William Wu (吳文修)：Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto (他無力抵擋我的猛烈攻擊) fm "Il Trovatore (遊唱詩人)". Tokyo, 1981.

Maestro William Wu (吳文修教授, 1935-2009) was a primo dramatic tenor of the National Opera House in Berlin during 1973-79. His biography has been included in Who’s Who in Opera, The New York Times, since 1976, where he was further selected as one of the 50 leading classical singers in the world. His outstanding performance as Radames in Verdi’s Aida in Tokyo won him the 1984 Vienna World Opera Award. His faultless vocalization is mainly based upon anatomic physiology and modern sound science fascinating with uniquely perfect high notes and solid middle register. It is the profound feelings in the every note he sings that is particularly touching.

For more nice-listening singing of Maestro William Wu, please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/312817434432486

[Synopsis of Manrico / Azucena duet “Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto (He was helpless under my fierce attack)” fm “Il Trovatore” by Verdi]

In the Act 2 of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore”, Azucena, the daughter of the Gypsy burnt by the count di Luna, is still haunted by her duty to avenge her mother. She confesses to Manrico that after stealing the di Luna baby she had intended to burn the count's little son along with her mother, but overwhelmed by the screams and the gruesome scene of her mother's execution, she became confused and threw her own child into the flames instead.

Manrico realises that he is not the son of Azucena, but loves her as if she were indeed his mother, as she has always been faithful and loving to him – and, indeed, saved his life only recently, discovering him left for dead on a battlefield after being caught in ambush. Manrico tells Azucena that he defeated di Luna in their earlier duel, but was held back from killing him by a mysterious power and Azucena reproaches him for having stayed his hand then, especially since it was the Count's forces that defeated him in the subsequent battle.

[威爾第歌劇《遊吟詩人》曼里科/阿蘇琪娜二重唱「他無力抵擋我的猛烈攻擊」劇情概要]

在威爾第歌劇《遊吟詩人》的第二幕中，遭盧納伯爵燒死的吉普賽老女巫的女兒阿蘇琪娜仍無時無刻不在想要為母親報仇。她向曼里科坦白，在偷走盧納伯爵的嬰兒後，本想讓這伯爵的小兒子和自己的母親一起被燒死，但她被尖叫聲和母親被處決的可怕場景所淹沒，反而誤將自己的孩子丟進火裡。

曼里科意識到他不是阿蘇琪娜的兒子，但他深愛她就像她真的是自己的母親一樣。曼里科告訴阿蘇琪娜，他在先前的決鬥中擊敗了現在的盧納伯爵，但被一種神秘的力量阻止而未殺死對方。阿蘇琪娜責備他當時為何不出手，以致在隨後的戰鬥中是伯爵的軍隊擊敗了他。

[Italian lyrics -- Omitted]

[English translation of the lyrics]

MANRICO
Fighting off poorly my fierce attack,
he had already fallen to the ground:
the thrust that was to pierce him
already flashed in the air,
when a mysterious feeling
stopped my hand, as it descended!
Suddenly a sharp chill
ran shuddering through my being
as a cry came down from heaven,
that said to me: Don't strike!

AZUCENA
But to that ingrate's spirit
heaven said not a word!
Ah, if fate should drive you
to fight with that wretch again,
then follow, my son, like a God,
follow then what I tell you to do:
Strike, plunge up to its hilt
that blade in the wicked man's heart!
Strike, plunge up to its hilt.

MANRICO
Yes, I swear it, this blade
will plunge into that wicked heart!

AZUCENA
Avenge me!
(The messenger enters.)

MANRICO
Come in. Tell me:
did more fighting follow?
(He reads.)
The Prince's orders are that you
shall supervise its defence.
When you receive this, hurry here.
This evening, deceived by the cry
of your death,
in the nearby Holy Cross Convent,
Leonora will take the veil.'
Oh, merciful heaven!

AZUCENA
What is it?

MANRICO (to the messenger)
Hurry down the hill,
and prepare a horse for me.

MESSENGER
I'll run.

AZUCENA
Manrico!

MANRICO (to the messenger)
Time presses!
Fly! Wait for me at the foot of the hill.

AZUCENA
What do you want to do?

MANRICO
(takes his helmet and cloak.)
Farewell!

AZUCENA
No, stop, hear me...

MANRICO
Let me go!

AZUCENA
Stop! I'm the one who's speaking to you!
To risk yourself, still sickly,
over a wild and steep road!
Mad boy, you mean to re-open
the wounds in your unhealed breast!
No, I cannot bear it:
your blood is my blood!
Every drop you shed of it,
you're pressing from my heart! etc.

MANRICO
A moment can steal from me
my love, my hope!
No, heaven and earth haven't
the strength to stop me.

AZUCENA
Madman!

MANRICO
Ah, mother, get out of my way!
Woe to you, should I remain here!
You would see, at your feet,
your son, dead of grief!

AZUCENA
No, I cannot bear it...

(The rest are omitted.)

[歌詞中譯]

曼里科
他無力抵擋我的猛烈攻擊，
已倒在地上：
那股刺穿他的推力，
也已在空中閃現，
但有一種神秘的感覺，
我的手在下降時停住了！
突然有一陣凜冽的寒意，
顫抖著穿過我。
有一個聲音從天而降，
對我說：別打了！

阿蘇琪娜
但對於那個忘恩負義的人來說，
天道竟然一言不發！
啊，如果命運使你
再次與那混蛋戰鬥，
我兒一定要像聽從上帝的話一樣，
照我告訴你的去做：
攻擊，全力以赴!
把那把利刃插在惡人的心窩！
攻擊，猛衝。

曼里科
是的，我發誓，這把刀片
一定會插入那顆邪惡的心！

阿蘇琪娜
為我報仇！
（使者進來。）

曼里科
進來吧，告訴我，
接下來有更多戰鬥嗎？
(讀信）
王子的命令是說，
你應該監督防衛事務。
當你收到這個的時候，趕快過來。
今夜被附近的聖十字架修道院的哭聲欺騙，
傳說王子死亡，
雷奧諾拉(曼里科的愛人)將戴上面紗。
哦，仁慈的上天！

阿蘇琪娜
那是什麼？

曼里科（對信使）
快點下山吧
並為我準備一匹馬。

信差
我會跑。

阿蘇琪娜
曼里科！

曼里科（對信使）
時間緊迫！
飛奔！在山腳下等我。

阿蘇琪娜
你要做什麼？

曼里科
（拿起他的頭盔和斗篷。）
告辭了！

阿蘇琪娜
不，停下來，聽我說…

曼里科
讓我走！

阿蘇琪娜
停止！我就是跟你說話的人！
冒著仍病弱的風險，
穿過一條狂野而陡峭的道路！
你瘋了! 你想重新撕開
你未癒合的胸部傷口嗎！
不，我無法忍受：
你的血就是我的血！
你流下的每一滴，
都壓在我的心上！

曼里科
你可以從我身上偷走
我的愛、我的希望！
但天地間沒有任何力量可以
阻止我。

阿蘇琪娜
狂人！

曼里科
啊，媽，別擋我的路！
您有禍了，我該留在這裡嗎！
您會看到，你的兒子，傷心地死在您腳下，

（以下從略）