“Qui la voce sua soave” Lyrics and Text Translation

At the end of Act 1 of Bellini’s opera, I puritani, Elvira witnessed her fiancé, Arturo, run away with another woman. Overwhelmed with grief and betrayal, she fell into madness.  In the following act, her uncle Giorgio describes her condition to the people of the castle who lament her fate. When they leave, she enters the room speaks with her uncle, unintentionally interrupting his conversation with Riccardo (the man to whom she was originally betrothed). Their voices remind her of Arturo and she sings this song in despair.

• “Casta Diva” Lyrics from Bellini’s Opera, Norma
• “Il dolce suono” Lyrics from Donizetti's Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor
• “Lascia ch'io pianga" Lyrics from Handel's Opera, Rinaldo

Qui la voce sua soave
mi chiamava...e poi sparì.
Qui giurava esser fedele,
qui il giurava,
E poi crudele, mi fuggì!
Ah, mai più qui assorti insieme
nella gioia dei sospir.
Ah, rendetemi la speme,
o lasciate, lasciatemi morir.

Vien, diletto, è in ciel la luna!
Tutto tace intorno intorno;
finchè spunti in cielo il giorno,
vien, ti posa sul mio cor!
Deh!, t'affretta, o Arturo mio,
riedi, o caro, alla tua Elvira:
essa piange e ti sospira,
vien, o caro, all'amore, ecc.

It was here his soft voice
called me… and then disappeared.
He swore to me he’d be faithful
this he vowed.
And then cruelly he ran away!
Ah, we are no longer together
in the joy of our sighs.
Ah, return to me my hope
or let me die.

Come my beloved, the moon is in the sky!
All is quite around us;
until dawn when the sun rises,
come and rest upon my heart!
Hurry!  Make haste my Arturo,
return to me, dear, it’s your Elvira:
she weeps and longs for you,
come my dear, my love, etc.