The Berlin Concert (2006) - full transcript

It's the familiar story of the shepherd.

The poor boy wanted to tell it

but fell asleep.

In sleep there is forgetfulness.

How I envy him!

I too would like to sleep like that,

in sleep at least to find forgetfulness!

I keep looking only for peace.

I'd like to be able to forget everything.

But all my efforts are in vain.

Before me I see always

her charming features!

Peace has been taken from me alone.

Why must I suffer so much?

That woman! She still touches my heart!

Fatal vision, leave me!

You hurt me so much! Alas!

Oh, dear daddy,

I like him, he's handsome.

I want to go to Porta Rossa

to buy the ring!

Yes, yes, I want to go there!

And if it's useless to love him

I'll go to the Ponte Vecchio

and throw myself into the Arno!

I'm pining, I'm tortured!

Oh, God, I could die!

Daddy, have pity, have pity!

Ah, appear!

Appear, star of my heaven!

Golden bee, whose honey is love!

Raise these shadowing veils

that conceal your charming face!

Raise these shadowing veils

and let me show to all

the rising sun of your face

and your gaze, your starlit gaze.

Appear! Appear!

Yes, appear, sun of my eyes,

the only truly precious treasure,

the only thing that sparks love!

I have captured you

and you have captured me.

Be my victory prize!

Anahita!

Raise these shadowing veils

that conceal your charming face!

Raise these shadowing veils

and let me show to all

the rising sun of your face

and your gaze, your starlit gaze.

Appear, Anahita!

Now as the darkness deepens

all harsh sounds die away.

Now my turbulent heart

finds peace in this embrace

and calm refreshment.

Let cannons roar

and all the world collapse

if after the immeasurable wrath

comes this immeasurable love!

My splendid warrior!

What anguish, what deep sighs

and high hopes have strewn

the path to our glad union!

Oh, how sweet to murmur thus together!

Do you remember?

You used to tell me

of your life in exile,

of violent deeds

and suffering long endured.

And I would listen,

transported by the tales

that terrified

but thrilled my heart as well.

I would describe

the clash of arms, the fight

and violent thrust

toward the fatal breach,

the assault when hands clung to bastions

amid the hissing darts.

Then you would lead me

to the glaring desert,

to scorching sands,

the country of your birth.

Then you would relate

your sufferings,

tell me of chains

and slavery's agony.

When I told my story, your lovely

face was softened by tears,

your lips by sighs.

Upon my darkness shone

a radiance, heaven

and all the stars in benediction.

And I descried

upon your dusky temples

genius's ethereal beauty

shining there.

You loved me

for the dangers I had passed.

And I loved you

that you pitied them.

I loved you

for the dangers you had passed.

And you loved me

that I pitied them.

And you loved me.

- And you loved me

- And I loved you

- that I pitied them.

- that you pitied them.

Let death come now!

In the ecstasy of this embrace

I meet my hour of hours!

Such is the rapture of my soul, I fear,

that never more to me may be vouchsafed

to know such bliss in all

the hidden future of my fate.

May heaven dispel all cares

and may love not change

throughout the changing years.

To that prayer of yours

may the heavenly host reply, "Amen".

"Amen" be the reply.

Ah! Joy floods my breast so piercingly

that I must lay me down

and pant for breath.

A kiss.

Othello!

A kiss.

Another kiss.

The blazing Pleiades

sink beneath the waves.

The night is far advanced.

Come.

- Venus is radiant!

- Othello!

From the depths of the holy temple,

decked with gold and flowers

a woman appears.

I can still see her!

The kneeling crowd

looks at her, astonished

and softly murmurs:

Behold, it is the goddess

who rises out of the darkness

and stretches her arms toward us!

Her veil is raised!

O vision! O dream!

The crowd is on its knees!

Yes, it is she! It is the goddess

most lovely and most beautiful!

Yes, it is she! It is the goddess

who steps down among us!

