Act the third; Il Figlio Della Zingara. Scene the second.
In which a shamefully small update is posted. Please don't hate me.
We rejoin Manrico and Leonora in besieged Castellor. Beyond the fortress' walls a massive enemy army is preparing itself for conquest and pillage. An epic battle is just around the corner, doom and heroism just a day or so away. Tension reigns everywhere, and no matter where they look they find long faces, empty eyes, and decided stares. Or something.
What are our heroes doing, you wonder? Alas, if you suspected it would involve memorizing spells and checking equipment boni I am sorry to inform you that you will be dying a virgin. Also, real ladies are all beautiful sorceressess who cast spontaneusly and look good doing so and real man do not need equipment as their fiery hearts, raging passions, and unstoppable fury is more than enough to turn the armies of light to ashes dancing in the breeze. Noob.
If you instead believe it involves going at it like rabid bunnies, their veins brimming with stimulants and aphrodisiacs, their lungs chocking on opium, their bodies glistening after showers of wine and liquor, their minds trying to remember to call upon Abigor's blessing in each peak of orgiastic fun up until the climatic (would you believe me if I said the pun wasn't intended?) battle begins I will just say I perceive a bright future in front of you at the left hand of God and leave it at that.
However, that's not what they are doing either.
They are preparing to marry each other in celebration of their chaste love.
… Yeah.
Whatever.
Leonora is sad, Manrico comforts her with the kind of promises most men love to make even when they are utterly unable to keep, and they sing about how chaste their love is. Then Ruiz rushes in to crush their mood by telling Manrico they are about to burn his mom just outside his window, reminding him Italian Opera is about overpowering passion and being either horny or angry. Manrico then powers up and they rush out to kick some tail by means of manly singing, epic chorus, and awesome music.
—> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8xO4DHZ1z4 <—
Sala adiacente alla Cappella in Castellor, con il verone nel fondo.
Adjoining room to Castellor's chappel, with the balcony in the background.
Leonora: Quale d'armi fragor poc'anzi intesi?
Leonora: What is that clashing of arms little before was heard?
Manrico: Alto è il periglio! Vano dissimularlo fora! Alla novella aurora assaliti saremo!
Manrico: Great is the danger! In vain to cover it! At the new dawn we will be attacked!
Leonora: Ahimè! Che dici!
Leonora: Alas! What do you say!
Manrico: Ma de' nostri nemici avrem vittoria… Pari abbiam al loro ardir, brando e coraggio!
Manrico: But from our enemies we'll take victory… Equal we have to their daring, sword, and corage!
Manrico, a Ruiz: Tu va'; le belliche opre, nell'assenza mia breve, a te commetto. Che nulla manchi!
Manrico, to Ruiz: You go; the works of war, in my absence short, to you I consign. Nothing must be lacking!
Ruiz parte.
Ruiz leaves.
Leonora: Di qual tetra luce il nostro imen risplende!
Leonora: By what dismal light is our wedding lit! (to be quite honest I don't know what Imen is meant to mean, and neither does any dictionary I have. All translations seem to translate that as wedding or wedding night, so I'll be going with that.)
Manrico: Il presagio funesto, deh, sperdi, o cara!
Manrico: The disastrous omen, god, disperse, o dear!
Leonora: E il posso?
Leonora: And it is possible?
Manrico: Amor… sublime amore, in tale istante ti favelli al core. Ah! sì, ben mio, coll'essere io tuo, tu mia consorte, avrò più l'alma intrepida, il braccio avrò più forte;
ma pur se nella pagina de' miei destini è scritto ch'io resti fra le vittime dal ferro ostil trafitto, fra quegli estremi aneliti a te il pensier verrà e solo in ciel precederti la morte a me parrà!
Manrico: Love… Majestic love, in such an instant you speak to the heart. Ah! Yes, good of me, with me being of you, you my consort, I have the soul intrepid, the arm I have stronger; but if in the page of my destiny it is written that I must rest victim of a piercing hostile iron , by those extreme yearnings to you the thought will come and only in heaven to precede you death to me will be. (Now that was a mouthful)
Odesi il suono dell'organo della vicina cappella.
It is heard the sound of the adjoining chappel's organ.
Leonora, Manrico: L'onda de' suoni mistici pura discende al cor! Vieni; ci schiude il tempio gioie di casto amor.
Leonora, Manrico: The wave of mistic sounds pure descends into the heart! Come; Let us open the joyful temple of chaste love.
Ruiz sopraggiunge frettoloso.
Ruiz arrives hurredly.
—> Click me! <—
Ruiz: Manrico?
Ruiz: Manrico?
Manrico: Che?
Manrico: What?
Ruiz: La zingara, vieni, tra ceppi mira…
Ruiz: The gypsy woman, come, is in shackles, look…
Manrico: Oh Dio!
Manrico: Oh god!
Ruiz: Per man de' barbari accesa è già la pira…
Ruiz: By hand of barbarians lit is the pyre…
Manrico, accostandosi al verone: Oh ciel! Mie membra oscillano… Nube mi copre il ciglio!
Manrico, closing to the balcony: Oh heaven! My limbs tremble… Cloud covers the eyes of me!
Leonora: Tu fremi!
Leonora: You shake!
Manrico: E il deggio! Sappilo. Io son…
Manrico: And that I must! Know it. I am…
Leonora: Chi mai?
Leonora: Whoever?
Manrico: Suo figlio! Ah! vili! Il rio spettacolo quasi il respir m'invola… Raduna i nostri, affrettati… Ruiz… va… torna… vola…
Manrico: Her son! Ah! Cowards! The bitter spectacle almost the breath steals of me… rally our troops, with haste… Ruiz… leave… go back… fly…
Ruiz parte.
Ruiz leaves.
Manrico: Di quella pira l'orrendo foco tutte le fibre m'arse. Avvampò! Empi, spegnetela, o ch'io fra poco col sangue vostro la spegnerò… Era già figlio prima d'amarti, non può frenarmi il tuo martir. Madre infelice, corro a salvarti, o teco almeno corro a morir!
Manrico: Of that pyre the horrid fire every fibre of me it burns. I burst in flames! Wicked ones, extinguish it out, that I otherwise with your blood will extinguish it… Was I already son before loving you, it will not restrain me your ordeal. Unhappy mother, I run to save you, or with you at least I run to die!
Leonora: Non reggo a colpi tanto funesti… Oh, quanto meglio saria morir!
Leonora: I can't bear a strike so terrible… Oh, how much better would it be to die!
Ruiz torna con Armati.
Ruiz returns with men-at-arms.
Ruiz & armati: All'armi, all'armi! Eccone presti a pugnar teco, teco a morir!
Ruiz and the men-at-arms: To arms, to arms! Here we are willing to fight with you, to die with you!
Manrico parte frettoloso seguito da Ruiz e dagli Armati.
Manrico leaves hurriedly, followed by Ruiz and the men-at-arms.
Now that's more like it, I totally love that scene. Were I Leonora I would be jealous I didn't manage to get abducted so that he would charge to rescue me defying odds and armies instead of just standing there telling how he will never, ever, touch me because he's too nice of a guy.
In any case, the story will now make the last time skip and drop us right into the final chapter, where we will discover the outcome of the battle and much drama will take place as the story approaches it's inevitable and very operistic conclussion.
I promise not to take a month on it, too.
@ Kz3r0
Sorry about the sudden disappearance. I really need to stop changing email accounts every other day so people can keep in touch with me both when I go emo and the (very, very) rare occasion on which I get serious about something.
Huggies!