“Le Villi” – Act 2

SECOND ACT

(Guglielmo sits at the door of his house, sunk in profound grief.) GUGLIELMO No, it cannot be That his crime should remain unavenged! My sweet daughter lived Happy and peaceful by my side, Then he came, And with his words Awakened in her The longing for love. (rising passionately) Who then, villain, Asked for your love? What terrible wrong Did we ever do to you, That you should kill that angel And leave such anguish To darken my last days?

GUGLIELMO No, it cannot be That so great a crime should go unavenged! Holy spirit of my daughter, If the legend of the Wilis be true, Do not be merciful to him now, As once you were; Instead, await him here When evening falls. If I could know you were avenged, I would gladly greet my final day. Ah, forgive, Lord, The cruel thought That has escaped From my bleeding heart.

(He returns to the house.) WILIS offstage He is coming! Anna! Anna! Anna! The traitor comes, Condemned to death! Look! He draws near! Come, accursed one, move on! (Roberto appears on the bridge and advances.) ROBERTO to himself Here is the house. God, what a dreadful night! Strange voices pursue me. The Wilis? Come now! They are only tales! (descending) No, it is not The fatal vengeance of the Wilis That pursues me! You alone pursue me, Remorse, Infernal serpent!

ROBERTO Serpent with infernal venom! My sorrowing thoughts Return to those happy days: The flowers of May were smiling, Love was blossoming, Love blossomed for me! Now everything is shrouded In gloomy mystery, And in my heart there remains Only sorrow and terror. Perhaps she still lives! (He looks toward the house, then walks toward it as if he has reached a decision.)

I shall knock! (He is about to knock, but recoils as though some unknown force restrains him.) What a shudder seized me! In vain I tried To raise my hand To that threshold! WILIS Come on, accursed one, move on! ROBERTO And yet I seem To hear a funeral chant! (He kneels, exhausted, and tries to pray.) O almighty God! This is the end Of my journey, The end of my destiny. Grant that forgiveness May make her happy For but a single moment, And then I shall die!

ROBERTO (springing to his feet) I cannot pray! Ah, cursed be the day, The day I left this place! Cursed be your beauty, O vile courtesan! Forever cursed! Forever cursed! WILIS Move on! Move on! Move on! ANNA (offstage) Roberto! ROBERTO Heaven! Her voice! Then she is not dead! ANNA (appearing on the bridge) I am no longer Love. I am Vengeance! ROBERTO (falling upon a rock in despair) Great God! ANNA Do you remember What you said In the month of flowers? ‘You shared The joys and caresses Of my childhood; From you, gentle and pure, I learned life’s sweetness. Ah, doubt God Himself, But never doubt my love!’

ANNA I loved you: you betrayed me. I waited for you, and you never came. What a terrible sorrow it is To suffer in silence! With all hope gone from my heart, You caused my death! ROBERTO I forgot her, I betrayed her, And because of me she lost her life. Ah, what a terrible sorrow I am doomed to suffer! With remorse within my heart, I feel myself dying! (Roberto moves toward Anna as though driven by an unknown force. He struggles to resist the spell that overwhelms him, but cannot, and rushes toward her. Anna advances, opens her arms, and draws him to herself. Meanwhile the Wilis gather around them and carry them away in a frenzied dance.)

SPIRITS (offstage) Here we await you, traitor! Expect no mercy from us! SPIRITS AND WILIS He who in life was deaf to love Shall find no forgiveness in death! Traitor, we await you! Turn! Leap! Turn! Leap! (Panting and wild-eyed, Roberto runs to Guglielmo’s house and tries to knock at the door. Seeing the Wilis pursuing him from the right, he attempts to flee the other way, but Anna appears on the left. She seizes him again and sweeps him into another furious dance amid the advancing Wilis.)

ROBERTO (exhausted, falling at her feet) Anna, mercy! ANNA (disappearing) You are mine! SPIRITS AND WILIS Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

libretto by Dmitrii Murashev