"From my beloved river Permessus I come to you" "Illustrious heroes Descended from kings" "You are renowned for your exploits" "But the truth can never be known Since it is beyond reach" "I am Music I can calm troubled minds With my sweet sounds" "With noble anger or with love I can melt the hardest of hearts" "I can charm people With my golden lyre" "So I can prepare their souls" "To receive the sweet music They will hear in Heaven" "Now I want to tell you about Orpheus" "Orpheus who tamed wild animals With his singing" "And who conquered the underworld With his playing" "Orpheus, the eternal glory Of Mount Helicon" "Now I will sing you songs Some happy, some sad" "While I sing, let the birds be silent And the river be calm" "Let each little breeze die away" "ACT I" "This happy day brings to an end Our demigod's lovelorn torments" "Shepherds, let us sing as sweetly" "As Orpheus himself" "Today even Eurydice's Hard heart has melted" "Today even Orpheus is happy When once in these forests" "He used to weep" "This happy day brings to an end Our demigod's lovelorn torments" "Shepherds, let us sing as sweetly" "As Orpheus himself" "Come, God of Marriage" "Let your blazing torch Bring these lovers happy days" "And banish pain and suffering From now on" "O Muses, the glory of Parnassus Much loved in Heaven" "Bring comfort to heavy hearts" "Let your sweet lyres Bring cloudless skies" "We will celebrate Their marriage in song" "Let us unite in singing their praises" "Nymphs, come down From the hillsides, leave your springs" "And celebrate the wedding in dance" "Let the sun shine down On your dances" "The sun, far lovelier than the stars Which dance to the moon" "Nymphs, come down From the hillsides, leave your springs" "And celebrate the wedding in dance" "Then honor them with flowers" "After the anguish they have suffered" "Let them now enjoy Their happiness together" "But you, gentle singer, as you once Made the fields weep with you" "So now make these hills and valleys Rejoice to the sound of your lyre" "Sing of love From the bottom of your heart" "Rose of Heaven, life of the world" "Created by the universe" "O Sun, you who circle the world From your celestial orbit" "Tell me, have you ever seen A happier lover than I?" "How happy I was On the day I first saw you" "And was happier still When I first yearned for you" "But I was happiest of all When you first pledged yourself to me" "If I had as many hearts As Heaven has eyes" "Or the flowers ln these hills have leaves" "They would all be overjoyed At the happiness I feel today" "I cannot tell you How happy I feel for you" "My heart has joined yours in love" "If you want to know how happy it is" "Ask it how much it loves you" "Nymphs, come down From the hillsides, leave your springs" "And celebrate the wedding in dance" "Let the sun shine down On your dances" "The sun, far lovelier than the stars Which dance to the moon" "Come, God of Marriage" "Let your blazing torch Bring these lovers happy days" "And banish pain and suffering From now on" "But if your joy derives from Heaven lt is right that we offer up lncense and prayers" "So let us all go to the temple To pray for our happiness" "Let no one give in to despair" "Even though it sometimes Puts us in grave danger" "When the menacing clouds Have passed" "The sun shines even more brightly" "And after the sharp frosts of winter" "Spring covers the fields with flowers" "Here is Orpheus" "Yesterday he was so miserable" "But today he is so happy" "And has all he wants" "ACT ll" "Now I have returned to you Dear woods and hills" "Blessed by the sun Who has turned my nights into days" "Orpheus, see how enticing ls the shade of those beeches" "Now that the sun is so hot" "Let us rest on these grassy banks" "And let our voices mingle With the sound of the water" "These lush meadows often cause The woodland gods to linger here" "Pan, the shepherds' god ls often heard" "Lamenting his unluckiness in love" "Here the lovely wood-nymphs" "Can be seen gathering roses" "So, Orpheus Let the sounds of your lyre" "Drift across these fields and mingle With the soft breezes from Arabia" "Shady woods, do you remember My long and bitter sadness" "When even the very rocks themselves Seemed moved to