“Aida”

Characters

Aida (an Ethiopian slave) — Soprano Radamès (Captain of the Guard) — Tenor Amneris (daughter of the King) — Mezzo-soprano Amonasro (King of Ethiopia and Aida's father) — Baritone Ramfis (High Priest) — Bass The King of Egypt (Amneris's father) — Bass Priestess — Soprano A Messenger — Tenor Chorus Priests, priestesses, ministers, soldiers, captains, officials, Ethiopian slaves and prisoners, Egyptian people, etc. Ballet Priestesses, young Moors, Ethiopian slaves, Black dancers, Egyptian, Lebanese, Ethiopian and Asian dancers, bayadères, and attendants of Amneris

Prelude

ACT ONE

Scene One

A hall in the King's palace at Memphis. (To the right and left, a column with statues and flowering shrubs. At the rear, a great doorway through which can be seen the temples, the palaces of Memphis, and the Pyramids.)

Ramfis Yes, it is rumoured that the Ethiopian has dared to challenge us again, threatening Thebes and the valley of the Nile. Shortly a messenger will bring us the truth. Radamès Have you consulted Holy Isis? Ramfis She has named the supreme commander of the Egyptian armies. Radamès Oh, fortunate man!

Ramfis (looking steadily at Radamès, meaningfully) He is young and brave. Now I shall take the deity’s decree to the King. (He exits.) Radamès (alone) If only I were that warrior! If my dream might come true! An army of brave men, led by me— victory, and the applause of all Memphis! To return to you, my sweet Aida, crowned with laurels... to say: “For you I fought, and for you I conquered!” Heavenly Aida, divine form, mystic garland of light and flowers, you are the queen of my thoughts, you are the splendour of my life. I would restore to you your beautiful skies, the gentle breezes of your native land, place a royal crown upon your brow, raise you a throne close to the sun. Oh! Heavenly Aida, divine form, mystic ray of light and flowers, you are the queen of my thoughts, etc. (Amneris enters.) Amneris What unusual joy is in your eyes! With what noble pride your face is radiant! How enviable, oh, how greatly, would be the woman whose beloved face could awaken such a light of joy in you!

Radamès My heart was lost in a glorious dream. Today the Goddess named the warrior who will lead the Egyptian forces into battle. Ah, if I were chosen for such an honor... Amneris Has no other dream, more tender, more sweet, ever spoken to your heart? Have you no desires, no hopes here in Memphis? Radamès I! (What a question! Perhaps she has discovered the secret love that burns in my heart... Perhaps she has read in my thoughts the name of her slave!) Amneris (Oh, woe if love for another should burn in his heart! Woe if my eyes should penetrate this fatal mystery!) Radamès (seeing Aida) It is she! Amneris (to herself, watching him) He is troubled! What a look he gave her! Aida! Could she perhaps be my rival?

(turning to Aida) Come, my dear, come near me. You are neither slave nor handmaiden here, where in tender affection I have called you sister. You weep? Reveal to me the secret of your tears. Aida Alas! I hear resounding the terrible cry of war; I fear for my unhappy country, for myself, for you. Amneris Do you speak the truth? Does no graver care trouble you? (to herself, looking at Aida) Tremble, guilty slave, ah! tremble lest I see into your heart! Tremble, lest those tears and that blush reveal the truth to me! Radamès (to himself, looking at Amneris) On her face flash anger and suspicion. Woe if she should read the secret love in our hearts! Aida (to herself) No, my heart does not grieve for my afflicted country alone; the tears I shed are tears of unhappy love!

(The King enters, preceded by his guards and followed by Ramfis, ministers, priests, officers, and others.) The King A matter of great importance gathers you, O faithful Egyptians, around your King. A messenger has just arrived from the borders of Ethiopia; he brings grave tidings. Hear him now. (to an officer) Let the messenger come forward! (The messenger enters.) Messenger The sacred soil of Egypt has been invaded by the barbarous Ethiopians; our fields have been laid waste, our crops burned, and, emboldened by their easy victory, the invaders are already marching on Thebes! All And they dare so much! Messenger An indomitable, fierce warrior leads them: Amonasro. All The King! Aida (aside) My father!

Messenger Thebes is already in arms, and from her hundred gates will burst forth upon the barbarous invader, bringing war and death. The King Yes! Let war and death be our battle cry! All War! War! etc. Terrible, relentless war! The King (approaching Radamès) Venerated Isis has already chosen the supreme commander of our invincible forces: Radamès! All Radamès! Radamès Ah! Thanks be to the gods! My prayers are answered. Amneris (to herself) He, the commander! Aida (to herself) I tremble! Ministers and Captains Radamès! Radamès!

