"Issipile" di Pietro Metastasio, Atto 2
Drama for Music by Antonio Bioni, exhibited in Breslau in 1732. Libretto: Pietro Metastasio
The Ars-Augusta e.V. in collaboration with the Stettin Theater, it will stage for the first time in modern times an opera by Antonio Bioni, and in particular an opera written for the Wroclaw Theater in 1732. And the opera "Issipile" . The manuscript is in the Archive of the Friends of Music Society in Vienna and will be edited by our Association in the coming months.
The following translation in English is made by Enrique Gomez-Cabrero Fernandez.
ACT II
SCENA I
Garden with a little forest
Eurinome, and Learco farther away
Eurinome: Ah I see bad omens everywhere, and they reproach my soul’s anger.
Lonely horrors of my regrets, defend my heart!
And tell me that the unavenged soul of my son is does not haunt me anymore:
That it [the soul] does not long for the journey to Lete
And that it’s peace is worth my crime.
Learco: (Here is Issipile: Time for Ardor)
Eurinome: Someone is coming. Gods, who can it be?
Learco: My beloved. Believing she is Issipile, he grabs her hand
Eurinome: Who is it? That voice? She moves away from Learco
Learco: (Ah, I was wrong) He goes back to the forest
Eurinome: Poor me. Ice is coming through my veins!
What did the voice of Learco tell me? Where are you?
Don’t hide from my sight. Explain to me your return.
Speak. What do you want? Why do you haunt me?
ARIA EURINOME
Lovely shadow
Of my beloved dead son
Don’t ask me for vengeance
For I have already delivered it
What kind of peace would you have
And what kind of rest will you have
If all the blood I spilled for you
Is not enough to satisfy you?
(Da Capo) She moves restlessly through the scene
SCENA II
Issipile in a rush, the aforementioned
Issipile: Rodope should have arrived here before me. Here she is. My friend:
Run to Giasone and tell him She finds Eurinome and believes her to be Rodope
That the king is alive: And that since I will go with him to the harbor now,
He could come with his followers to find us there, and secure our escape.
She goes into the forest
Eurinome: What secret plan is being reveled to me by Fortune!
Now I understand why you are haunting me, son.
Did I make a useless choice? Will the tyrant live?
That can’t be. For I would lose every fruit of my crime.
SCENA III
Issipile e Learco
Issipile: Here is the sacred forest where my beloved father is hidden.
The shadows, the fear, the impatience for arriving are confusing my steps.
But I was right. Father! My Lord! Hurry up.
Learco: (That’s the voice of my beloved. Courage. He comes out the forest
Oh Gods my heart is pumping while I run towards her)
Issipile: Come. Where are you? I hear you footsteps but I cannot find you.
Maybe between all this horrors… I will be able to find you
She grabs Learco by the hand believing him to be Toante
Learco: (Love help me.)
Issipile: You are trembling, father! Don’t be afraid. Giasone will secure our escape.
He will arrive in no time to the harbor of Lenno.
Learco: (Alas, what do I hear)
Issipile: Now that I am looking for such a long time at the light of your face
Learco: (I am lost)
Issipile: And I seem to hear the voice of my beloved
Learco: (I will hide again) Comes back into the forest
Issipile: Where are you going? Why do you run away?
Ach, even the manliest of souls is made vile by misfortune
SCENA IV
Eurinome with Amazones, with burning faces, and the aforementioned
Eurinome: Here we are, surround the forest and the royal garden.
Issipile: (Ah Toante’s fear was an omen)
Eurinome: You are discovered. Give your father away.
Issipile: (Ah, help me Gods)
Are you asking me for a corpse?
Eurinome: I have no time for deceptions. I saw you calling him by his name
And speak to him.
Issipile: Unfortunately, that’s true. I keep seeing his dark image.
He follows me to every place. He calls me ungrateful,
He scolds me, he reproaches me that because of me
He is living in the afterworld.
