Una furtiva lagrima

"Una furtiva lagrima" (A furtive tear) is the romanza from act 2, scene 8 of the Italian opera L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti. It is sung by Nemorino (tenor) when he finds that the love potion he bought to win the heart of his dream lady, Adina, works.

Nemorino is in love with Adina, but she is not interested in a relationship with an innocent, rustic man. To win her heart, Nemorino buys a love potion with all the money he has in his pocket. That love potion is actually a cheap red wine sold by a traveling quack doctor, but when he sees Adina weeping, he knows that she has fallen in love with him, and he is sure that the "elixir" has worked.

Libretto

	"Una furtiva lagrima" Enrico Caruso in 1911 for the Victor Talking Machine Company
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Una furtiva lagrima negli occhi suoi spuntò: Quelle festose giovani invidiar sembrò. Che più cercando io vo? Che più cercando io vo? M'ama! Sì, m'ama, lo vedo. Lo vedo. Un solo istante i palpiti del suo bel cor sentir! I miei sospir, confondere per poco a' suoi sospir! I palpiti, i palpiti sentir, confondere i miei coi suoi sospir... Cielo! Si può morir! Di più non chiedo, non chiedo. Ah, cielo! Si può! Si, può morir! Di più non chiedo, non chiedo. Si può morir! Si può morir d'amor.

A single furtive tear from her eyes sprang: Of those festive, young girls envious she seemed to be. What more need I look for? What more need I look for? She loves me! Yes, she loves me, I see it. I see it. Just for an instant the beating of her beautiful heart I heard! And my sighs became as one fleetingly with her sighs! Her heart beating, her heart beating to hear, our sighs confounded as one... Heavens! Yes I could, I could die! More I can't ask, I can't ask. Oh, heavens! Yes I could! Yes I could die! More I can't ask, I can't ask. Yes I could die! If I could die of love.

External links

• Score and libretto at Indiana University
• Score published ca. 1870 by Alfred Ikelmer et Cie. (Paris)
• Score published ca. 1874 by Gray's Music Stores

References

• The Aria Database