Vinyl.
Maria Callas *Vinyl Mimi's aria from La Bohème "Donde lieta usci"
La Divina: The Empress of Opera.
Giacomo Puccini
La Bohème
"Donde lieta usci"
Maria Callas, Soprano
an operbathosa video
Donde lieta usci
from Act III of the Italian opera, La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto : Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
Role : Mimi, a seamstress
Voice Part : soprano
Fach : lyric soprano
Setting : The barrière d'Enfer, on the outskirts of Paris
Synopsis : Rodolfo and Mimi have had a fight, Rodolfo saying that Mimi has been flirting with other men. However, the real reason he wants to separate from Mimi is because she is very sick and he cannot bear to watch her die. He reveals this to Marcello, but Mimi overhears him and, after Marcello leaves, she comes out to him and asks him to return all of her possessions to her former room.
Donde lieta uscì
Whence happy leaving
al tuo grido d'amore,
To your cry of love,
torna sola Mimì
Returns alone Mimi
al solitario nido.
To solitary nest.
Ritorna un'altra volta
Returns another time
a intesser finti fior.
To weave together false flowers.
Addio, senza rancor.
Goodbye, without resentment.
Ascolta, ascolta.
Listen, listen.
Le poche robe aduna
The little things gather
che lasciai sparse.
That I have left scattered about
Nel mio cassetto
In my drawer
stan chiusi quel cerchietto d'or
Are enclosed that gold band
e il libro di preghiere.
And a book of prayers.
Involgi tutto quanto in un grembiale
Wrap everything much in a smock
e manderò il portiere...
And I will send the concierge...
Bada, sotto il guanciale
Pay attention, on the pillow
c'è la cuffietta rosa.
There is a pink bonnet
Se vuoi serbarla a ricordo d'amor!
If you want, keep a memory of love!
Addio, senza rancor.
Goodbye, without resentment.
Word by word translation by Terri Eickel
