?
Yes, you love him!
But I too love him, do you hear?
I am your rival, I, daughter of the Pharaohs!

AIDA
My rival! Then so be it,
for I too am –
Ah, what am I saying?
Have pity on me; forgive me, ah!
Let pity for my sorrow move you.
It is true, I love him deeply.
You are happy, you are powerful,
in my life there is nothing but my love! etc.

AMNERIS
Fear me now, you slave!
Let your heart break;
this love can mean your death.
I am master of your fate,
and my heart rages with hate and vengeance!

AIDA
You are happy, etc.

AMNERIS
Fear me, you slave, etc.
CHORUS (outside)
Onward! May our breasts be a fortress
shielding the sacred banks of the Nile!
Let no cry sound but our united cry,
war and death to the invader!

AMNERIS
In the Triumph now being made ready,
you shall take part with me. O slave!
You, prostrate in the dust,
I at the King’s side, on the throne!

AIDA
Ah, have pity! What is left for me?
My life is a desert.
Live, reign – soon
I shall appease your anger.
This love which distresses you
will die with me, in the tomb.

AMNERIS
Come, follow me. You shall see
if you are worthy to do battle with me, etc.

AIDA
Ah, have pity, etc.

AMNERIS
...if you are worthy, etc.
CHORUS (outside)
War and death to the invader!
(Amneris goes out.)

AIDA
O gods, take pity on my suffering!
There is no hope for my sorrow! etc.

Scene Two

A gate of the city of Thebes
(In the foreground, a group of palm trees. Right, the
Temple of Ammon; left, a throne covered by a purple
baldaquin. To the rear, a triumphal gate. The scene is
crowded with people. The King enters, followed by
ministers, priests, captains, standard-bearers, slaves
bearing huge feather fans, etc. Then Amneris enters,
accompanied by Aida and slave-girls. The King takes
his place on the throne, and Amneris takes her place at
his left.)

POPULACE
Glory to Egypt and to Isis,
protectress of the sacred land!
To the King who rules the Delta
joyful hymns we sing! etc.

WOMEN
Weave the lotus and the laurel
into a crown for the victors!
Let a soft cloud of flowers
veil the steel of their arms.
Let us dance, Egyptian maidens,
the mystic dances,
as, around the sun,
the stars dance in the sky!

PRIESTS
Lift your eyes to the gods,
the arbiters of victory;
give thanks to the gods
on this happy day, etc.

POPULACE
As, around the sun, etc.

PRIESTS
Give thanks to the gods, etc.

Triumphal March

Ballet

(The Egyptian troops, following the trumpeters, pass in
review before the King. After them come the chariots,
the ensigns, the sacred vessels and the statues of the
gods. A band of dancing-girls bear the treasure won
from the enemy. Finally Radamès enters, borne in a
litter covered with a baldaquin carried by twelve
captains.)

POPULACE
Come, O conquering hero,
come, rejoice with us.
At the feet of our heroic warriors
we cast our flowers and laurel leaves.
Glory! etc.

PRIESTS
To the gods, supreme arbiters, etc.
Give thanks to the gods, etc.

THE KING
(descending from his throne to embrace Radamès)
Saviour of the fatherland, I salute you.
Come, receive from my daughter’s hand
the triumphal wreath.

(Radamès bows before Amneris, who offers him the
crown.)
Now ask of me
whatever you will. Nothing shall be
denied you on this day – I swear it
by my crown, by the sacred gods.

RADAMÈS
Before I reply, let the prisoners
be brought before you.
(The Ethiopian prisoners enter, escorted by the guards,
Amonasro, dressed as an officer, comes last.)

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Give thanks to the gods, etc.

AIDA
What do I see? He? My father!

ALL
Her father!

AMNERIS
In our power!

AIDA
You! A prisoner!

AMONASRO (to Aida, softly)
Do not betray me.

THE KING (to Amonasro)
Come here. Now, who are you?

AMONASRO
Her father, I too fought.
We were conquered. I sought death in vain.
(indicating his uniform)
This uniform is witness
that I defended my King and my country.
Fate was our enemy,
our courage was in vain.
In the dust at my feet
lay my King, dead of his wounds.
If love of one’s country is a crime,
then we are all guilty, and ready to die.
(turning to the King, in a pleading voice)
But you, O King, are a mighty lord.
Look with mercy on these captives.
Today we are laid low by fate:
tomorrow, such might be your lot.