pity?" "Tell me, didn't I appear then More wretched than any other?" "Now my luck has changed And turned pain into joy" "Once I led a life Of sorrow and sadness" "But now I'm happy, and the sadness I bore for so many years" "Makes my happiness now All the more precious" "For you alone, Eurydice I bless my torments" "We are more content after sorrow And happier after misfortune" "Only for you, Eurydice" "Orpheus, see how All the woods and fields are rejoicing" "So let your playing continue to Sweeten the air on so blessed a day" "What a bitter blow!" "How cruel Fate is" "Wretched stars, insatiable Heaven" "What is this mournful sound Which disturbs our happiness?" "Must I pierce his heart with my news" "While he delights Heaven With his music?" "This is Sylvia Eurydice's sweetest companion" "How sad she looks;" "Whatever has happened?" "O Gods, don't turn away from us now" "Shepherd, stop singing now - All our happiness has turned to grief" "Whence have you come?" "Where are you going?" "Why are you here?" "Orpheus, I am the bringer of bad news" "Your lovely Eurydice..." "What?" "Your beloved wife is dead" "She was gathering flowers With her companions" "To make garlands for their hair" "When a snake in the grass" "Bit her foot" "lmmediately she turned pale And the light went from her eyes" "We were horrified" "And all tried to revive her With cold water and powerful spells" "But it was all in vain" "She half-opened her eyes And called for you, Orpheus" "But after a few deep sighs She died in my arms" "I was left feeling pity and horror" "What a bitter blow!" "How cruel Fate is" "Wretched stars, insatiable Heaven" "The wretched man is struck dumb By this bitter news" "He is so grief-stricken He cannot grieve" "One would surely have to have The heart of a tiger or bear" "Not to feel pity for you" "You are dead, my love" "While I am still alive" "You have left me" "Never to return and I am still here" "No, for if my songs have any power I will go down into the deepest abysses I'll melt the heart of the King of Hades" "I will bring you back with me To see the stars again lf, by some ill-luck, I should fail I will stay with you in death" "Farewell, earth" "Farewell sun and sky, farewell" "What a bitter blow!" "How cruel Fate is" "Wretched stars, insatiable Heaven" "Let no man put his trust ln fleeting, fragile happiness" "It's soon gone - there is often A precipice at the top of the mountain" "As for me Whose words have ripped like a knife" "Through Orpheus's loving heart" "The nymphs and shepherds hate me I hate even myself So where can I hide?" "I'll become a doomed creature Of the night, forever shunning the sun" "And leading a life ln keeping with my sadness" "Who will comfort us?" "Or, rather, who will give us A living fountain in our eyes" "So that we can weep As we should on this sad day?" "Today ill-fortune has extinguished The two brightest lights of our woods" "Eurydice and Orpheus" "One bitten by a snake And the other lacerated by grief" "What a bitter blow!" "How cruel Fate is" "But where is poor Eurydice" "Whose sweet soul" "Has departed ln the flower of her youth?" "Shepherds, let's go and find her" "And with our bitter tears Pay tribute to her corpse" "What a bitter blow!" "How cruel Fate is" "ACT lll" "Guided by you, Goddess of Hope The only solace of afflicted mortals" "I have reached this infernal kingdom" "Which the sun never reaches" "You, my companion and guide Have led my faltering steps" "Along such strange unknown paths I still hope to see again My beloved's eyes" "Which alone can Bring the light back into my eyes" "Here is the hideous river" "And here the boatman Who ferries the dead to the other side" "To Pluto's vast kingdom of darkness" "Beyond that stygian swamp Beyond that river ln those fields of weeping and pain" "is hidden the woman Who was everything to you" "Now you will need to have A stout heart and a sweet song I have led you so far, but am allowed To go no further with you" "A harsh law forbids it" "A law inscribed in iron on stone at The threshold of the lowest kingdom" "Which expresses its grim message ln these words:" ""Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"" "So if you still determined To set foot in the city of sorrow" "I