“La traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi libretto (English)

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

ACT THREE

PRELUDE

Violetta's bedroom.
Upstage, a bed with half-drawn curtains; a window
with inside shutters; next to the bed a low table with a
water-bottle, a glass, various medicines. Downstage, a
dressing-table; nearby a sofa; another table with a
night-lamp; several chairs and other pieces. The door is
to the left; opposite, a fireplace, with a low fire.
(Violetta is in bed, asleep. Annina, sitting in a chair
near the fireplace, has dozed off.)

VIOLETTA
Annina?

ANNINA
Yes, madam?

VIOLETTA
Were you sleeping, poor child?

ANNINA
Yes. Forgive me.

VIOLETTA
Give me a sip of water.
(Annina does so.)
Look outside and tell me - is it still day?

ANNINA
It's seven o'clock.

VIOLETTA
Open the blinds a little.
(Annina opens the blinds and looks out into the street.)

ANNINA
Doctor Grenvil!

VIOLETTA
Oh, he's a true friend!
I want to get up. Help me.
(She gets up then falls back on the bed. Finally,
supported by Annina, she gets up and walks slowly to
the sofa. The doctor enters in time to help her get
comfortable. Annina brings cushions and puts them
behind her.)

VIOLETTA
How good you are!
you thought of me in time!

DOCTOR (feeling her pulse)
Yes. How do you feel?

VIOLETTA
My body suffers,
but my soul is in peace.
Last evening a priest came to comfort me.
Religion is a great consolation to the suffering.

DOCTOR
And during the night?

VIOLETTA
I slept quite peacefully.

DOCTOR
Courage, then. Your convalescence
is not far off.

VIOLETTA
Oh, the little white lie
is permissible in a doctor.

DOCTOR (pressing her hand)
Goodbye - I'll come back later.

VIOLETTA
Don't forget me.

ANNINA
(in a low voice, as she shows the doctor out)
How is she, sir?

DOCTOR
She has only a few hours to live.

ANNINA
Take heart, now.

VIOLETTA
Today is a holiday?

ANNINA
Paris is going mad - it's carnival.

VIOLETTA
Oh, in all this merrymaking, heaven knows
how many poor ones are suffering! How much
is there in that drawer?
(pointing)

ANNINA (opening the drawer and counting the money)
Twenty louis.

VIOLETTA
Take ten and give them to the poor.

ANNINA
There won't be much left -

VIOLETTA
Oh, for me it will be enough.
Then bring in my letters.

ANNINA
But you, madam?

VIOLETTA
Nothing will happen - go quickly, please
(Annina goes out.)

VIOLETTA
(she takes a letter from her bosom and reads:)
"You kept your promise. The duel has taken place!
The Baron was wounded, but is recovering.
Alfredo has gone abroad; I myself revealed your
sacrifice to him; he will return to ask your pardon;
I too shall come. Take care of yourself. You deserve a
happier future. Giorgio Germont".

It is late!
I wait, I wait - they never come to me!
(She looks at herself in the mirror.)
Ah, how I have changed!
But the doctor still gives me hope!
Ah, with this disease every hope is dead.
Adieu, sweet, happy dreams of the past,
the roses of my cheeks are already fading.
I miss so much Alfredo's love,
which once solaced my weary soul -
Solaced and comforted -
Ah, smile upon the woman who has strayed;
forgive her, oh God, grant she may come to thee!
Now all is finished, all is over.

CHORUS OF MASQUERADERS (from the street)
Make way for the quadruped King of the festival,
Wearing his crown of flowers
and vine leaves.
Make way for the tamest of all
who wear horns,
greet him with music of horn and flute.
People of Paris,
open the path to the triumphant Fattened Ox.
Neither Asia nor Africa
has ever seen better,
this pride and joy of the butcher's trade.
Light-hearted maidens, and frolicking lads,
pay him due honour
of music and song!
People of Paris, open the path
to the triumphant Fattened Ox.
Make way for the quadruped King of the festival
wearing his crown of flowers
and vine leaves.

(Annina returns, hastily.)

ANNINA (hesitating)
Madam!

VIOLETTA
What has happened?

ANNINA
Today you feel better, don't you?

VIOLETTA
Yes, why?

ANNINA
Do you promise not to get excited?

VIOLETTA
Yes. What do you want to tell me?

ANNINA
I wanted to prepare you -
A happy surprise!

VIOLETTA
Did you say - a surprise?

ANNINA
Oh yes, madam -

VIOLETTA
Alfredo! Ah, you saw him?
He is coming! Oh, quickly!
(Annina nods her head, then goes to open the door.)
Alfredo!

(Alfredo enters, pale with emotion. They are in each
other's arms as they exclaim:)
Beloved Alfredo! Oh joy!

