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Povero Ernesto! oh come in un sol punto mi veggo al colmo giunto d'ogni miseria! dallo zio cacciato, da tutti abbandonato, mi restava un amico, e un coperto nemico discopro in lui, che a' danni miei congiura. Ah meglio, o Malatesta, io mertava da te! Ma non è questa la mia più gran sventura. Perder Norina, oh dio! Questo è il sommo dei mali! e con che core offrirle un'esistenza, meco unita, di pene e d'indigenza? Ah no. Ben feci a lei d'esprimere in un foglio i sensi miei. Ora in altra contrada i giorni grami a terminar si vada. Cercherò lontana terra dove gemer sconosciuto, là vivrò col cuore in guerra deplorando il ben perduto... ma né sorte a me nemica, né frapposti i monti il mar, ti potranno, o dolce amica, dal mio seno cancellar. E se fia che ad altro oggetto tu rivolga un giorno il core, se mai fia che un nuovo affetto spenga in te l'antico ardore, non temer che un infelice te spergiura accusi al ciel; se tu sei, ben mio, felice, sarà pago il tuo fedel.
Text Authorship:
- by Giovanni Ruffini (1807 - 1881) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848), "Cercherò lontana terra", 1843, first performed 1843. [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Andrew Schneider) , "I shall seek a far-off land", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2018-05-31
Line count: 34
Word count: 183
Poor Ernesto! O how in a single stroke I see myself at the peak of all misery! Driven out by my uncle, abandoned by everyone, one friend remaining to me, and I discover him to be my secret enemy who conspires to bring about my ruin! I have deserved far better from you, o Malatesta! But not even this is my greatest misfortune. Losing Norina, my God! This is the greatest of woes! and with what heart could I possibly offer her an existence united to me, yet plagued with misery and poverty? Ah, no; I have done well by her to express my feelings to her by letter. Now let me go to other lands to end my wretched days. I shall seek a far-off land, unknown, yet moaning, where I shall war with my heart as I bewail my lost love... But neither adverse fate nor mountains in the way of the sea shall ever remove your image from my breast, my dearest love. And if it happens that you should redirect your heart towards another, if it should pass that a new affection extinguished your old passion, have no fear that an unhappy one accuse you before heaven of being faithless; your faithful lover will be satisfied if you, my dearest, are happy.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Italian (Italiano) to English copyright © 2018 by Andrew Schneider, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Italian (Italiano) by Giovanni Ruffini (1807 - 1881)
This text was added to the website: 2018-06-14
Line count: 34
Word count: 216