“Aida” – Act 3

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.