La Fête
d'Alessandro ou Le Pouvoir de la Musique
La Fête
d'Alessandro ou Le Pouvoir de la MusiqueSOPRANO
TENORE
BASSO
CORO (SSATTBB)
PRIMERA PARTE
N°1 Obertura
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| 'Twas at the Royal Feast,
for Persian won, by Philip's warlike son: Aloft, in awful state,
His valiant peers were plac'd
around:
So shou'd desert in arms be crown'd. The lovely Thais by his side
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| Happy, happy,
happy pair! none but the brave, none but the brave deserve the fair. |
¡Qué feliz,
feliz, feliz pareja!
Nadie más que el valiente, Nadie más que el valiente merece a la hermosa. |
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| Timotheus plac'd on high,
amid the tuneful quire, with flying fingers touch'd the lyre: The trembling notes ascend
the sky,
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| The song began from Jove,
who left his blissful seats above; (such is the pow'r of mighty love) a dragon's fiery from bely'd the god; sublime, on radiant spires he rode, when he to fair Olympia press'd, and while he sought her snowy breast: Then, round her slender waist he curl'd, and stamp'd an image of himself, a sov'reign of the world. |
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| The list'ning crowd
admire the lofty sound, a present deity! they shout around; a present deity! the vaulted roofs rebound. |
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| With ravish'd ears
the monarch hears; assumes the god, affects to nod: and seems to shake the spheres. |
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| The praise of Bacchus,
then, the sweet musician sung; Of Bacchus, ever fair, and ever young: The joylly god in triumph
comes;
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| Bacchus, ever fair, and
young,
drinking joys did first ordain; Bacchus' blessing are a treasure, drinking is the soldier's pleasure: rich the treasure, sweet the pleasure; sweet is pleasure after pain. |
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| Sooth'd with the sound,
the king grew vain; fought all his battles o'er again; and thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain! The master saw the madness
rise,
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| He chose a mournful muse,
soft pity to infuse. |
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| He sung Darius great and
good,
by too severe a fate, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n from his high estate, and welt'ring in his blood: deserted at his utmost need, by those his former bounty fed, on the bare earth expos'd he lies, with not a friend to close his eyes. |
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| With downcast looks
the joyless victor sate, revolving in his alter'd soul, the various turns of chance bellow; and, now and then, a sigh he stole, and tears began to flow. |
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| Behold Darius great and
good,
by too severe a fate, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n from his high estate, and welt'ring in his blood: on the bare earth expos'd he lies, with not a friend to close his eyes. |
Mirad al grande y benevolente
Dario,
por un destino severo, caído, caído, caído, caído, caído de su alta posición, y revolcado en su sangre: yace en yerma tierra expuesto, sin ningún amigo que le cierre sus ojos. |
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| The mighty master smil'd
to see
that love was in the next degree; 'twas but a kindred sound to move, for pity melts the mind to love: |
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| Softly sweet, in Lydian
measures,
soon he sooth'd the soul to pleasures. |
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| War, he sung, is toil and
trouble;
honour but an empty bubble: never ending, still beginning, figthing still, and still destroying; if the world be worth thy winning think, o think it worths enjoying: Lovely Thais sits beside
thee,
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| The many rend the skies,
with loud applause; so love was crown'd, but Musick won the cause. |
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| The prince, unable to conceal
his pain,
gaz'd on the fair, who caus'd his care: and sigh'd and look'd, sigh'd and look'd sigh'd and look'd, and sigh'd again: At length with love and wine
at once
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| The many rend the skies,
with loud applause; so love was crown'd, but Musick won the cause. |
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SEGUNDA PARTE
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| Now strike the golden lyre
again;
a louder yet, and yet a louder strain: Break his bands of sleep asunder, and rouze him, like a rattling peal of thunder. |
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| Break his bands of sleep
asunder,
and rouze him, like a rattling peal of thunder. |
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| Hark, hark!
the horrid sound has rais'd up his head, as awak'd from the dead: and amaz'd, he stares around |
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| Revenge, revenge, Timotheus
cries,
see the furies arise, see the snakes that they rear, how they hiss in their hair, and the sparkles that flash from their eyes! Behold a ghastly band,
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| Give the vengeance due
to the valiant crew: Behold how they toss
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| The princes applaud with
a furious joy;
and the king seiz'd a flambeau, with zeal to destroy. |
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| Thais led the way,
to light him to his prey; and like another Helen, fir'd another Troy. The princes applaud
Thais led the way,
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| Thus long ago
ere heaving bellos learn'd to blow, while organs yet were mute, Timotheus to his breathing flute, and sounding lyre, cou'd swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire. |
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| At last Divine Cecilia came,
inventress of the vocal frame; the sweet enthusiast from her sacred store, enlarg'd the former narrow bounds, and added length to solemn sounds, with nature's mother-wit, and arts unknown before. |
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| Let old Timotheus yield
the prize,
or both divide the crown; he rais'd a mortal to the skies. she drew an angel down. |
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| Let old Timotheus yield
the prize,
or both divide the crown; he rais'd a mortal to the skies. she drew an angel down. |
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| Your voices tune, and raise
them high,
till th'echo from the vaulted sky the blest Cecilia's name; music to Heav'n and her we owe, the greatest blessing that's bellow; sound loudly then her fame: let's imitate her notes above, and may his evening ever prove, sacred to harmony and love. |
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