Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791):
Non so piu cosa son
(from Le Nozze di Figaro) (The Marriage of Figaro) (1786)
Text: Lorenzo da Ponte, after Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais? play
La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro
Original Key/Recorded Key: E-flat Major
Teach-Track begins: m. 1
Accompaniment Track begins: m. 1
Pianist: Daniel Michalak
Cherubino is a young page living in Countess Almaviva?s castle who has a crush on almost all of the women in the castle due to his recently acquired puberty. A godson of the Countess, he is always getting on his nerves, but is loved by everyone else for his boyish charm.
This aria shows Cherubino?s confusion at his new-found infatuation with women, including his godmother. The Count is angry at Cherubino after finding him with the gardener?s daughter and the young man plans to ask Susanna to speak to his godmother about interceding on his behalf.
Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio.
I don't know anymore what I am, what I do.
Or di foco, ora sono di ghiaccio.
Now of fire, now I-am of ice,
Ogni donna cangiar di colore,
Each woman to-change of color (makes me blush),
ogni donna mi fa palpitar.
each woman me makes palpitate.
Solo ai nomi d'amor, di diletto,
Only at-the names of-love, of delight,
mi si turba, mi s'altera il petto,
me itself disturbs, me itself-alters the breast,
e a parlare mi sforza d'amore,
and obliges me to speak of love,
un desio ch'io non posso spiegar.
by a desire that I cannot explain.
Parlo d'amor vegliando, parlo d'amor sognando,
I-speak of-love while-waking, I-speak of-love while-dreaming,
all'acqua, all'ombra, ai monti,
to-the-water, to-the-shadow, to-the mountains,
ai fiori, all'erbe, ai fonti,
to-the flowers, to-the-grass, to-the fountains,
all'eco, all'aria, ai venti,
to-the-echo, to-the-air, to-the-winds,
che il suon de' vani accenti portano via con se.
which the sound of-[the] useless words carry away with them.
E se non ho chi m'oda,
And if I do not have one who hears me
parlo d'amor con me
I-speak of-love with myself