Eurinome: (I have goosebumps, and I know she lies)
Issipile: (I am lying, and I am trembling)
Eurinome: Useless lies
Issipile: Oh God, don’t you see it yourself, Eurinome?
Look at my eyelashes, so full with fury.
They are soft from all the weeping
That comes when the heart is angry.
Look at the white hair that still dripping warm blood
Is falling to my face.
Listen to my screams. Look at the scornful acts.
Miserable shadow, I have been punished enough.
Hide, hide the face, Oh god, hazy and dark,
And the flogging of Aletto and Megera.
Eurinome: Miserable princess, my heart feels mercy for you
Issipile: (If only she could be moved)
Eurinome: This horrible trees are the home of unwelcome maggots.
Burn them, comrades. Let the forest turn to ashes in an instant.
Issipile: Ah no: stop. Those are the sacred trees of the Godess of the forest.
Eurinome: Don't listen to her
Issipile: So not even the gods are safe from your wretched wrath?
Will you turn into criminals all those who follow your orders?
Eurinome: You are recklessly giving away your secret.
This is the forest where Toante is hidden. Go friends, bring him to his demise.
Amazons enter the forest
Issipile: Alas, listen to me oh Gods in the heavens. What will I do?
Eurinome have Mercy.
Eurinome: Your father didn't have mercy of my son.
Issipile: If you are so eager for revenge, pierce my heart, hurt me instead of him.
I beg you humbly. I am at your feet. She kneels down
Eurinome: (I feel her tears cooling my hate down)
Issipile: Let your fury stop, or change it's target. I beg you for everything that is sacred
in the heavens and in the earth. For the very ashes of your beloved Learco.
Eurinome: Ah the mention of his name renews my fury. Let the tyrant die
She unsheathes her sword
And let him die by my hand. I will not by satified untill I see my sword
completely red with his blood.
(As she aproaches the forest to kill Toante, she finds Learco instead, and she drops the sword)
Learco: Ah Mother!
Eurinome: Ah Son!
Issipile: What is this? I am shocked to a stone.
She stands up.
SCENA V
Rodope, and the aforementioned
Rodope: (Gods! Learco in chains? How can I save him? I must prettend.)
Eurinome: Is it really you? Am I really me?
Learco: I wish it wouldn't, by an almighty mercy, you cruel mother.
Eurinome: Wretched me! I was goint to kill you in order to avenge you.
Alas, you come back to life in order to make me guilty of your murder.
How much pain costs me this inhuman pleasure!
Rodope: Comrades, tie the prisioner to a tree, and point at him with our arrows
(Learco is tied to a tree by the amazons)
Eurinome: Ah no, you cruel!
Rodope: Bring Eurinome somewhere else, by force if needed,
so that she doesn't have to behold this.
Issipile: Poor mother!
Eurinome: Rodope, have mercy
Rodope: Do you want to put your own laws to oblivion?
Eurinome: Issipile, have mercy
Issipile: And what could I possibily do?
Rodope: If you don't leave at once we will kill him immediately
Eurinome: Oh torment of all torments!
ARIA DI EURINOME
Alas when I say goodbye to you
I feel my heart breaking
My blood leaves me,
My entrails leave my chest.
I wish I could suffer the last embrace
from the person that is killing you
So that at least I could die
In your arms at least.
SCENA VI
Issipile, Rodope, e Learco.
Learco: My cruel fate shows me the dark trophy of your beauty, cruel Issipile.
I am here for I love you too much.
Issipile: You alone are the master of your own demise.
Learco: It was already written in fate's book since I was born.
Issipile: Damn the moment I liked you
She leaves
SCENA VII
Rodope, Learco.
Rodope: Comrades, Nemesis [the godess of vegeance] will be less pleased
with the victim in this place. Let's make the sacrifice public and solemn.
Go. Rise an altar for all the people to see, and gather everyone around it.
I will stay here in the meantime guarding the prisioner.
Amazones leave
Learco: I didn't think you were so cruel, Rodope
Rodope: Ungrateful, you know better about my mercy.
