Many persons listen to, hum along with and even know the English equivalents of a
word or two of their favorite arias but never understand the entire piece. Not good…since they are missing an opportunity to better comprehend the opera, and to progress toward learning the language in which a given opera is written. In teaching languages I have found that learning and repeatedly singing songs is a highly effective technique, especially because it is painless, even most enjoyable.TRY IT! You will discover that the lyrics begin to roll through your mind as you sleep, eat, go about your daily activities. Translations of some of the most
beloved arias will appear in our website. It’s better than barroom karaoke and includes learning hints
Dr. Ralph P. Vander Heide
Text and Translation
“Un bel di, vedremo”
from Madama Butterfly (G. Puccini)
Italian Text
Un bel dì, vedremo
levarsi un fil di fumo
sull’estremo confin del mare.
E poi la nave appare.—guess the meaning
Poi la nave bianca
entra nel porto,–an easy one. The nave is doing what?
romba il suo saluto.
Vedi? È venuto!
Io non gli scendo incontro. Io no. two easy words
Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle e aspetto,
e aspetto gran tempo
e non mi pesa,
la lunga attesa. COULD IO MEAN I?
E uscito dalla folla cittadina, =city
un uomo, un picciol punto looks like homo–mankind
s’avvia per la collina. in Spanish, colina
Chi sarà? chi sarà? future tense: who will it be?Sp Que será
E come sarà giunto
che dirà? che dirà?
Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana.
Io senza dar risposta IO again & what is IO doing?SENZA?
me ne starò nascosta
un po’ per celia
e un po’ per non morire
al primo incontro; EASY: at the first encounter
ed egli alquanto in pena
chiamerà, chiamerà:
“Piccina mogliettina,
olezzo di verbena”
i nomi che mi dava al suo venire.
(a Suzuki)
Tutto questo avverrà, like English aver—right? EASY!!!
te lo prometto.
Tienti la tua paura,io con sicura fede l’aspetto
English Translation
One good day, we will see
Arising a strand of smoke
Over the far horizon on the sea
And then the ship appears
And then the ship is white
It enters into the port, it rumbles its salute. Do you see it? He is coming!
I don’t go down to meet him, not I.
I stay upon the edge of the hill
And I wait a long time
but I do not grow weary of the long wait.
And leaving from the crowded city,
A man, a little speck
Climbing the hill.
Who is it? Who is it?
And as he arrives
What will he say? What will he say?
He will call Butterfly from the distance
I without answering
Stay hidden
A little to tease him,
A little as to not die.
At the first meeting,
And then a little troubled
He will call, he will call
“Little one, dear wife
Blossom of orange”
The names he called me at his last coming.
All this will happen,
I promise you this
Hold back your fears -
I with secure faith wait for you.
HINTS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING
If you are familiar with Spanish, you will note similarities since they are two of several Italic Indo-European (“Romance”) languages descended from Latin. Here Spanish would be Un buen dia veremos un hilo de fumo levantarse….sobre el extremo confin del mar. You may know that the se (si) of levantarse (levarsi) is reflexive. In these languages the smoke (fumo) rises it self, i.e. it “self rises.” I “get up” in Spanish is “me levanto” (rise or raise myself). Look for such constructions as well as for words especially cognates you easily recognize or know. Quickly I see nave, appare,no, Meanings must be ship, appear,no I tell myself. Enough free lesson! You do it! “Rosetta Stone” and “Pimsleur” charge a small fortune for this and promise 10 day results. I am free and realistically promise mastery as soon as you can achieve master.