Translation From Italian To English

Here is a song from the opera, Andrea Chénier, by Umberto Giordano. I have been trying to find the literal English translation of this song, but haven't had any luck. I was wondering, does anyone have that for me. Here are the lyrics in Italian.

La mamma morta.
m'hanno alla porta della stanza mia
Moriva e mi salvava!
poi a notte alta io con Bersi errava,
quando ad un tratto
un livido bagliore guizza
e rischiara innanzi a' passi miei
la cupa via!
Guardo!
Bruciava il loco di mia culla!
Così fui sola!
E intorno il nulla!
Fame e miseria!
Il bisogno, il periglio!
Caddi malata,
e Bersi, buona e pura,
di sua bellezza ha fatto un mercato,
un contratto per me!
Porto sventura a chi bene mi vuole!
Fu in quel dolore
che a me venne l'amore!
Voce piena d'armonia e dice
Vivi ancora! Io son la vita!
Ne' miei occhi è il tuo cielo!
Tu non sei sola!
Le lacrime tue io le raccolgo!
Io sto sul tuo cammino e ti sorreggo!
Sorridi e spera! Io son l'amore!
Tutto intorno è sangue e fango?
Io son divino! Io son l'oblio!
Io sono il dio che sovra il mondo
scendo da l'empireo, fa della terra un ciel! Ah!
Io son l'amore, io son l'amore, l'amore
E l'angelo si accosta, bacia,
e vi bacia la morte!
Corpo di moribonda è il corpo mio.
Prendilo dunque.
Io son già morta cosa!

Well, I'm not a native but can understand written Italian a bit, so I'll try to translate it for you...


My mom was killed
at my bedroom's door;
she was dying and saving me!
then at the middle of the night I was walking around with Bersi,
when suddenly
a gleam of light flashes
and brightens the dark path
in front of me!
I look!
My home was on fire!
Like this I became alone!
And around me there was nothing!
Hungry and misery!
The need, the danger!
I fell ill,
and Bersi, good and pure,
sold her beauty
to save me.
I carry misfortune to anyone who cares for me!
It was in the middle of that suffering
that love came to me!
A voice full of harmony said to me
yet live! I'm life!
In my eyes there's your sky!
You're not alone!
I collect your tears!
I'm in your path and I help you!
Smile and wait! I'm the love!
All around you is blood and mud?
I'm divine! I'm the forgotten one!
I'm the God that rules the world
I descend from the heavens and make from earth a sky! Ah!
I'm the love, I'm love, the love
And the angel comes closer, kisses,
and by kissing, kisses death!
My body is the body of a dying woman!
Then take it.
I'm already dead.

Hmmm, This is a very famous aria. How literal would you want it? The last line actually means "I am (already) a dead thing". (That's no slam, to you, zatsu, btw.) Your voice teacher didn't tell you to get a dictionary and look up the words, did she/he? That's part of being an opera singer in many cases.

You may want to purchase "An Interpretative Guide to Operatic Arias" by Martial Singher. There are translations (in full) for many arias for all voice types. This is one of the arias in the book.

That was very nice of zatsu to do the translation, btw.

I was happy to do it =) Thanks K.T.!


<<The last line actually means "I am (already) a dead thing".>>

Yeah, I was aware of that, but thought it sounded weird in English... Guess it doesn't then, huh
Maybe there are English mistakes as well, like
"I descend from the heavens and make from earth a sky!", should it be "make of earth a sky" instead?


Oh, didn't know Annabelle would be singing this^^

Actually, I'm not an opera singer. I don't even like opera! I am just curious as to what the translation is. My music teacher, David Gustafson, is the one who's the opera singer, he's a lyric tenor! By the way, what do you mean when you say, "How literal do you want it?" As literal as possible.

Your translation sounds more like natural English, zatsu.

Without knowing why Annabelle needs a LITERAL translation, I can't tell if she needs more gruesome detail with this aria or not. For a master class, that is, when a diva or a famous singer visits a university, it's imperative to have a literal translation (know each word) because the celebrity may ask the student what "Bruciava il loco di mia culla!" literally means in Italian. If the student doesn't know, it could be awkward.