Her veil is raised

and the crowd is on its knees!

Through the crowd

she opens a pathway!

Her long veil already

hides her face from us!

My eyes, alas, follow her in vain!

Yes, it is she! It is the goddess

who has just brought us together again.

And, ever mindful of my vow,

like a brother I will cherish you!

It is she! It is the goddess

who today reunites us!

Yes, let us share the same fate!

Let us be friends to the death!

They all say it's a lie that I love you

because they've never seen me in love.

I swear to you that

even I don't understand

why your gaze has enchanted me.

When I'm close to you

and you are happy

I wouldn't want you to think

of anyone else.

I'm jealous of even the thought

that I might remind you

of some other love.

Swear to me

that however much time goes by

you'll never forget

the moment when I met you.

Look at me

for there is nothing deeper

or greater in this world

than the love I gave you!

Kiss me

with a loving kiss

as no one has kissed me

since the day I was born.

Love me, love me to insanity

and then you'll know the bitterness

I'm suffering because of you.

I myself don't know

why people speak at once of love

when they come near me,

look into my eyes and kiss my hands.

I myself don't know

why people talk of the magic

that no one can resist

when they see me,

when they come past me.

But if the red light is glowing

around midnight,

if everyone is listening to my song

then the reason becomes clear.

My lips kiss with such passion,

my arms are soft and white.

It's written in the stars:

you should kiss, you should love.

My feet glide by,

my eyes tempt and glow.

And I dance as if entranced for I know:

my lips kiss with such passion.

In my veins flows a dancer's blood

for my beautiful mother was

Queen of the Dance in golden Alcazar.

She was entrancingly beautiful.

I've seen her often in my dreams.

She beat the drum for wild dancing,

then all eyes burned bright.

She's been wakened anew in me.

We share the same destiny.

At midnight I dance as she did

and feel only this:

my lips kiss with such passion,

my limbs are soft and white.

It's written in the stars:

you should kiss, you should love.

And I dance as if entranced

for I know:

my lips kiss with such passion.

The swallows have flown

from my cold, sunless land,

seeking springs of violets,

nests of love and happiness.

My little swallow flew off

without leaving me a kiss.

Without saying goodbye she fled.

Do not forget me.

My life is bound to you.

I love you more and more.

You are always in my dreams.

Do not forget me.

My life is bound to you.

There will always be a nest

in my heart for you.

Do not forget me!

O gentle maid!

O sweet face suffused

with the light of the rising moon!

In you I recognize the dream

I'd like to dream for ever!

Ah! Love, alone command me!

My soul is already a-throb

with the sweets of passion.

Love, alone command me!

My soul is a-throb

with the sweets of passion.

Oh, how sweetly his flattery

falls upon my heart.

- Love, alone command me!

- Love trembles in a kiss!

No, I beg you!

You're mine!

Your friends are waiting for you.

Are you already sending me away?

I'd like to say but I dare not.

Tell me.

Suppose I came with you?

What? Mimì!

It would be lovely to stay here.

It's cold outside.

I shall be near you!

- And when we return?

- Wait and see!

Give me your arm, my dearest.

I obey, my lord!

Say you love me.

I love you!

My love! My love!

Inside this little room,

so cold and dark,

where once the sun would enter,

I am now alone, in fear

that my heart is wasting away.

The fear that this sickness

will destroy me

and I'll never see Naples again,

I'll never see you again.

I wish I could go back to you

for just one hour, my Naples,

to hear you singing

with a thousand mandolins.

I wish I could go back to you

as before, my love,

to be able to kiss you,

to feel your embrace.

This fever that never leaves me,

this fever won't let me live any more.

I wish I could go back to you

for just one hour, my Naples.

I wish... I wish... I wish...

But I'm in torment!

Only you, you're the only thing

I'll see for ever,

in my eyes, in my words

and in ev'rything I do,

nothing else but you ever!