AIDA
But you, O King, are a mighty lord, etc.

SLAVE-GIRLS and PRISONERS
Yes, we are laid low by the gods,
and we beseech your mercy upon us.
Ah, may you never have to suffer
what today we are suffering! etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Destroy, O King, these ferocious slaves,
close your heart to their traitorous pleas,
the gods have condemned them to die,
let the will of the gods be done! etc.

SLAVE-GIRLS and PRISONERS
Have mercy! Have mercy! Have mercy!

POPULACE
Priests, oh calm this fury,
hear their humble prayers.
And you, O mighty King,
open your heart to mercy! etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Put them to death! To death!
Destroy, O King, this rabble, etc.

SLAVE-GIRLS and PRISONERS
We beseech your mercy, etc.

AIDA and
AMONASRO
But you, O King are a mighty lord, etc.

RADAMÈS (to himself)
The grief which speaks through her eyes
makes her lovelier still in my sight.
Each tear of my beloved’s eyes
deepens my love for her, etc.

AMNERIS (to herself)
How he looked upon her!
What flames light up their eyes!
And I – alone, abject, repulsed?
Vengeance cries out in my heart, etc.

THE KING
Now that fortune smiles upon us,
let us be merciful towards our victims;
for mercy is good in the sight of the gods,
mercy confirms the power of the prince, etc.

RADAMÈS (turning to the King)
O King, you swore in the name of the gods,
and by the splendour of your crown.
You swore to grant me my wish.

THE KING
I have sworn.

RADAMÈS
Then, for the Ethiopian prisoners
I ask you for life, for freedom.

AMNERIS (to herself)
For all!

PRIESTS
Death to the enemy!

POPULACE
Mercy on the wretches!

RAMFIS
Hear me, O King.
(to Radamès)
You too. youthful hero,
hear my wise counsel.
They are the enemy and they are brave.
Their hearts are eager for revenge.
Encouraged by our mercy,
they will take up arms again!

RADAMÈS
If Amonasro, the warrior king, is dead,
they can no longer hope to fight us.

RAMFIS
At least,
as a pledge of peace, let Aida,
with her father, remain with us.

THE KING
I yield to your good counsel.
And now I give you a greater
pledge of peace;
Radamès, the fatherland owes everything to you.
The hand of Amneris shall be you reward.
One day, with her,
you shall rule over Egypt.

AMNERIS (to herself)
Let the slave
try to steal my love – if she dares!

THE KING and
POPULACE
Glory to Egypt and to Isis,
protectress of the sacred land.
Weave the lotus and the laurel
into a crown for the victor! etc.

SLAVE-GIRLS and PRISONERS
Glory to merciful Egypt,
which has dissolved our bonds,
which sends us once again
to the free fields of our native land! etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Let us sing hymns to Isis,
protectress of the sacred land.
Let us pray that the fates may be
forever auspicious to our nation, etc.

AIDA (to herself)
What hope now is left to me?
For him – glory and the throne,
for me – oblivion and the tears
of a hopeless love, etc.

RADAMÈS (to himself)
The lightning of an enemy god
has struck me.
Ah, no, the throne of Egypt
is not worth Aida’s heart, etc.

AMNERIS (to himself)
I am intoxicated
with unforeseen joy;
in one single day, all the dreams
of my heart have come true, etc.

RAMFIS
Let us pray that the fates, etc.

THE KING and
POPULACE
Glory to Isis, etc.

AMONASRO (to Aida)
Be brave, wait patiently
for happier days for our land.
For us the day of revenge
is already dawning, etc.

POPULACE
Glory to Egypt and to Isis,
protectress of the sacred land!
Weave the lotus and the laurel
into a crown for the victor! etc.

RADAMÈS (aside)
What an unlooked-for blow
has fallen upon my head, etc.

AMNERIS (aside)
All the dreams of my heart, etc.

AMONASRO (aside to Aida)
Be brave, etc.

AIDA (aside)
For me oblivion, etc.

RAMFIS and
PRIESTS
Let us sing hymns to Isis, etc.

SLAVE-GIRLS and PRISONERS
Glory to merciful Egypt, etc.

libretto by Dale McAdoo

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