Non piangere, Liù

"Non piangere, Liù" (Don't cry, Liù) is an aria sung by Calàf, the "Unknown Prince", in Act I of the Italian opera Turandot, by Giacomo Puccini. The lyrics were written by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. The scene takes place before the walls of the imperial palace. In the preceding aria (Signore, ascolta! - "My lord, listen!" ), Liù begs Calàf not to risk his life by playing a deadly game to marry Princess Turandot, and Calàf responds to her gently, asking her not to cry.

Libretto

Italian	Translation in English
Non piangere, Liù se in un lontano giorno io t'ho sorriso per quel sorriso, dolce mia fanciulla m'ascolta il tuo signore sarà, domani, forse, solo al mondo Non lo lasciare... portalo via con te Dell'esilio, addolcisci a lui le strade Questo...questo, o mia povera Liù, al tuo piccolo cuore che non cade chiede colui che non sorride più.	Do not cry, Liù If on a long-ago day I smiled at you For the sake of that smile, My dear child Listen to me Your lord will be, tomorrow, perhaps, left alone in the world Do not leave him behind... take him with you from exile, make the journey easy for him This... this, oh my poor Liù, of your modest heart that does not fall asks the one who doesn't smile anymore!

References

• The aria database