The King Go now, O warrior, to the Temple of Vulcan. There put on the sacred arms and fly to victory! Onward! Hasten, Egyptian heroes, to the sacred banks of the Nile. From every heart let the cry ring out: War and death to the invader! Ramfis Glory to the gods! Let all remember that they direct the course of events, that in the power of the gods alone lies the warrior’s fate. Let all remember that in their power, etc. Ministers and Captains Onward! On the sacred banks of the Nile, may our breasts form a barrier; let but a single cry resound: War and death to the invader! etc. The King Onward! To the banks of the Nile, etc. Aida (to herself) For whom do I weep? For whom do I pray? What power binds me to him? I must love him, yet he is an enemy, a foreigner! Radamès A sacred thrill of glory fills my entire soul. Onward! Let us hasten to victory! War and death to the invader!

Amneris (bearing a banner which she presents to Radamès) Accept, O leader, from my hands this glorious banner; may it be your guide, may it be your light on the path to glory. The King Onward! To the sacred banks of the Nile, etc. Ramfis, Priests Glory to the Gods, etc. Ministers and Captains Onward! To the banks of the Nile, etc. Radamès, Messenger Onward! Let us hasten to victory, etc. Amneris May it be your guide, etc. All War! War! etc. Destruction to the invader! etc. Amneris Return victorious! All Return victorious! (They all leave, except Aida.)

Aida Return victorious! And from my lips came the impious words! Victorious over my father, who takes up arms for me, to give me back a homeland, a kingdom, and the illustrious name which here I am forced to conceal. Victorious over my brothers... that I may see him, stained with their beloved blood, triumph amid the acclaim of the Egyptian legions! And behind his chariot, a King, my father, bound in chains! My mad words, O gods, scatter them! Restore the daughter to her father's embrace; destroy the armies of our oppressors! Ah! Wretched girl! What have I said? And my love? Can I then forget this burning love which, oppressed and enslaved, delighted me here like a ray of sunlight? Shall I call down death upon Radamès, upon him whom I love so much? Ah! Never on earth was a heart torn by more cruel anguish! The sacred names of father and lover I can neither utter nor recall; for one, for the other, confused and trembling, I would weep, I would pray. But my prayer turns to blasphemy... tears are a crime for me, a sigh a sin... My mind is lost in darkest night, and in my cruel anguish I long to die. Gods, have pity on my suffering! There is no hope for my sorrow. Fatal love, terrible love, break my heart, let me die! Gods, have pity on my suffering! etc.

Scene Two

Interior of the Temple of Vulcan at Memphis. A mysterious light descends from above. A long row of columns, one behind another, disappears into the darkness. Statues of various deities. At center stage, on a platform covered with tapestries, stands the altar, surmounted by sacred emblems. Smoke from the incense rises from golden tripods. Priests and priestesses; Ramfis at the foot of the altar.

Priestess Mighty Phtha, life-giving spirit of the world, ah! With the Chorus of Priestesses We invoke thee! Ramfis and Priests Thou who from nothingness didst bring forth the waters, the earth, the heavens, we invoke thee! Priestess Infinite Phtha, life-giving spirit of the world, ah!

With the Chorus of Priestesses We invoke thee! Ramfis and Priests God, who of thine own spirit art both son and father, we invoke thee! Priestess Uncreated, eternal fire, from which the sun received its light, ah! With the Chorus of Priestesses We invoke thee! Ramfis and Priests Life of the universe, myth of eternal love, we invoke thee! Priestess Infinite Phtha! Ramfis and Priests We invoke thee! (Radamès is brought in unarmed. As he approaches the altar, the priestesses perform the sacred dance. A silver veil is spread over Radamès’s head.) Priestess Infinite Phtha! Ramfis and Priests We invoke thee!

Ramfis (to Radamès) Mortal, beloved of the gods, to you are entrusted the fortunes of Egypt. May the sacred sword, tempered by the god, become in your hand terror, lightning, and death to the enemy. Priests May the sacred sword, etc. Ramfis (turning to the god) O god, guardian and avenger of this sacred land, stretch forth thy hand over the land of Egypt. Radamès O god, who art the leader and arbiter of every human war, protect and defend the sacred soil of Egypt! etc. Ramfis and Priests Stretch forth thy hand over the land of Egypt. O god, guardian and avenger, etc. (While Radamès is invested with the sacred arms, the priestesses and priests resume the religious hymn and the mystic dance.) All Mighty Phtha, spirit of the world, etc.

