William Wu (吳文修)：L’aborrita rivale a me sfuggia (我痛恨的情敵已逃跑) from Aida, Act 4 by Verdi. Tokyo, 1982.

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]

In the Act 4 of Verdi’s opera “Aida” (Setting: a hall in the palace of the king of Egypt), Amneris (daughter of the pharaoh) desires to save Radamès (captain of the guard). She calls for the guard to bring him to her.

She asks Radamès to deny the accusations, but Radamès, who does not wish to live without Aida, refuses. He is relieved to know Aida is still alive and hopes she has reached her own country.

Offstage, Ramfis (high priest) recites the charges against Radamès and calls on him to defend himself, but he stands mute, and is condemned to death as a traitor. Amneris, who remains onstage, protests that Radamès is innocent, and pleads with the priests to show mercy. The priests sentence him to be buried alive; Amneris weeps and curses the priests as he is taken away.

[劇情概要]

在威爾第歌劇《阿依達》第四幕（場景：埃及法老王宮殿的大廳）中，安娜莉斯（法老王的公主）想要拯救拉達梅斯（衛兵隊長）。她叫警衛把他帶過來。

她要求拉達梅斯否認那些指控，但拉達梅斯拒絕，因為他不想沒有阿伊達。得知阿伊達還活著，他感到很欣慰，也希望她已回到自己的國家。

拉姆菲斯（大祭司）朗讀對拉達梅斯的指控，並要他為自己辯護，但他一言不發，遂被當作叛國而判處死刑。安娜莉斯聲稱拉達梅斯無辜，並懇求祭司們憐憫。 祭司們判他活埋；安娜莉斯哭泣並詛咒祭司。

[English translation of the lyrics of Radamès / Amneris duet -"L’aborrita rivale a me sfuggia (my hated rival has escaped me)“ from "Aida” by Verdi]

AMNERIS
(sadly, standing before the door)
My hated rival has escaped.
Radamès awaits, from the hands of the priests, the traitor’s punishment.
But he is not a traitor, even if he revealed the secret plan.

He meant to flee – with her!
Traitors all! Death to them – death!
Oh, what am I saying? I love him,
I still love him, with a mad, a desperate love, which is killing me.
Oh! if only he might love me!
I should like to save him. How? I shall try!
Guards, bring Radamès to me.
(Radamès enters escorted by guards.)
The priests even now are in counsel,
deciding your fate.
But you can still establish your innocence in answer to the dread accusations.
Clear yourself, and I shall ask pardon for you from the King.
In that way, I can bring both pardon and life you.

RADAMÈS
The judges shall never hear me try to defend myself.
Before the gods and man I feel myself neither traitors no guilty.
My incautious words revealed the secret, it is true.
But both my thought and my honour remain unstained by guilt.

AMNERIS
Then defend yourself – save yourself.

RADAMÈS
No.

AMNERIS
You will die –

RADAMÈS
Life is hateful to me.
The source of all joy is now dry, every hope is gone.
I wish only to die.

AMNERIS
To die! Ah, you must live!
Yes, you shall live in my love.
For you, I have already felt the horrible anguish of death.
I loved, I suffered, I passed the nights in tears.
My country, my throne, my life – I should give up all for you.

RADAMÈS
For her, I too betrayed
my country and my honour.

AMNERIS
Do not speak of her!

RADAMÈS
Infamy is my lot – and you ask me to live?
You brought me to the depths of misery, you took Aida from me.
Perhaps, because of you, she is dead – and you offer me my life?

AMNERIS
Aida dead, because of me? No, she is alive!

RADAMÈS
She is alive!

AMNERIS
In the desperate flight of the fleeing hordes only her father died.

RADAMÈS
And she?

AMNERIS
She disappeared, nothing is known of her.

RADAMÈS
May the gods lead her safely to her home.
May she never know the fate of the one who will die for her!

AMNERIS
If I save you, swear to me that you will never see her again.

RADAMÈS
I cannot!

(The rest are omitted.)

[歌詞中譯]

安娜莉斯
（悲傷地站在門前）
我痛恨的情敵逃跑了。
拉達梅斯在等待祭司們對叛徒的懲罰。
但即使他洩漏了秘密計劃，他也不是叛徒。

他打算帶著她逃跑！
他們都是叛徒！去死吧－去死吧！
哦，我在說什麼？我愛他。
我仍然愛他，帶著一種瘋狂、絕望的愛，這愛要了我的命。
哦！要是他愛我就好了！
我很想救他。如何？我會嘗試的！
衛兵，把拉達梅斯帶到我這裡來。
（拉達梅斯在衛兵的護送下入場。）
祭司們現在還在商議、決定你的命運。
但你仍然可以證明自己的清白，以回應可怕的指控。
把你自己洗淨吧，我會向國王請求寬恕。
這樣，我就能帶給你赦免和活命。

拉達梅斯
法官永遠不會聽到我試圖為自己辯護。
在諸神和人類面前，我覺得自己既不是叛徒，也沒有罪。
我不小心的話暴露了秘密，這是真的。
但我的思想和榮譽都沒有被罪惡玷污。

安娜莉斯
那就保護自己、拯救自己。

拉達梅斯
不。

安娜莉斯
你會死 -

拉達梅斯
生命對我來說是可恨的。
所有歡樂的泉源現在都枯竭了，所有的希望都消失了。
我只想死。

安娜莉斯
去死吧！啊，你一定要活下去！
是的，你將活在我的愛中。
為了你，我已感受到死亡的可怕與痛苦。
我愛過，我受苦，我在淚水中度過夜晚。
我的國家，我的王位，我的生命－我將為了你而放棄一切。

拉達梅斯
為了她，我也背叛了我的國家和我的榮譽。

安娜莉斯
別說她了！

拉達梅斯
我的命運就是臭名昭彰─妳還要我活下去嗎？
妳把我帶入了痛苦的深淵，妳把阿伊達從我身邊奪走。
她可能就是因為妳而死─而妳卻要我活著？

安娜莉斯
阿伊達死，是因為我嗎？不，她還活著！

拉達梅斯
她還活著?

安娜莉斯
在絕望的逃亡人群中，只有她的父親死了。

拉達梅斯
而她？

安娜莉斯
她失蹤了，人們對她一無所知。

拉達梅斯
願神明帶領她平安回到家。
願她永遠不知道要為她而死的人的命運！

安娜莉斯
如果我救了你，你向我發誓，你再也不要見她。

拉達梅斯
我不能！

(以下從略)