Luciano Pavarotti Dies at Age 71. Farewell.

Luciano Pavarotti passed away this morning at 5 am Modena time at age 71. He had been suffering with pancreatic cancer for a long time and had been ailing for the past months. Pavarotti had an illustrious opera career, the majority of his colleagues recognizing him as a technical genius. This news filled me with sadness. Here is an aria by Pavarotti from Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore" (Elixir of Love), with lyrics in Italian and in translation.



Plot: Nemorino has fallen in love with Adina, a girl from a wealthy family, who will have not pay any heed to a poor young man. He spends all of his money on a love potion which is, in reality, nothing but cheap wine. Nemorino believes that the elixir will work, and when he sees her tears, he knows at last that she loves him in return.

Una furtiva lágrima Una furtiva lágrima Negl'occhi suoi spuntò: Quelle festose giovani Invidiar sembrò. Che piu cercando io vo? Che piu cercando io vo? M'ama, si 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 co' 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 Secret Tear One secret tear From her eyes has sprung: It seemed to envy Those happy youths. I need to seek no further, I need to seek no further! She loves me, yes, she loves me, I see it, I see it! For a single moment, to feel The beating of her sweet heart! My sighs mingling For a while with her sighs! To feel the heartbeats, To mingle my sighs with hers, Heaven, that I could die! I ask for nothing more, nothing more. Oh! Heaven, if I could, if I could die, I'd ask for nothing more, nothing more. If I could die, if I could die of love.

(translation by A. Jokinen)