I would just wait to see if Annabelle stops back for the translation. I think you were extremely kind to translate this long passage.


As for the passage you mentioned, I may have translated it a little differently. I'd use "heaven" for "ciel" perhaps; however, I like your version too. I'd ask Kef how he'd punctuate it. I think I prefer "make of earth"...

Ack, I'm in the mire now.

OK^^ I won't do anything else
K.T., you seem to know a lot about this! Are you into opera singing yourself?


<<I'd use "heaven" for "ciel" perhaps>>
I see what you mean, he would descend from the heavens to create another heaven on earth for her, that makes sense!

Mamma morta doesn't mean My mother was killed this is a translation made by a Portuguese and there are many misunderstandings..

Sorridi e spera

Another example: the right translation is smile and hope not wait

Lol, I don't have to explain this, but...

it's true, "mamma morta" doesn't mean "My mother was killed" per se, but clearly I added the meaning of the next sentence. It's not a literal translation, but the meaning is correct.


"spera" can mean both "wait" and "hope", it depends on the context. "wait" seemed better in my view.

btw, "spera" in Italian = "espera" in Portuguese.
Where's the misunderstanding in that?

I may not *speak* Italian but I wasn't born yesterday either.

"spera" can mean both "wait" and "hope", it depends on the context. "wait" seemed better in my view."

This is true in Spanish and Portuguese where the verb esperar means both to wait and to hope but in Italian sperare only means to hope. Aspettare means to wait, so spera means hope not wait.

On the whole, you did a good job but even the following sentence wasn't translated properly.

sold her beauty
to save me.
I carry misfortune to anyone who cares for me!

Zatsu, I added the link (deleted for some reason)to an earlier thread because I thought it was an important look at where this kind of translation can lead.

(The reason singers need every word to be translated is so they can sing with the right kind of colour or feeling. I believe that you know that "La mamma morta" means basically "My dead mother" and understand how strong that sounds in English. In this case, it's suitable because the character is filled with horror about what happened to her mother and the burning of the place of her birth "Bruciava il loco di mia culla"...)

According to Annabelle's admission, this translation is just for her own curiosity and while she wants it to be as literal as possible, it's not going to be easy to satisfy all the people who may happen on this thread.

I could do a literal translation, but why? There seems to be no reason since Annabelle is not even interested in opera.

I would like to underline that I think you were very, very nice to give her an idea about this text.

Thanks again K.T..
Think you're right, there's no point in carrying on with further translations and inciting discussion when there's no real interest in it.

I reckon I don't know much about the opera (only watched some videos my Math teacher used to share with us students! lol), but it seems really interesting, the plots are always good and rich in emotion. The actors/ singers have to work hard to perform well.
It would actually be nice to get to know this whole piece.


Thanks to Guest as well for pointing out the difference between "hope" and "wait".

Here is a translation I came up with. Part of it comes from the script of the 1993 film "Philadelphia". I am hoping someone can tell me if it's accurate.
My mother is dying on the threshold of my room!
By her death she saved me!
Later, during the night, I was wandering with Bersi, when suddenly a livid glare flared up and illuminated the dark road before my uncertain steps. Look! The place that cradled me is burning! Thus I found myself alone! And all around me an empty void! Hunger and poverty ... need, danger. I fell ill. And Bersi, so good and pure, sold her beauty for my sake! I bring sorrow to those who love me! It was during this sorrow that love came to me! A voice filled with harmony. It said: "Live still! I am life! Heaven is in your eyes! You are not alone! Your tears I will dry. I stand by you on your way and will support you! Smile and hope! I am love! Is everything around you just the blood and mud? I am divine! I am oblivion! I am the god… that comes down from the heavens, and makes of the Earth a heaven. Oh, I am love! I am love! Love!" And the angel draws near and kisses you. And it is death that kisses you! My body is the body of a dying woman! Take it then! I am already a dead thing!