ACT TWO

Scene One

A room in Amneris's apartments. (Amneris is surrounded by slave girls, who are dressing her for the triumphal celebration. Fragrant aromas rise from the tripods. Young Moorish slaves dance as they wave feather fans.)

Slave Girls Who, amid hymns and acclaim, soars to glory, terrible as a god, radiant as the sun? Come: upon your brow may flowers interwoven with laurels rain down; let songs of glory resound together with songs of love. Amneris (to herself) Come, my love, intoxicate me... make my heart rejoice! Slave Girls Now where are the barbarous hordes of the foreigner? Like mist they vanished at the warrior's breath. Come: gather the prize of glory, O victor; victory has smiled upon you, love too shall smile upon you. Amneris (to herself) Come, my love, revive me once more with a dear word!

Dance of the Moorish Slaves Slave Girls Come, upon your brow may flowers rain down, etc. Amneris Come, my love, intoxicate me, etc. Silence! Aida is approaching... Daughter of the vanquished, her grief is sacred to me. (At a sign from Amneris, the slave girls withdraw.) Seeing her again, the terrible doubt awakens within me... Let the fatal mystery be revealed at last! (to Aida, with feigned tenderness) The fortunes of war have been cruel to your people, poor Aida! I share with you the sorrow that weighs upon your heart. I am your friend... You shall have everything from me; you shall live happily! Aida Can I be happy far from my native land... here, where the fate of my father and my brothers is unknown to me? Amneris I deeply pity you! Yet even the sorrows of this world have an end. Time will heal the anguish of your heart, and more than time, a powerful god... Love.

Aida (to herself) Love, love! Joy, torment, sweet rapture, cruel anguish! In your sorrows I feel life itself, one smile of yours opens heaven to me. In your sorrows, etc. Amneris (to herself) Ah! That pallor, that agitation betray the secret fever of love! I almost dread to question her, I share the anguish of her fear. (to Aida) Well then, what new trembling seizes you, gentle Aida? Reveal your secrets to me, trust in my affection. Among the brave men who fought to the harm of your country, did someone perhaps awaken a tender passion in your heart? Aida What are you saying? Amneris Fate has not shown itself cruel to everyone, if on the battlefield the fearless commander fell, struck down in death... Aida What have you said! Ah, wretched me!

Amneris Yes, Radamès was slain by your people. Aida Wretched me! Amneris And can you weep? Aida I shall weep forever! Amneris The gods have avenged you! Aida The gods have always been against me. Amneris Ah, tremble! I have read your heart!... You love him... Aida I! Amneris Do not lie! One more word: I shall know the truth. Look me in the face... I was deceiving you... Radamès lives! Aida He lives! Ah, thanks be to the gods!

Amneris And still you hope to deceive me? Yes, you love him! But I love him too, do you understand? I am your rival, daughter of the Pharaohs! Aida My rival! Well then, so be it, I too am your equal... Ah! What have I said? Pity, forgive me, ah! Let pity for my sorrow move you. It is true, I love him with an immense love. You are happy, you are powerful, I live only for this love! Amneris Tremble, vile slave! Let your heart break; this love may seal your death; I am the arbiter of your fate, the furies of hatred and vengeance are in my heart. Aida You are happy, etc. Amneris Tremble, vile slave, etc. Chorus (outside) Onward! On the sacred banks of the Nile, may our breasts form a barrier; let but a single cry resound: War and death to the invader!

Amneris At the triumphal ceremony now being prepared, you shall attend with me, O slave! You prostrate in the dust, I on the throne beside the King. Aida Ah! Have pity! What is left for me? My life is a desert; live and reign; your fury I shall soon appease. This love that enrages you I shall extinguish in the tomb. Amneris Come... follow me... and you shall learn whether you can contend with me, etc. Aida Ah! Have pity, etc. Amneris ...whether you can contend with me, etc. Chorus (outside) War and death to the invader! (Amneris exits.) Aida Gods, have pity on my torment, there is no hope for my sorrow! etc.

