LA BOHEME, SOME SONGS

Che gelida manina, Rodolfo's aria from La Bohème, Act I

After both of their candles go out, Rodolfo and a young woman who has come to his room in order to relight her candle are in the darkness together. Pretending to look for her key which she had lost in the room, Rodolfo instead finds her hand and sings to her of his dreams and ambitions. He also tells her that he has fallen in love with her.

Che gelida manina,                         What a frozen little hand,

se la lasci riscaldar.                                      let me warm it for you.

Cercar che giova?                           What’s the use of looking?

Al buio non si trova.                             We won't find it in the dark.

Ma per fortuna                                          But luckily

é una notte di luna,                               it’s a moonlit night,

e qui la luna                                          and the moon

l’abbiamo vicina.                                           is near us here.

Aspetti, signorina,                                     Wait, mademoiselle,

le dirò con due parole                                   I will tell you in two words

chi son, e che faccio,                           who I am, what I do,

come vivo.  Vuole?                           and how I live.  May I?

Chi son?  Sono un poeta.                            Who am I?  I am a poet.

Che cosa faccio?  Scrivo.                           What do I do?  I write.

E come vivo?  Vivo.                              And how do I live?  I live.

In povertà mia lieta                        In my carefree poverty

scialo da gran signore                                I squander rhymes

rime ed inni d’amore.                                      and love songs like a lord.

Per sogni e per chimere                                 When it comes to dreams and visions

e per castelli in aria,                           and castles in the air,

l’anima ho milionaria.                                    I’ve the soul of a millionaire.

Talor dal mio forziere                          From time to time two thieves

ruban tutti i gioelli                             steal all the jewels

due ladri, gli occhi belli.                                    out of my safe, two pretty eyes.

V’entrar con voi pur ora,                                   They came in with you just now,

ed i miei sogni usati                                   and my customary dreams

e i bei sogni miei,                              my lovely dreams,

tosto si dileguar!                                                melted at once into thin air!

Ma il furto non m’accora,                                     But the theft doesn’t anger me,

poiché, poiché v’ha preso stanza                 for their place has been

la speranza!                                          taken by hope!

Or che mi conoscete,                                   Now that you know all about me,

parlate voi, deh!  Parlate.  Chi siete?               you tell me who you are.

Vi piaccia dir!                                                Please do!

Mi chiamano Mimì, Mimi's aria from La Bohème, Act I

After Rodolfo tells her that he has fallen in love with her, he asks Mimi to tell him something of her. She responds, telling him (among other things) that her name is Lucia, although she is called Mimi.

Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì,                              Yes, they call me Mimi,

ma il mio nome è Lucia.                            But my name is Lucy

La storia mia è breve.                                        My history is brief

A tela o a seta                                              To cloth or to silk

ricamo in casa e fuori...                                        I embroider at home or outside...

Son tranquilla e lieta                            I am peaceful and happy 

ed è mio svago                                           And it is my pastime

far gigli e rose.                                             To make lilies and roses

Mi piaccion quelle cose                                  I like these things

che han sì dolce malìa,                                 That have so sweet smell,

che parlano d'amor, di primavere,                    That speak of love, of spring,

di sogni e di chimere,                                       That speak of dreams and of chimera

quelle cose che han nome poesia...                These things that have poetic names

Lei m'intende?                                            Do you understand me?

Mi chiamano Mimì,                              They call me Mimi,

il perché non so.                                                 And why I don't know.

Sola, mi fo                                            Alone, I make

il pranzo da me stessa.                                   Lunch for myself the same.

Non vado sempre a messa,                  I do not always go to mass,

ma prego assai il Signore.                        But I pray a lot to the Lord.

Vivo sola, soletta                           I live alone, alone.

là in una bianca cameretta:                    There is a white little room

guardo sui tetti e in cielo;                                        I look upon the roofs and heaven.

ma quando vien lo sgelo                                By when the thaw comes

il primo sole è mio                             The first sun is mine

il primo bacio dell'aprile è mio!                       The first kiss of April is mine!

Germoglia in un vaso una rosa...                    Rose buds in a vase

Foglia a foglia la spio!                                        Leaf and leaf I watch it!

Cosi gentile il profumo d'un fiore!                     That gentle perfume of a flower!

Ma i fior ch'io faccio,                           But the flowers that I make

Ahimè! non hanno odore.                               Ah me! they don't have odor!

Altro di me non le saprei narrare.                 About me I would not know how to tell

Sono la sua vicina che la vien fuori                I am your neighbor who come unexpectedly

               d'ora a importunare.                                to bother you.

Quando men vo, Musetta's aria from La Bohème, Act II

Having spotted her occasional boyfriend, Marcello, Musetta sings of how everyone always notices her beauty when she goes out.

Quando men vo soletta per la via,                    When I walk all alone in the street

La gente sosta e mira                                People stop and stare at me

E la bellezza mia tutta ricerca in me                And look for my whole beauty

Da capo a pie'...                                             From head to feet

Ed assaporo allor la bramosia                      And then I taste the slight yearning

Sottil, che da gli occhi traspira                 which transpires from their eyes

E dai palesi vezzi intender sa                          and which is able to perceive from manifest charms

Alle occulte beltà.                             to most hidden beauties.

Così l'effluvio del desìo                                      So the scent of desire is all around me,

               tutta m'aggira, 

Felice mi fa!                                         it makes me happy!

E tu che sai, che memori e ti struggi                And you, while knowing, reminding and longing,

Da me tanto rifuggi?                          you shrink from me? 

So ben:                                                 I know it very well:

le angoscie tue non le vuoi dir,                 you don't want to express your anguish,

Ma ti senti morir!                                         but you feel as if you're dying!

Donde lieta usci, Act III

Rodolfo and Mimi have had a fight, Rodolfo saying that Mimi has been flirting with other men. However, the real reason he wants to separate from Mimi is because she is very sick and he cannot bear to watch her die. He reveals this to Marcello, but Mimi overhears him and, after Marcello leaves, she comes out to him and asks him to return all of her possessions to her former room

Donde lieta uscì                                               Whence happy leaving

al tuo grido d'amore,                                       To your cry of love,

torna sola Mimì                                              Returns alone Mimi

al solitario nido.                                             To solitary nest.

Ritorna un'altra volta                                 Returns another time

a intesser finti fior.                                To weave together false flowers.

Addio, senza rancor.                           Goodbye, without resentment.

Ascolta, ascolta.                                        Listen, listen.

Le poche robe aduna                                  The little things gather

che lasciai sparse.                          That I have left scattered about

Nel mio cassetto                                       In my drawer

stan chiusi quel cerchietto d'or                        Are enclosed that gold band

e il libro di preghiere.                                    And a book of prayers.

Involgi tutto quanto in un grembiale                Wrap everything much in a smock

e manderò il portiere...                                     And I will send the concierge...

Bada, sotto il guanciale                                     Pay attention, on the pillow

c'è la cuffietta rosa.                              There is a pink bonnet

Se vuoi serbarla a ricordo d'amor!                 If you want, keep a memory of love!

Addio, senza rancor.                           Goodbye, without resentment.

Sono andati? – Act IV

"Have they gone?"). Mimi and Rodolfo relive their first meeting — the candles, the lost key — 
and, to Mimì's delight, Rodolfo presents her with the pink bonnet he bought her, which he has kept as a souvenir of their love.  She is dying