Je crois entendre encore & Una furtiva lagrima

Je crois entendre encore from Bizet's opera Les Pêcheurs de Perles is my favourite of Enrico Caruso's arias. His is also probably the rendition I love the most amongst different tenors—the emotional depth, strength and dramatic power in his voice bring tears to one's eyes. This is a brilliant website on the legendary artist.

Lyrics:

I believe I hear again,
hidden beneath the palm trees,
her tender, resonant voice,
like a dove's song,

o enchanting night,
divine rapture,
o charming memory,
mad intoxication, sweet dream.

In the starlight,
I believe I see her again,
parting her long veils,
in the warm breezes of the evening,

o enchanting night,
divine rapture,
o charming memory,
mad intoxication, sweet dream.
--------------
Mi par d'udire ancora
o scosa in mezzo ai fior
la voce sua talora
sospire l'amor!

O notte dicarezze,
gioir che non ha fin,
o sovvenir divin!
Folli ebbrezze del sogno, sogno d'amor!

Dalle stelle del cielo
Altro menar che da lei,
La veggio d'ogni velo,
Pender li per le ser!

O notte dicarezze!
gioir che non ha fin!
O sovvenir divin!
Folli ebbrezze del sogno, sogno d'amor!

divin sovvenir, divin sovvenir!
--------------
Je crois entendre encore,
Caché sous les palmiers,
Sa voix, tendre et sonore,
Comme un chant de ramier!

Ô nuit enchanteresse!
Divin ravissement!
Ô souvenir charmant!
Folle ivresse! Doux rêve.

Aux clartés des étoiles,
Je crois encore la voir,
Entrouvrir ses longs voiles,
Aux vents tièdes du soir!

Ô nuit enchanteresse!
Divin ravissement!
Ô souvenir charmant!
Folle ivresse! Doux rêve.

Charmant souvenir!
Divin souvenir!

Enrico Caruso


Tino Rossi (1934)


Alfredo Kraus (1960)


Enrico Caruso sings another beloved operatic aria of mine, Una Furtiva Lagrima (L'Elisir d'Amore) by Donizetti. Recorded in 1904 and 1911.


Luciano Pavarotti. From The Essential Pavarotti (DVD), Royal Gala Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Kurt Herbert Adler, recorded on April 13th 1982.


Italian text:

Una furtiva lagrima
Negli occhi suoi spunto:
Quelle festose giovani
Invidiar sembro.
Che piu cercando io vo?
Che piu cercando io vo?
M'ama! Sì, m'ama, lo vedo, lo vedo.
Un solo instante i palpiti
Del suo bel cor sentir!
I miei sospir, confondere
Per poco a' suoi sospir!
I palpiti, i palpiti sentir,
Confondere i miei coi suoi sospir
Cielo, si puo morir!
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Ah! Cielo, si puo, si puo morir,
Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Si puo morir, si puo morir d'amor.


English translation:

One tear that falls so furtively
from her sweet eyes has just sprung,
as if she envied all the youths
who laughingly passed her right by.
What could I want more than this?
She loves me! Yes, she loves me! I see it, I see it.
One moment just to hear her heart,
beating so close next to mine,
to hear my sighs like they were hers,
her sighings as if they were mine!
Heavens, please take me now:
All that I wanted is mine now!