Scene Two

One of the entrances to the city of Thebes. (In the foreground, a group of palm trees. To the right, the Temple of Ammon. To the left, a throne surmounted by a purple canopy. At the rear, a triumphal gate. The scene is crowded with people. The King enters, followed by ministers, priests, captains, fan-bearers, standard-bearers, etc. Then Amneris enters with Aida and slave girls. The King takes his seat on the throne. Amneris takes her place to the King's left.)

Populace Glory to Egypt, and to Isis who protects the sacred land; to the King who rules the Delta let us raise joyful hymns, etc. Women Let the lotus be entwined with laurel upon the brows of the victors; let a gentle cloud of flowers spread a veil over their arms. Let us dance, Egyptian maidens, the mystic dances, as around the sun the stars dance in the heavens! Priests Raise your eyes to the supreme arbiters of victory; give thanks to the gods on this fortunate day, etc. Populace As around the sun, etc. Priests Give thanks to the gods, etc.

Triumphal March Ballet (The Egyptian troops, preceded by the trumpeters, pass before the King. They are followed by the war chariots, the standards, the sacred vessels, and the statues of the gods. A group of dancers carries the treasures of the vanquished. Finally, Radamès enters beneath a canopy carried by twelve officers.)

Populace Come, O avenging warrior, come, rejoice with us; in the path of the heroes let us scatter laurels and flowers! Glory! etc. Priests To the supreme arbiters, etc. Give thanks to the gods, etc. The King (descending from the throne to embrace Radamès) Savior of the fatherland, I salute you. Come, and let my daughter with her own hand present you with the triumphal wreath.

(Radamès bows before Amneris, who presents him with the crown.) The King Now ask of me whatever you most desire. Nothing shall be denied you on this day; I swear it by my crown, by the sacred gods. Radamès First grant that the prisoners be brought before you. (The Ethiopian prisoners enter under guard, with Amonasro, dressed as an officer, last.) Ramfis and Priests Give thanks to the gods, etc. Aida What do I see! He? My father! All Her father! Amneris In our power!... Aida You! A prisoner! Amonasro (softly to Aida) Do not betray me! The King (to Amonasro) Come forward... Then you are?

Amonasro Her father. I too fought; we were defeated; in vain I sought death. (indicating the uniform he wears) Let this uniform I wear tell you that I defended my King and my country; fate was hostile to our arms. The courage of the brave proved vain. At my feet, stretched out in the dust, lay the King, pierced by many wounds; if love of one's country is a crime, we are all guilty, we are ready to die! (turning to the King, in a pleading voice) But you, O King, you mighty lord, turn to these people with mercy; today we are struck down by fate, tomorrow fate may strike you. Aida But you, O King, you mighty lord, etc. Prisoners and Slave Girls Yes, we have been struck down by the gods; we implore your pity, your mercy; ah! May you never be made to suffer what today we are made to suffer! etc. Ramfis and Priests Destroy, O King, these savage hordes; close your heart to their treacherous pleas. They were condemned to death by the gods; now let the will of the gods be fulfilled! etc. Aida, Slave Girls, Prisoners Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

Populace Priests, calm your anger, hear the humble prayer of the vanquished; and you, O King, you mighty, you strong, open your heart to mercy! etc. Ramfis and Priests To death! To death! To death! O King, destroy these hordes, etc. Slave Girls and Prisoners We implore your pity, your mercy, etc. Aida and Amonasro But you, O King, you mighty lord, etc. Radamès (to himself) The sorrow that speaks in her face makes her more beautiful to my eyes; every drop of those beloved tears rekindles the ardor in my breast, etc. Amneris (to herself) What looks he casts upon her! With what flame their faces glow! And I alone, humiliated, rejected? Vengeance roars within my heart, etc. The King Now that events smile favorably upon us, let us show ourselves merciful to these people; mercy rises pleasing to the gods and strengthens the power of princes, etc.

Radamès (to the King) O King, by the sacred gods, by the splendor of your crown, you swore to fulfill my wish. The King I swore. Radamès Then: for the Ethiopian prisoners I ask of you life and freedom. Amneris (to herself) For all of them! Priests Death to the enemies of our country! Populace Mercy for the unfortunate! Ramfis Hear me, O King. (to Radamès) You too, young hero, heed wise counsel: they are enemies, and they are brave; vengeance is in their hearts; emboldened by forgiveness, they will rush to arms again! Radamès With Amonasro, the warrior king, dead, no hope remains for the vanquished.