And there's nothing for me but Maria,

ev'ry sight that I see is Maria.

Tony, Tony...

Always you, ev'ry thought I'll ever know,

ev'rywhere I go you'll be!

All the world is only you and me!

Tonight, tonight,

it all began tonight.

I saw you and the world went away.

Tonight, tonight,

there's only you tonight,

what you are, what you do,

what you say.

Today, all day I had the feeling

a miracle would happen.

I know now I was right.

For here you are

and what was just a world

is a star tonight!

Tonight, tonight,

the world is full of light,

with suns and moons

all over the place.

Tonight, tonight,

the world is wild and bright,

going mad,

shooting sparks into space.

Today the world was just an address,

a place for me to live in,

no better than all right.

But here you are

and what was just a world is a star

tonight!

Goodnight, goodnight,

sleep well and when you dream

dream of me

tonight!

The moon is high on the sea.

Mamma mia, we'll be leaping.

It's the perfect time for dancing.

Plenty of lovers will be there.

Quick, come here, girls.

Dance in a circle.

Each one of you will have

a cheerful, handsome lad.

While there's still a star in the sky

and the moon is shining

the loveliest boy and girl

will dance all night long.

Leap, leap, turn, turn.

Every pair turn around.

Step forward, step back

into the darkness.

Close in with the blonde girl,

in and out with the dark.

Follow on with the redhead,

on the spot with the mousy.

Hurrah for the circle dance.

I'm a king, I'm a sultan.

There's nothing like it in the world.

It's the greatest pleasure there is.

When I walk out,

when I walk out alone along the street

people stop and stare

and they seek out my beauty

from head to foot.

Then I relish the sly desire

which shines from eyes

and can infer hidden beauties

from outward charms.

Thus the breath of desire

whirls around me

and makes me happy!

And you who know,

who remember and fret,

why do you shun me like that?

I know full well you'll not

tell your sufferings.

You'd rather die

than speak of your torment!

It cannot be; she's a good woman.

She cannot be a wicked woman.

In her eyes I have seen

something special

that tells me

she is not a fallen woman.

She cannot be a common temptress

who has poisoned my life.

It cannot be

for I saw her pray, I saw her love,

for I saw her weep.

Eyes that shed tears cannot lie.

Wicked women do not look like this.

I saw two tears trembling in her eyes

and I thought they trembled for me.

Bright light of my dream,

show compassion on my love.

For I cannot pretend,

for I cannot be silent,

for I cannot live.

Let's drink from the joyous chalice

where beauty flowers.

Let the fleeting hour to pleasure's

intoxication yield.

Let's drink to love's sweet tremors,

to those eyes that pierce the heart.

Let's drink to love, to wine

that warms our kisses.

With you I would share

my days of happiness.

Everything is folly in this world

that doesn't give us pleasure.

Let's enjoy life, for the pleasures

of love are swift and fleeting

as a flower that lives and dies

and can be enjoyed no more.

Let's take our pleasure while its

ardent, brilliant summons lures us on.

Life is just pleasure.

If one still waits for love.

I know nothing of that. Don't tell me.

But there lies my fate.

Let's take our pleasure of wine

and singing and mirth

till the new day

dawns on us in paradise.

Yours is my whole heart.

Where you are not, I cannot be.

Just as the flower wilts

when the sunshine does not kiss it!

Yours is my loveliest song

because it blooms from love alone.

Tell me once more, my only love,

oh, tell me once more:

I love you!

Wherever I go

I feel you near.

I would drink in your breath

and sink at your feet in adoration,

at your feet alone!

How wonderful is your shining hair!

Beautiful and dark with yearning

is your radiant gaze.

If I hear the sound of your voice

it is like music.

Yours is my whole heart.

Where you are not, I cannot be.

Just as the flower wilts

when the sunshine does not kiss it!

Yours is my loveliest song

because it blooms from love alone.

Tell me once more, my only love,

oh, tell me once more:

I love you!