I was pretending to be rigorous to convince the crazy furious women.
Learco: If that is true I will give you my heart
Rodope: I don't want your love.
Learco: Maybe you don't trust what I say to be true?
I swear it to the Gods.
Rodope: Silence, Learco, silence. I don't want my gift to cost you a perjury.
I give you back your freedom and your life. She frees him
Learco: But will you not get a reward for your mercy?
Rodope: I already got one. You just don't know about it.
ARIA RODOPE
You don't know what beautifull joy it is
to say when you are offended:
I forgive it, I forgive you:
Even when I could avenge myself.
And to see in the meantime the offender
in shock, his face completely red
thinking about his crime
doesn't want to plot anymore.
SCENA VIII
Learco solo
Learco: Why do you hide, oh my virtue,
if you don't manage to wake up from such long sleep?
What do you want to achieve with this useless remorses?
Either rule or be ruled.
I don't want you in my heart, because either you are complely defeated
or you win completely.
ARIA LEARCO
Emotions, don't disturb
the peace of my soul:
either let's do your bidding
or necessity's bidding
Why do you think you are kings
if you are not free?
And why you do not change
when you have your freedom.
SCENA IX
Countryside with view to the sea and with tents
Giasone solo
Jasone: Could it be true that she is so deceptive?
Oh Isside is more fierce than that beasts!
Let Ircano's forest have a new price of cruelty.
Even there no tiger lives that would kill it's father.
But the sun is rising: He sits on a rock
Watch over me, oh my languid spirits, tired of wandering.
But I feel you calming down your turmoil, confused in my heart.
My eyes are getting heavy, and the thoughts of the terrible events
weight heavily in my soul (He falls sleep)
SCENA X
Giasone, sleeping, and Learco.
Learco: I have had enough of being evil.
It is now time, after all this dangers for changing my costume.
I am finally tired of shaking in fear at the edge of the pecipice,
Of admire others and hate myself. But what do I see?
It is my rival, sleeping over there. Lucky you!
You were born under a lucky star.
My beautiful enemy is serving you.
I will have to cry in desperation:
In between loving embraces you will laugh at me.
My misery is in no small part the cause of your joy.
Oh cruel image, it pierces my heart! No.
Let the one that is taking my life die. Takes a knife
Die... Wants to hurt him, but he thinks it twice.
What am I doing? Are those the generous intentions
that I decided to have not long ago?
SCENA XI
Issipile, Learco, e Giasone sleeping.
Issipile: Where will I ever find my father? Maybe...
Learco. Why does he have that dagger in his hand?
Learco: My virtue will remain unknown to the world.
If I don't kill him I will lose my revenge and my glory.
And some day the memory of this untimely mercy will torment me.
Let it strike! He wants to hurt Giasone
Issipile: Ah traitor, what are you doing? She holds him back
Learco: Let go of me.
Issipil: Don't even dream of it.
Learco: I will drop the dagger if you will be mine
Issipile: A thunder from Jupiter will strike me before that happens.
Learco: So there is no mercy for him? He tries to free himself
Issipile: Carefull, I will wake my husband up: And you will be lost.
Learco: Ah silence. I will leave.
Issipile: No. Before you leave drop the dagger.
(He gives the dagger to Issipile and runs away fast close to Giasone)
Learco: Here you have it, ungratefull.
Prince! You have been betrayed.
Issipile: Stop.
(Giasone wakes up and stands up energetically, and sees Issipile with the dagger in her hand)
SCENA XII
Giasone, and Issipile.
Giasone: Who is betraying me? Eternal Gods!
Issipile: Husband
Giasone: Ah barbaric woman; What did I ever do to you?
What crime do you want to punish?
Issipile: Could the destiny give me more missfortunes?
My lord you are mistaking. I didn't come to kill you.
Giasone: And that dagger, and that angry face, and those screams?
Was is not you who woke me up from my sleep?
Is that not clear enough?