must leave you And return to my usual surroundings" "Where are you going My only comforter?" "Now, after my long journey I can see the gate" "Why have you abandoned me On this perilous threshold?" "How can I carry on lf you desert me now, sweetest Hope?" "You rash man, stop where you are" "Mere mortals are not allowed On these waters" "Nor can the living have shelter Among the dead" "You are an enemy of my master" "Perhaps you will try to lure Cerberus Away from the gates of Tartarus" "Or perhaps even abduct My master's wife" "Forget any such ambitions" "Never again shall a living person Step into my boat I have not forgotten similar outrages ln the past" "Mighty spirit" "Formidable god" "Without you no soul can hope" "To reach the opposite bank" "But I am not alive" "Since my wife died" "My heart is no longer with me" "Without a heart, how can I be alive?" "It is to see her" "That I have journeyed Through this foul air" "But I am not yet in Hades" "For wherever there ls such beauty as hers" "There is Paradise" "I am Orpheus" "Following Eurydice's steps" "Through this gloomy land Where no mortal has ever set foot" "My beloved, just one look from you Would restore me to life" "Who would deny me such solace?" "You alone, noble god, can help me" "Don't worry" "My only weapon is my lyre" "To which even The most hard-hearted succumb" "I am moved by your sad plight" "But I cannot allow myself to feel pity" "A sentiment unworthy of my standing" "How wretched a lover am I Should I not hope" "That the citizens of the underworld Will listen to my prayers?" "Am I to be denied Both Heaven and Hell" "Like the shadow of an undead?" "is it to be my fate To call out your name in vain" "To exhaust myself lmploring and weeping?" "O gods of Tartarus Give me back my beloved" "He's asleep" "Even if the playing of my lyre Left him unmoved" "He couldn't resist my singing" "There is no time to lose lf there is no one here to stop me I must cross over to the other side" "Let my courage win through Where my prayers failed I must seize the moment" "While I weep bitter tears O gods of Tartarus" "Give me back my beloved" "None of man's ventures ls undertaken in vain" "Nor can Nature Defend herself against him" "He has ploughed the rolling fields And reaped golden harvests" "The memory of his glory shall live on ln the Temple of Fame" "He tamed the sea in a fragile boat" "And mocked the fury of the winds" "ACT iv" "My lord, this unhappy man" "Wandering through These fields of death" "Calling for his Eurydice" "And whose lament You have just heard" "Has moved me to tears" "I beseech you to look kindly on him" "If you have ever truly loved me" "If you find me so beautiful" "That you do not envy Jupiter" "I implore you To allow Eurydice to return" "To enjoy again those days She once spent dancing and singing" "And to put wretched Orpheus Out of his misery" "Although what you want ls against the law, dear wife" "It is hard to deny Such beauty and such pleading" "Despite the fatal decree" "Orpheus shall have back His dear Eurydice" "But while he is leaving the underworld" "He must never try to look back at her" "A single glance Would lose her for ever" "That is my will" "Now, ministers, spread my word Throughout the kingdom" "And tell Orpheus and Eurydice too" "Let no one try to change it" "O mighty King of Hades Your word is our law" "It is not for us To pass judgment on your will" "Will Orpheus lead his wife From this dreadful region?" "Will he be able to resist His youthful exuberance?" "Will he remember the edict?" "How can I thank you, gentle sir For granting my request?" "Blessed be the day When I first pleased you" "Blessed be the abduction And the sweet deception" "Though I lost the sun lt was my good fortune to win you" "Your sweet words Remind me of our love" "But don't let heavenly delights Deflect you from the marriage-bed" "Compassion and love triumph ln Hades today" "Here is the gentle singer Who will lead his wife up to Heaven" "You deserve the highest praise My all-powerful lyre" "You have won over the hardest hearts ln the underworld" "You shall have your place in Heaven" "Where the stars will orbit To the sound of your music" "Today, thanks to you I will embrace my beloved again" "But