The Ghost of Carmen | Now that I am dead, I can tell you

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by Enrico Panzacchi (1840 - 1904)

Translation © by Andrew Schneider

L'ombra di Carmen

Language: Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG

Or che son morta te lo posso dire
Perché t'ho fatto un dì tanto soffrire.
Son l'ombra di Carmen.
T'appressa a me, o don Josè.

Sospinta da crudel cura inquieta
Ho corso vagabonda e senza meta.
L'anima gonfia del sogno d'amore
E vuoto il core, o don Josè...

E il sangue del mio cor tutto immolato
A quell'idolo oscuro ed implacato.
Sempre pensosa dei diletti arcani
Dell'indomani... dell'indomani...

La verità d'amor non l'ho capita
Che nell'ultimo istante di mia vita.
Nel colpo di coltel ch'ebbi da te,
T'appressa a me, o don Josè.

Text Authorship:

by Enrico Panzacchi (1840 - 1904) [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 Pier Adolfo Tirindelli (1858 - 1937), "L'ombra di Carmen", Ricordi [ sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Andrew Schneider) , "The Ghost of Carmen", 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: 2017-04-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 93

The Ghost of Carmen

Language: English after the Italian (Italiano)

Now that I am dead, I can tell you
why I made you suffer so that fateful day.
I am Carmen's ghost.
Come closer to me, Don José.

Suspended by cruel, nagging anxiety,
I have run aimlessly about, a vagrant.
My soul swells up with dreams of love.
My heart is empty, o Don José.

And the blood in my heart, all sacrificed
to that implacable and enigmatic idol,
always thinking upon the mysterious delights
of the next day... and the next...

I did not understand the truth about love
until my dying breath
'neath the knife-blow I received at your hands...
Come closer, Don José.

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) by Enrico Panzacchi (1840 - 1904)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-06-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 106