by Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Monologue
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Didon parcourt la scène en s'arrachant les cheveux,
se frappant la poitrine et poussant des cris inarticulés.
DIDON
Elle s'arrête brusquement.
Ah! Ah!
Je vais mourir...
Dans ma douleur immense submergée
Et mourir non vengée!...
Mourons pourtant! oui, puisse-t-il frémir
A la lueur lointaine de la flamme de mon bûcher!
S'il reste dans son âme quelque chose d'humain,
Peut-être il pleurera sur mon affreux destin.
Lui, me pleurer!...
Énée!... Énée!...
Oh! mon âme te suit,
A son amour enchaînée,
Esclave, elle l'emporte en l'éternelle nuit...
Vénus! rends-moi ton fils!... Inutile prière
D'un cœur qui se déchire!... A la mort tout entière
Didon n'attend plus rien que de la mort.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Monologue", copyright © 2023


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2023-02-05
Line count: 20
Word count: 109

Monologue
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Dido runs around the stage tearing her hair,
beating her chest and uttering inarticulate cries.
DIDON
She stops abruptly.
Ah! Ah!
I am going to die...
submerged in my immense grief,
and die unavenged!...
Let me die nevertheless! yes, may he tremble
At the distant light of the flame of my pyre!
If there remains anything human in his soul,
Perhaps he will weep over my pitiful fate.
He, cry for me!...
Aeneas!... Aeneas!...
Oh! my soul follows you,
chained to its love,
a slave, carried away to eternal night...
Venus! Give me back your son!... This is the useless prayer
Of a heart that is tearing itself apart!... Devoted to Death,
Dido waits for nothing more than Death.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2023-02-05
Line count: 20
Word count: 119