Ramfis At least, as a pledge of peace and security, let Aida remain with her father among us. The King I yield to your counsel. As a better pledge of security and peace, I now wish to give you this: Radamès, the fatherland owes everything to you. Let Amneris's hand be your reward. One day, together with her, you shall rule over Egypt... Amneris (to herself) Let the slave come now, let her come and steal my love from me... if she dares! The King and Populace Glory to Egypt, and to Isis who protects the sacred land; let the lotus be entwined with laurel upon the victor's brow! etc. Slave Girls and Prisoners Glory to the merciful Egyptian who has broken our chains, who restores us to the free fields of our native land! etc. Ramfis and Priests Let us raise hymns to Isis who protects the sacred land; let us pray that the fates may smile ever favorably upon our country, etc.

Aida (to herself) What hope is left to me now? For him, glory and the throne... for me, oblivion... the tears of a hopeless love, etc. Radamès (to himself) The lightning of a hostile god descends upon my head... Ah, no! The throne of Egypt is not worth Aida's heart, etc. Amneris (to herself) I am intoxicated with unexpected joy; in a single day, all the dreams of my heart come true, etc. Ramfis Let us pray, etc. The King, Populace Glory to Isis, etc. Amonasro (softly to Aida) Take heart; await favorable events for your country. For us, the dawn of vengeance is already near, etc. Populace Glory to Egypt, and to Isis who protects the sacred land; let the lotus be entwined with laurel upon the victor's brow, etc.

Radamès (to himself) What unexpected lightning descends upon my head, etc. Amneris (to herself) All in a single day, etc. Amonasro (softly to Aida) Take heart, etc. Aida (to herself) For me, oblivion, etc. Ramfis, Priests Let us raise hymns to Isis, etc. Slave Girls and Prisoners Glory to the merciful Egyptian, etc.

ACT THREE

The banks of the Nile. Granite rocks among which palm trees grow. At the summit of the rocks, the Temple of Isis, half-hidden among the foliage. It is a starry night. Moonlight.

Chorus (in the temple) O thou who art the immortal mother and spouse of Osiris, goddess who dost awaken chaste desires in human hearts, succor us in thy mercy, Mother of infinite love! etc. (From a boat that draws up at the riverbank descend Amneris, Ramfis, several heavily veiled women, and guards.)

Ramfis (to Amneris) Come to the Temple of Isis: on the eve of your wedding, invoke the favor of the goddess. Isis reads the hearts of mortals; every mystery of mankind is known to her. Amneris Yes: I shall pray that Radamès give me his whole heart, as my heart is sacred to him forever. Ramfis Let us go: you will pray until dawn; I shall be with you. (All enter the temple.) Chorus Succor us in thy mercy, etc. (Aida enters cautiously, covered by a veil.) Aida Radamès will come here! What will he say to me? I tremble. Ah! If you come, cruel man, to bring me your last farewell, the dark whirlpools of the Nile will give me a tomb, and perhaps peace and oblivion. O my homeland, never again shall I see you! O blue skies, O gentle native breezes, where the serene morning of my life shone, O green hills, O fragrant shores, O my homeland, never again shall I see you! etc. O cool valleys, O peaceful, blessed refuge, which one day was promised me by love; now that the dream of love has vanished, O my homeland, I shall never see you again! etc. (Turning, she sees her father.) Heaven! My father!

Amonasro A grave matter brings me to you, Aida. Nothing escapes my gaze. You are consumed by love for Radamès; he loves you, and you await him. The daughter of the Pharaohs is your rival... an infamous race, hated and fatal to us! Aida And I am in her power! I, the daughter of Amonasro! Amonasro In her power! No! If you wish it, you shall overcome your powerful rival. Homeland, throne, and love—you shall have them all. You shall see again the fragrant forests, the cool valleys, our golden temples. Aida I shall see again the fragrant forests, the cool valleys, our golden temples.

Amonasro Happy bride of him whom you have loved so deeply, there you shall rejoice in boundless happiness. Aida A single day of such sweet enchantment, an hour of such joy, and then to die! Amonasro Yet remember how the merciless Egyptian profaned our homes, our temples, and our altars, dragged away our captive maidens in chains; mothers, old men, children he slaughtered. Aida Ah! I well remember those dreadful days! I remember the sorrows that my heart endured. Ah, grant, O gods, that for us may return the longed-for dawn of peaceful days. Amonasro Remember... It shall not be long delayed. Our people now awaken to arms; everything is already prepared. We shall be victorious. I need only learn which route the enemy will take. Aida Who could discover it? Who? Amonasro You yourself!

