Signore, ascolta!

"Signore, ascolta!" ("My lord, listen!") is a soprano aria in act one of the opera Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. The Italian lyrics were written by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.

It is sung by Liù (a slave girl) to Prince Calaf, whom she is secretly in love with. Liù sings this aria begging Calaf not to risk his life for his love to a beautiful but cold Princess Turandot, who set a condition that any man who wishes to marry her must first answer her three riddles, and if he fails, he will be beheaded.^[1]

Liù's words touch the Prince's heart, and he replies with "Non piangere, Liù" ("Don't cry, Liù").

Libretto

Signore, ascolta! Deh!, signore, ascolta!
Liù non regge più!
Si spezza il cuore!
Ahimè, quanto cammino
col tuo nome nell'anima
col nome tuo sulle labbra!
Ma se il tuo destino,
doman, sarà deciso,
noi morrem sulla strada dell'esilio.
Ei perderà suo figlio...
io l'ombra d'un sorriso!
Liù non regge più!
ha pietà!^[2]

My lord, listen, ah! listen!
Liù can bear it no more!
My heart is breaking!
Alas, how long have I travelled
with your name in my soul,
your name on my lips!
But if your fate
is decided tomorrow
we'll die on the road to exile!
He will lose his son...
And I, the shadow of a smile!
Liù can bear it no more!
Ah, have pity!

References

^ "Signore, ascolta!". Aria database site. Retrieved 17 July 2018
^ Turandot (libretto). G. Ricordi & Co. 1926. p. 29.

External links

"Signore, ascolta!" on YouTube, Leona Mitchell
"Signore, ascolta!", sheet music, 8notes.com site. Retrieved 17 July 2018
Maria Callas video, lyrics and translation, Opera Lady blogspot. Retrieved 17 July 2018

Carlo Gozzi's Turandot (1762)

Operas

Turandot (1917, Busoni)	Turandot Suite
Turandot (1926, Puccini)	Turandot discography "Signore, ascolta!" "Non piangere, Liù" "In questa reggia" "Nessun dorma" "Tu che di gel sei cinta" Turandot at the Forbidden City

Play

Turandot (1953, Brecht)

Film

Princess Turandot
The Curse of Turandot

Source

Les Mille et un jours (1710–12, Pétis de la Croix)

v t e Giacomo Puccini
List of compositions
Operas	Le Villi (1884) Edgar (1889) Manon Lescaut (1893) La bohème (1896) discography Tosca (1900) discography Madama Butterfly (1904) discography La fanciulla del West (1910) La rondine (1917) Il trittico (1918) Il tabarro Suor Angelica Gianni Schicchi discography Turandot (1924) discography
Arias	"Torna ai felici dì" "Donna non vidi mai" "Quando me'n vo'" "E lucevan le stelle" "Recondita armonia" "Vissi d'arte" "Ch'ella mi creda" "O mio babbino caro" "In questa reggia" "Nessun dorma" "Non piangere, Liù" "Tu che di gel sei cinta" "Signore, ascolta!" "O soave fanciulla" "Che gelida manina" "Un bel dì, vedremo"
Other works	Messa di Gloria (1880)
Film adaptations	La Bohème (1926 film) Tosca (1956 film) La Bohème (1965 film) La Bohème (1988 film) La Bohème (2008 film) Tosca (2001 film)
Family	Jacopo Puccini (great-great-grandfather) Domenico Puccini (grandfather) Simonetta Puccini (granddaughter)
Related articles	Festival Puccini Giulio Ricordi Puccini Spur Villa Puccini
Category Audio