ALFREDO
My Violetta! Oh, joy!
The fault is mine - I know everything now, dear.

VIOLETTA
I know only that you have come back!

ALFREDO
Let my emotion teach you how I love you.
I cannot live without you.

VIOLETTA
Ah, if you have found me still alive,
it means grief has not the power to kill.

ALFREDO
Forget your sorrow, my adored one,
and forgive my father and me.

VIOLETTA
What is there to forgive? The guilty one is me;
but it was love alone which made me so.

ALFREDO, VIOLETTA
Now neither man nor demon, my angel,
will ever be able to take you away.

ALFREDO
From Paris dear, we shall go away,
to live our lives together.

We shall make up for all our heartache,
your health will come back again.
You will be the light of my life,
the future will smile upon us.

VIOLETTA
(echoing him as in a dream)
From Paris dear, we shall go away,
to live our loves together...
We shall make up for all our heartache.
My health will come back again.
You will be the light of my life, etc.

VIOLETTA
No more now, Alfredo let us go to church
to offer thanks
for your return.
(She sways, as if to fall.)

ALFREDO
You are pale -

VIOLETTA
It is nothing!
Such sudden joy cannot come
to a sorrowing heart without disturbing it.
(She throws herself down, upon a chair; her
head falls back.)

ALFREDO (holding her up, terrified)
Great God! Violetta!

VIOLETTA (with great effort)
It's my illness -
A moment of weakness! Now I am strong.
See? I am smiling.

ALFREDO
Ah, cruel destiny!

VIOLETTA
It was nothing. Annina, bring me my dress.

ALFREDO
Now? Wait.

VIOLETTA
No. I want to go out.
(Annina gives her a dress which she tries to put on. Too
weak to succeed, she exclaims:)
Dear God! I cannot!

ALFREDO
(Heaven! What is this!)
(to Annina)
Go to call the doctor.

VIOLETTA
Tell him that Alfredo
has come back to his love.
Tell him I want to live again.
(Annina goes out. Then, to Alfredo:)
If in returning you have not saved my life,
then nothing on earth can save me.
Ah! Dear God! To die so young.
when I have sorrowed so long!

To die, when now, at last,
I might have ceased my weeping!
Ah, it was but a dream,
my credulous hope;
to sheathe my heart in constancy
was all in vain.

ALFREDO
My very breath of life, sweet
pulse of my heart!
My tears must flow
together with yours.
But more than ever, ah, believe me,
we have need of constancy.
Ah! Do not close
your heart to hope.
Ah, my Violetta, be calm,
you grief is killing me, be calm!

VIOLETTA
Oh, Alfredo, what a cruel end
for our love!
(Violetta sinks down upon the sofa. Germont enters,
followed after a moment by Dr. Grenvil.)

GERMONT
Ah, Violetta!

VIOLETTA
You, sir!

ALFREDO
Father!

VIOLETTA
You had not forgotten me?

GERMONT
I am fulfilling my promise.
I have come to embrace you as a daughter.
O generous woman!

VIOLETTA
Alas, you have come too late!
(She embraces him.)
But I am grateful to you.
Grenvil, see? I am dying in the arms
of the only dear ones I have.

GERMONT
What are you saying!
(Oh, heaven, it is true!)

ALFREDO
Do you see her, father?

GERMONT
Don't torture me any longer.
My soul is already devoured by remorse.
Every word she speaks is a thunderbolt.
Oh, rash old man!
Only now do I see the harm I have done.

VIOLETTA
(Meanwhile, with great difficulty, she has opened a
secret drawer of her dressing table. She takes from it a
medallion and gives it to Alfredo.)
Come nearer to me -
Listen, beloved Alfredo.

Take this, it is a portrait
painted some years ago.
It will help you to remember
the one who loved you so.

ALFREDO
Ah, you will not die, don't tell me so -
You must live, my darling.
God did not bring me back to you
to face such a tragedy.

GERMONT
Dear noble victim
of a hopeless love,
forgive me
for having made your heart suffer.

VIOLETTA
If some young girl
in the flower of life
should give her heart to you -
marry her - I wish it.
Then give her this portrait:
Tell her it is the gift
of one who, in heaven among the angels,
prays for her and for you.

GERMONT
As long as my eyes have tears,
so long shall I weep for you.
Fly to the realm of the blessed,
God calls you unto him.

ALFREDO
So soon, oh no, death
cannot take you from me.
Ah, live, or a single coffin
will receive me as well as you.

VIOLETTA (getting up, as if reinvigorated)
How strange!
The spasms of pain have ceased:
A strange vigour has brought me to life!
Ah! I shall live -
Oh, joy!
(She falls down, senseless, upon the sofa.)

END

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