“Aida” – Act 2

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.