The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
• Characters
• Atto Primo
• Scena I
• Scena Ii
• Scena Iii
• Scena Iv
• Scena V
• Atto Secondo
• Scena I
• Scena Ii
• Scena Iii
• Atto Terzo
• Scena I
• Scena Ii
• Scena Iii
• Scena Iv
• Scena V
• Atto Quarto
• Scena I
• Scena Ii
• Scena Iii
• Act One
• Scene I
• Scene Ii
• Scene Iii
• Scene Iv
• Scene V
• Act Ii
• Scene I
• Scene Ii
• Scene Iii
• Act Iii
• Scene I
• Scene Ii
• Scene Iii
• Scene Iv
• Scene V
• Act Iv
• Scene I
• Scene Ii
• Scene Iii

Scene III

Rhadames and Aïda

Rhadames

• Once more, my sweet Aïda, I behold thee.

aïda

• Arrest thee! Hence! What hope is thine?

rhadames

• That thou wert here, love told me.

aïda

• I to another must thy hand resign,
• Betrothed of Amneris.

rhadames

• What hast thou said?
• Thee only, sweet Aïda, can I love,
• Be Heaven my witness, for thee I shall wed.

aïda

• Invoke not falsely, the great gods above.
• The brave, not the forsworn I love.

rhadames

• Thou doubt’st my love, Aïda?

aïda

• But how
• Thinkest thou to efface
• The love of thy Princess, the will of the King,
• The wrath of the priests and the hopes of thy race?

rhadames

• Hear me, Aïda,
• Again, the torch of war, with zeal untiring,
• To a new blaze the Ethiop has fanned,
• Our country to invade once more aspiring,
• And all of Egypt’s armies I command.
• When me their shouts and songs proclaim victorious,
• The grateful King a new reward will give
• And thou shalt be my crown of triumph glorious,
• With thee in endless peace and love to live.

aïda

• Nay, but Amneris you should fear,
• Her rage, her envious fury
• Like Heaven’s thunder-bolt would fall
• On me, my father, on us all.

rhadames

• I will defend thee.

aïda

• In vain thou would’st attempt it.
• Yet—if thou lov’st me—there is still a way,
• To safety for us.

rhadames

• What way?

aïda

• To fly.

rhadames

• Together!

aïda

• Ah, fly these treacherous heats that burn,
• The land beneath them blighting,
• To a new country let us turn,
• Our faithful love inviting.
• There where virgin forests rise,
• And amid sweet-scented flowers,
• In this ecstasy of ours,
• The earth we’ll ne’er regret.

rhadames

• To another land, a stranger,
• With thee thou bid’st me fly,
• My country leave in danger,
• Its sacred claims deny?
• Land these arms have ever shielded,
• Land whose conquering sword I’ve wielded,
• Land, the sight of thee that yielded,
• All this can I forget?

aïda

• In my pleasant land abiding,
• There our hearts to love confiding.
• Never will thy gods be chiding,
• For them we’ll honor yet.

rhadames

• (Hesitating.)
• Aïda!

aïda

• Thou lov’st me not! Go!

rhadames

Not love thee! Ne’er god nor mortal burned with such devouring passion.

aïda

• Go, go, thy Amneris awaits thee at the altar.

rhadames

• No! In vain!

aïda

In vain, thou sayest? Then fall the axe on me and on my father!

rhadames

• Ah, no! Let us fly!
• (With passionate resolution.)
• Yes, we’ll fly these walls now hated,
• In the desert hide our treasure:
• Here the land to woe seems fated,
• There the skies are bright with love,
• Boundless deserts naught can measure,
• Soon our bridal couch shall spread,
• And the stars their radiance shed,
• Our canopy above.

aïda

• In that land all grief allaying,
• There shall balmy skies await thee,
• And the gentle breezes straying,
• Flowers to shed their fragrance move.
• Verdant vales and pleasant meadows,
• There our bridal couch we’ll spread,
• And the stars their radiance shed,
• Our canopy above.

AÏDA AND RHADAMES

• Come with me, and together let us flee,
• From the land where spectres rove,
• Come with me—I love thee, love thee,
• And our guide shall be but love.
• [They are hastening away when suddenly Aïda stops.]

aïda

Nay, tell me by what path we may avoid their rising army?

rhadames

By the path that we have chosen to fall upon the Ethiopians. It will be deserted until morning.

aïda

And what path is that?

rhadames

The passes of Napata!