I lived for art, I lived for love,
I never hurt a living soul!
I helped whenever I heard about misery.
Always with earnest faith
my prayer
went up from the holy shrines.
Always with earnest faith
I gave flowers to the altar.
In my hour of grief
why, why, Lord,
why are you paying me back like this?
I gave jewels for the Madonna's cloak,
and I gave my song to the stars, the sky,
and they smiled more beautifully.
In my hour of grief
why, why, Lord,
oh why do you pay me back like this?
The lament Vissi d'arte from the opera Tosca is one of the most famous of all arias. The opera was written by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). The lyrics are by librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on the original story by Victorien Sardou.
Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore,
non feci mai male ad anima viva!
Con man furtiva
quante miserie conobbi aiutai.
Sempre con fè sincera
la mia preghiera
ai santi tabernacoli salì.
Sempre con fè sincera
diedi fiori agl’altar.
Nell’ora del dolore
perchè, perchè, Signore,
perchè me ne rimuneri così?
Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto,
e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,
che ne ridean più belli.
Nell’ora del dolor
perchè, perchè, Signor,
ah, perchè me ne rimuneri così?
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