while I'm singing, how will I know That she's following me?" "Who will be hiding The light of her eyes from me?" "Perhaps the envious Gods of the underworld" "Will blight my happiness on earth" "By stopping me From looking into her eyes" "Her eyes Which can bring joy to anyone" "But why should I be afraid?" "What Pluto forbids, Love commands I must obey a divinity More powerful than men or gods" "But what is that noise?" "Perhaps it's the enraged Furies" "Who will punish me by snatching My beloved away from me" "Will I let that happen?" "Now I can see you, my love" "But what has happened to you?" "You have broken the law And are unworthy of mercy" "It's too sweet and too painful To look at you" "Are you to lose me Because you love me too much?" "And am I to lose the right To light and to life" "And to lose you, my husband" "Who are more precious Than anything?" "Return to the shadows of death Unhappy Eurydice" "Give up hope Of ever seeing the stars again" "Hades will not hear your prayers" "Where are you going, my love?" "Look, I'm following you" "But who is holding me back?" "is this a dream or am I going mad?" "What strange power Among these horrors" "Drags me, against my will Up to the hateful light?" "Virtue is a ray of celestial beauty" "The prize of the soul" "It does not fear time" "On the contrary lt increases in men as they get older" "Orpheus conquered Hades" "But was then defeated By his own passions" "Only the man Who can control his own emotions ls worthy of eternal glory" "ACT V" "These are the fields of Thrace" "Where I first heard the fateful news" "Since there is no longer Any hope of getting back my beloved" "What else can I do But turn to you, gentle woods?" "You were there to comfort me ln my darkest hours" "The mountains grieved And the rocks wept" "At the departure of our sun I will weep with you for ever more" "And give myself up to pain and grief" "Sweet, loving Echo You too are disconsolate" "Yet you try to console me I have wept so much already" "But still my tears keep flowing" "If the hundred-eyed Argus Were to weep a sea of tears" "It would still not be as great As the grief I feel" "If you take pity on me I am most grateful" "But while I am crying, why do you Echo only my last syllables?" "Repeat my laments in full" "But if you, my soul Ever return to these friendly shores" "Accept from me this final homage" "For now I dedicate my lyre And my singing to you" "As I once offered you my heart" "You were beautiful and wise" "And Heaven blessed you With all her gifts" "Other women were less fortunate" "You deserve all praise" "Your beauty harbored An even more gentle soul" "All the more worthy For being so modest" "Other women are Haughty and unfaithful" "Heartless and fickle To those who love them" "Devoid of reason and noble thoughts lt is right That they should not be praised" "May I never fall in love With a worthless woman" "Why are you so miserable, my son?" "You should not be slave To your own passions" "Since you seem to be So full of self-reproach I have come down from Heaven To help you" "Listen to me now And you shall have praise and life" "Dear father, you have come to me ln the hour of my greatest need" "I have been at my lowest ebb" "Now I am ready to listen to What you have to say, heavenly father" "Once you rejoiced too much At your good fortune" "Now you are too bitter At what fate has done to you" "Haven't you realized yet That in this life no pleasure is lasting?" "So if you want to enjoy immortal life" "Come with me up to Heaven Which invites you" "Shall I ever again gaze into the eyes Of my beloved Eurydice?" "You will embrace her Among the sun and stars" "It would be an unworthy son who did Not follow such a father's advice" "Let us go up to Heaven singing" "Where true virtue has its just reward - Joy and peace" "Go, Orpheus, to enjoy those Celestial honors, in perfect happiness" "Up there, good never fails And sorrow never existed" "We joyously offer you altars Incense and prayers" "There he goes - one who does not Shrink from the call of eternal God" "So he who has experienced Hell Will attain grace in Heaven" "And he who sows in sorrow Will reap the fruits of grace" "DVD Subtitles by international Broadcast Facilities"