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Pourquoi me réveiller
from Act III of the French opera Werther by Jules Massenet
Libretto: Edouard Blau

Role: Werther, a poet, about 23 years old
Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor
Setting: the Magistrate's house at Christmas, Frankfurt, Germany, 1780
Synopsis: Werther has come back to see Charlotte, his love who is married to another man. She shows him some of the books that they used to read together. One book in particular, a collection of Ossain's verses, sparks Werther to ask spring to cease its gentle caresses upon him, for sadness and grief is now his fate.
Range: Tessitura:
F#/Gb3 - A#/Bb4G3 - F#/Gb4
Translations/Aria Texts:
Translation into English by Randall Garrou (added 2000-06-02)
Pourquoi me réveiller, Werther's aria from Werther

Pourquoi me réveiller,			Why do you awaken me?
ô souffle du printemps?			o breath of Spring?
Pourquoi me réveiller?			Why do you awaken me?
Sur mon front je sens tes caresses,	On my forehead I feel your caresses,
et pourtant bien proche est le temps	and yet very near is the time
des orages et des tristesses!		of storms and sorrows!
Pourquoi me réveiller,			Why do you awaken me,
ô souffle du printemps?			o breath of Spring?

Demain dans le vallon			Tomorrow, into the valley
viendra le voyageur			will come the traveller
se souvenant de ma gloire première.	remembering my early glory
Et ses yeux vainement			And his eyes in vain
chercheront ma splendeur.		will look for my splendor.
Ils ne trouveront plus que deuil	They will find no more than grief
et que misère! Hélas! 			and misery.  Alas!
Pourquoi me réveiller,			Why do you awaken me,
ô souffle du printemps!			o breath of Spring!

Translation by Randall Garrou (randygarrou@earthlink.net)
Translation into English by Lea Frey (added 2000-06-02)
Pourquoi me réveiller, Werther's aria from Werther

Traduire! 					Translate! 
Ah!  Bien souvent mon rêve s’envole 		Ah! How often my dream takes flight
Sur l’aile de ces vers, 			On the wing of these verses, 
et c’est toi, cher poète			and it’s you, dear poet,
qui, bien plutôt, était mon interprète! 	who, quite soon, was my interpreter!
Toute mon âme est là! 				All  my soul  is there!

"Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?	"Why awaken me, oh breath of spring?
Pourquoi me réveiller? 				Why awaken me?
Sur mon front, je sens tes caresses 		On my brow, I feel your caresses,
Et pourtant bien proche est le temps 		and yet, very close is the time
des orages et des tristesses! 			of storms and of sorrows!
"Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps? "Why awaken me, oh breath of spring?
Demain dans le vallon viendra le voyageur, 	Tomorrow in the valley will come the voyager,
Se souvenant de ma gloire première. 		Remembering my first glory.
Et ses yeux vainement chercheront ma splendor, 	and his eyes vainly will seek my splendor,
Ils ne trouveront plus que deuil et que misère!	They will find only mourning and suffering!
Hélas!  					Alas!  
"Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?	"Why awaken me, oh breath of spring?

Translation by Lea Frey (blfrey@earthlink.net)
Sounds:
MIDI version by Bob Frone
Sheet Music/Scores:
The Ultimate Tenor Aria Album (Version 2.0). Published by CD Sheet Music. Available at Amazon.com and Sheetmusicplus.com.
Cantolopera: Arias for Tenor - Volume 2. Published by Ricordi. Available at Amazon.com and Sheetmusicplus.com.
Recordings:
none
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