La donna è mobile - arguably the most famous aria, from Act III of the Italian opera, Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto : Francesco Maria Piave
- Role : The Duke of Mantua,
- Voice Part : tenor Fach : lyric tenor
- Setting : The inn of Sparafucile
- Range : F#/Gb3 to A#/Bb5. Tessitura : F#/Gb3 to F#/Gb4
- Synopsis : The Duke, disguised as a soldier, sings that all women are fickle and that they will betray anyone who falls in love with them.
Lyrics and English translation:
La donna è mobile, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle (movable), like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento, e di pensiero.
she changes the tone of her voice (i.e., her accents), and her thoughts
Sempre un amabile, leggiadro viso,
Always a sweet, pretty face,
in pianto o in riso, è menzognero.
in tears or in laughter, (she) is (always) lying
La donna è mobile, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle, like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento, e di pensier
she changes her accents, and her thoughts
e di pensier, e di pensier
and her thoughts, and her thoughts
È sempre misero, chi a lei s'affida,
It is always miserable, he that trusts in her
(He is always miserable who trusts in her)
chi le confida, mal cauto il core!
who to her confides, his unwary heart!
Pur mai non sentesi felice appieno
Yet nobody feels happy fully
chi su quel seno non liba amore!
who on that bosom doesn't drink love,
La donna è mobil, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle, like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento e di pensier,
she changes the tone of her voice and her thoughts
e di pensier, e e di pensier!
and her thoughts, and her thoughts!