Issipile: Someone else tried to kill you. I saved you.
Giasone: Such a great proof of your virtue.
Kills her father but watches over her husband.
Issipile: I did not kill him.
Giasone: But you said...
Issipile: I was forced to lie.
Jasone: But I saw myself the king slaughtered on the beach
Issipile: You thought you saw him, but it wasn't the king.
Jasone: So then tell me, where is Toante?
Issipile: I am looking for him, but I don't find him.
Jasone: Wicked woman. Do you think I am such a fool?
You add offense to the betrayal.
You told me about your crime yourself, everyone says so,
I witnessed it myself: And now you pretend to be inocent.
I woke up and I found you confused and armed, ready to hurt me.
And you are saying that you came to my side in my defense.
Tessaglia's people are not so stupid.
Issipile: You see...
Jasone: I saw enough.
Issipile: Don't you want to...
Jasone: I don't want to listen to you
Issipile: And do you think...
Jasone: I think I am a criminal if I keep listening to you
Issipile: So...
Jasone: Leave
Issipile: And our love?
Jasone: I am ashamed of it
Ïssipile: And am I...?
Jasone: You are an object of fear to my eyes.
Issipile: Ah furies that live in this horrid beaches. I understand, I understand.
Inocence is a crime. The blood of all those that turn our nation's soil red
is not enough. Take also mine.
She is about to cut herself
Jasone: Stop.
Issipile: What do you want? What brings you to stop my death?
Jasone: Die if you want to die, but die somewhere else
(takes her dagger and throws it away)
Issipile: At least...
Jasone: Leave me alone
Issipile: Listen to me.
Jasone: I don't want to
Issipile: Kill me
Jasone: I can't
Issipile: Look at me
Jasone: It is a crime to look at you
Issipile: My beloved. My dear husband.
Jasone: Either you leave or I do.
ARIA DI ISSIPILE
I leave if you want
but this cruelty
will perhaps cost you
more than one sigh
You will realise about your mistake
but your delayed pain
will not be any consolation
for my martyrdom
SCENA XIII
Giasone, later Toante
Jasone: She left, thank the Gods. I was being seduced by her tears.
And my emotions where faltering for a moment.
Let her go far from this skies.
And let distance put down our shameful love.
Toante: Prince. My friend.
Jasone: My lord! Am I mistaken or are you the king of Lenno?
Toante: I was, at least.
Jasone: I don't believe myself. How do you come back?
I saw you myself dead in the Royal Chambers
Toante: You saw some poor man dressed with royal clothes, and with a similar face to mine, everyone was fooled. This mercifull plan was designed by Issipile to save me.
Jasone: Ah, so my wife is innocent. Toante, I will return to you in no time
He starts leaving
Toante: Why do you leave me?
Jasone: I want to catch on to my beloved. You will know how unfairly I offended her.
He starts leaving
Toante: Oh my god, what are you doing? The female squadrons, who are proud of this
whole affair, are everywhere around. And if they catch you like this, without
your men, neither will you save your blood nor defend you wife.
Jasone: To arms, to arms. Wake up, come, follow me comrades.
Toante: I will escort you.
Jasone: Oh no, you would be a problem, not a defense. In the middle of the wrath
I would fear for you. Comrades, oh gods, stop the delay.
Oh wife! Oh friend! Oh sweetness! Oh love!
ARIA GIASONE
I leave you, and I don't know
if this will be the last goodbye
Either I will return with my beloved
Or I will not come back at all
SCENA XIV
Toante Solo
Toante: I don't want to deny one more spectator from Issipile's danger.
Fatherly love will strengthen my trembling members.
Even the most cowardly beasts becomes strong when defending its children.
When there is a threat he puts down fear and turns it into bravery.
ARIA DI TOANTE
When the dove discovers
that its nest is being raped,
feels a burning in its heart
that was never there
With its beak and with its claws
even if its not able to defend its child,
at least will be able
to disturb the offender with his fighting
END OF SECOND ACT