Aida I! Amonasro I know that you await Radamès here... He loves you... He leads the Egyptians... Do you understand? Aida Horror! What are you advising me to do? No! No! Never! Amonasro (with savage vehemence) Arise, then, Egyptian legions! With fire destroy our cities! Spread terror, slaughter, and death. There is no longer any restraint upon your fury. Aida Ah, father! Amonasro (pushing her away) You call yourself my daughter! Aida Have pity! Amonasro Rivers of blood flow over the cities of the vanquished. Do you see? From the dark whirlpools the dead arise. They point at you and cry: Because of you, our country dies!

Aida Have pity! Ah, father, have pity! Amonasro A horrible specter appears before us among the shadows. Tremble! Her fleshless arms she has raised over your head. It is your mother; recognize her, she curses you... Aida (in utmost terror) Ah! Father! No!... Ah! Have pity, father! etc. Amonasro (pushing her away) You are not my daughter! You are the slave of the Pharaohs! Aida Ah! Have pity! Have pity! Father, I am not their slave; do not curse me, do not call down curses upon me; you will still be able to call me your daughter, I shall be worthy of my country. Amonasro Think that a people, conquered and tormented, through you alone can rise again... Aida O homeland! O homeland... how much you cost me!

Amonasro Courage! He is coming; there I shall hear everything. (He hides among the palm trees. Radamès enters.) Radamès At last I see you again, my sweet Aida... Aida Stop! Go away! What do you still hope for? Radamès Love guides me to your side. Aida The rites of another love await you. The husband of Amneris... Radamès What are you saying? You alone, Aida, you alone must I love. The gods hear me: you shall be mine. Aida Do not stain yourself with perjury! I loved you as a hero; I could not love you as a perjurer. Radamès Do you doubt my love, Aida? Aida And how do you hope to escape Amneris's charms, the King's will, the wishes of your people, the wrath of the priests?

Radamès Hear me, Aida. In the fierce longing for renewed war, the Ethiopian land has awakened; your people are already invading our land, I shall be the leader of the Egyptians. Amid the sounds, amid the acclaim of victory, I shall kneel before the King and reveal my heart; you shall be the crown of my glory, we shall live happily in eternal love. Aida And do you not fear Amneris's avenging fury? Her vengeance, terrible as a thunderbolt, will fall upon me, upon my father, upon us all. Radamès I shall defend you. Aida In vain; you could not. Yet, if you love me, there is still a way of escape for us... Radamès What way? Aida To flee... Radamès To flee!

Aida Let us flee the inhospitable heat of these barren lands; a new homeland opens itself to our love. There, amid virgin forests, fragrant with flowers, in blessed ecstasy we shall forget the world. Radamès To a foreign land must I flee with you! Abandon my homeland, the altars of our gods! The land where I gathered the first laurels of glory, the sky of our love— how could we forget it? Aida There, amid virgin forests, etc. Radamès The sky of our love, etc. Aida Beneath my skies, more freely will love be granted to us; there, in the same temple, we shall have the same gods, etc. Radamès Abandon my homeland, etc.

Aida Let us flee, let us flee! Radamès (hesitating) Aida! Aida You do not love me... Go! Radamès Not love you? Never has mortal nor god burned with a love as powerful as mine. Aida Go, go, Amneris awaits you at the altar. Radamès No! Never! Aida Never, you said? Then let the axe fall upon me, upon my father... Radamès Ah, no! Let us flee! Yes, let us flee from these walls, together let us flee to the desert; here only sorrow reigns, there a heaven of love opens before us. The endless deserts shall be our bridal bed; above us the stars shall shine with a purer radiance.

Aida In the blessed land of my fathers, heaven awaits us; there the air is fragrant, there the earth is all fragrance and flowers. Cool valleys and green meadows shall be our bridal bed; above us the stars shall shine with a purer radiance. Aida and Radamès Come with me, together let us flee this land of sorrow. Come with me, I love you, I love you! Let love be our guide. Aida But tell me: by what route shall we avoid the armed forces? Radamès The route chosen by our forces to fall upon the enemy will be deserted until tomorrow. Aida And that route? Radamès The gorges of Napata. (Amonasro comes forward.) Amonasro The gorges of Napata! There my men will be!

Radamès Oh! Who is listening to us? Amonasro Aida's father and King of the Ethiopians. Radamès (greatly agitated) You, Amonasro!... You, the King? Gods! What have I said? No!... It is not true!... I am dreaming... This is delirium... Aida Ah, no! Calm yourself... listen to me, trust in my love. Amonasro Aida's love will raise a throne for you. Radamès I am dishonored! For you I betrayed my country! Aida Calm yourself! Amonasro No: you are not guilty, it was the will of fate. Radamès I am dishonored!

