Vogliatemi bene

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Vogliatemi bene ("Love me") is one of the most famous arias from Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and a staple of the verismo canon. This aria was often performed by the legendary soprano Maria Callas, and her recording of it continues to be a favorite of opera aficionados.

The aria takes place at the end of the first act, in a beautiful garden during a sweet, starry night. Butterfly gently kneels down at Pinkerton's feet, and tenderly looking at him, softly sings as follows:

Lyrics

Vogliatemi bene,

un bene piccolino,

un bene da bambino,

quale a me si conviene.

Vogliatemi bene.

Noi siamo gente avvezza alle piccole cose

umili e silenziose,

ad una tenerezza sfiorante e pur profonda

come il ciel, come l’onda del mare!

Translation:

Love me a little,

with a little love,

the kind that suits me.

We're a people used

to tiny things,

humble and silent,

to a tenderness that barely touches

and yet is as deep as the sky

or as the sea's wave.

External links

[translation into english]

References

English translation by William Fense Weaver, published for a recording insert by Capitol Records, 1955.

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