Aida Ah! No! Radamès For you I betrayed my country! Amonasro No: you are not guilty. Aida Calm yourself... Amonasro Come: beyond the Nile the brave men devoted to us await us; there love shall crown the desires of your heart. Come! (Amneris comes out of the temple, followed by Ramfis, priests, and guards.) Amneris Traitor! Aida My rival!... Amonasro (rushing at Amneris with a dagger) You come to destroy my work! Die! Radamès (intervening) Stop, madman!

Amonasro Oh, rage! Ramfis Guards! Ho there! Radamès (to Aida and Amonasro) Quickly! Flee! Amonasro (dragging Aida away) Come, my daughter! Ramfis (to the guards) Pursue them! Radamès (to Ramfis) Priest, I remain with you.

ACT FOUR

Scene One

A hall in the King's palace. (To the left, a great door leading to the subterranean hall of judgment. To the right, a passage leading to Radamès's prison.)

Amneris (sadly, standing before the door of the underground chamber) My hated rival has escaped me. Radamès awaits from the priests the punishment of traitors. A traitor he is not. Yet he revealed the great military secret. He meant to flee, to flee with her! Traitors, all of them! To death! To death! Oh! What am I saying? I love him, I still love him. Desperate, mad is this love that consumes my life. Oh! If only he could love me! I would save him. But how? I shall try! Guards, bring Radamès here. (Radamès enters, escorted by the guards.) The priests are already assembling, the judges of your fate; yet you may still clear yourself of the terrible accusation. Clear yourself, and I shall plead for your pardon before the throne, and I shall bring you tidings of pardon and of life.

Radamès The judges shall never hear a word in my defense; before the gods and men, I feel neither base nor guilty. My incautious lips uttered the fatal secret, it is true, but my intentions remained pure, and my honor unstained. Amneris Then save yourself and clear yourself. Radamès No.

Amneris You will die. Radamès I abhor life! The source of every joy has dried up, every hope has vanished; I long only to die. Amneris To die! Ah, you must live! Yes, you shall live for my love; for you I have already suffered the terrible anguish of death; I loved you, I suffered so much, I passed my nights in tears, and homeland, throne, and life— I would give everything for you. Radamès For her, I too betrayed my country and my honor... Amneris No more of her! Radamès Infamy awaits me, and you would have me live? You have made me utterly miserable, you have taken Aida from me; perhaps you have killed her, and as a gift you offer me life?

Amneris I, the cause of her death! No, Aida lives! Radamès She lives! Amneris In the desperate flight of the fleeing hordes, only her father fell. Radamès And she? Amneris She disappeared, and no further word has been heard of her... Radamès May the gods lead her safely to her native land, and may she never know the misfortune of him who will die for her! Amneris Now, if I save you, swear to me that you will never see her again... Radamès I cannot! Amneris Renounce her forever, and you shall live!

Radamès I cannot! Amneris Once more: renounce her. Radamès It is useless. Amneris Then you wish to die, madman? Radamès I am already prepared to die. Amneris Who will save you, wretched man, from the fate that awaits you? You have turned into fury a love that has no equal. The vengeance for my tears will now be fulfilled by heaven, etc. Radamès Death is the greatest blessing if I am granted to die for her; in meeting my final fate, my heart will know boundless joy; I no longer fear human wrath, I fear only your pity, etc. Amneris Ah! Who will save you?... The vengeance for my tears, etc.

(Radamès leaves, surrounded by the guards.) Amneris (falls desolately upon a seat) Alas! I feel I am dying! Oh! Who will save him? And into the hands of these men I myself cast him! Now I curse you, cruel jealousy, that have decreed his death and the eternal mourning of my heart! (She turns and sees the priests crossing the stage to enter the underground chamber.) There they are, the fatal, inexorable ministers of death! Oh! Let me not see those white specters! (She covers her face with her hands.) And into the hands of these men I myself cast him! etc. Ramfis and Priests (in the underground chamber) Spirit of the god, descend upon us! Give us life in the radiance of eternal light; through our lips proclaim your justice. Amneris Gods, have pity on my tormented heart... He is innocent; save him, O gods! Desperate, terrible is my grief! Ramfis and Priests Spirit of the god, etc. Amneris Oh! Who will save him? Alas! I feel I am dying!

(Radamès, surrounded by the guards, crosses the stage and descends into the underground chamber. Amneris, seeing him, cries out.) Ramfis (in the underground chamber) Radamès, Radamès, Radamès: you revealed your country's secrets to the enemy! Defend yourself! Priests Defend yourself! Ramfis He is silent... All Traitor! Amneris Ah, have pity! He is innocent! Gods, have pity! Ramfis Radamès, Radamès, Radamès: you deserted the camp on the day before the battle. Defend yourself! Priests Defend yourself! Ramfis He is silent...

All Traitor! Amneris Ah, have pity! Ah, save him! Gods, have pity! Ramfis Radamès, Radamès, Radamès: you broke your faith, false to your country, to the King, to your honor. Defend yourself! Priests Defend yourself! Ramfis He is silent... All Traitor! Amneris Ah, have pity! Ah, save him! Gods, have pity! Ramfis and Priests Radamès, your fate is decided: you shall suffer the death of the infamous; beneath the altar of the offended god, the tomb shall be opened for you while still alive. Amneris The tomb for him, alive! Oh, the villains! Never are they satisfied with blood... and they call themselves ministers of heaven!

Ramfis and Priests Traitor! Amneris (turning fiercely upon the priests as they emerge from the underground chamber) Priests: you have committed a crime! Infamous tigers, thirsting for blood, you outrage the earth and the gods, you punish one who is innocent. Ramfis and Priests He is a traitor! He shall die! Amneris (to Ramfis) Priest: this man whom you are killing, you know, was once loved by me; the curse of a tormented heart, with his blood, shall fall upon you! You outrage the earth and the gods, etc. Ah, no, he is no traitor... have pity, etc. Ramfis and Priests He is a traitor! He shall die! (They slowly move away.) Amneris Impious race! A curse upon you! The vengeance of heaven shall descend upon you!

Scene Two

Interior of the Temple of Vulcan and the tomb of Radamès. The scene is divided into two levels. The upper level represents the interior of the Temple of Vulcan, resplendent with gold and light; the lower level, an underground chamber. Long rows of arches disappear into the darkness. Colossal statues of Osiris, with their hands crossed, support the pillars of the vault. Radamès is in the underground chamber, on the steps of the staircase by which he descended. Above, two priests are engaged in closing the stone over the underground chamber.

Radamès The fatal stone has closed above me. Here is my tomb. The light of day I shall see no more. I shall never see Aida again. Aida, where are you? May you at least live happily, and never know my dreadful fate!—What sigh is that!... A specter... a vision... No! This is a human form... Heaven!... Aida! Aida It is I. Radamès You, in this tomb! Aida My heart, foreseeing your sentence, I secretly entered this tomb as it opened for you, and here, far from every human gaze, I longed to die in your arms.

Radamès To die! So pure and beautiful! To die for love of me... In the flower of your youth, to leave this life! Heaven created you for love, and I have killed you because you loved me! No, you shall not die! I have loved you too much! You are too beautiful! Aida (deliriously) See? The angel of death, radiant, draws near to us; upon his golden wings he bears us to eternal joys. Already I see heaven opening; there every sorrow ends, there begins the ecstasy of an immortal love. (Songs and dances of the priests and priestesses in the temple.) Priests and Priestesses Mighty Phtha, life-giving spirit of the world, ah! We invoke thee! Aida A mournful song! Radamès The rejoicing of the priests.

Aida Our hymn of death. Radamès (trying to move the stone of the underground chamber) Not even my strong arms can move you, O fatal stone! Aida In vain! All is over for us on earth. Radamès (with desolate resignation) It is true! It is true! (He approaches Aida and supports her.) Aida O earth, farewell; farewell, vale of tears... Dream of joy that vanished into sorrow. Heaven opens to us, and our wandering souls fly toward the radiance of eternal day, etc. Aida and Radamès O earth, farewell, etc. Ah! Heaven opens to us, etc. Priests and Priestesses Mighty Phtha, etc. (Aida gently sinks into Radamès's arms. Amneris, dressed in mourning, appears in the temple and goes to prostrate herself upon the stone that closes the underground chamber.)

Aida and Radamès ...O earth, farewell, etc. Heaven opens! Amneris I implore peace for you! Beloved remains, may Isis, appeased, open heaven to you! Priests and Priestesses Mighty Phtha! Amneris I implore peace for you! Peace, peace, peace! END