Time to get out of depression and uplift the mood.
Opera is not popular in India even with those who are fond of Western classical music. I claim to be among the latter but find the extreme voice undulations of sopranos and contraltos a little taxing to my ears. I don't mind tenors, though, and love Mario Lanza, Luciano Pavarotti and the grouping together of the latter with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras as The Three Tenors. Their renditions of operatic arias and Neapolitan classics have been extraordinary and unforgettable and can be listened to anytime to get into a good mood.
So when my music system was functional again after some repairs, I went to YouTube, searched for The Three Tenors and was led to their popular number "La donna e mobile" from Verdi's famous opera "Rigoletto". I have heard this aria before and liked it though I did not know the meaning of the words as, of course, it is sung in Italian. To listen to it again, I pressed the play button. To my pleasant surprise, the video carried an English translation of the lyrics.
When you understand the words, the pleasure increases manifold particularly as the lyrics of this song are full of humour and The Three Tenors sing it in a playful, mischievous way, prodding each other, exchanging naughty sidelong glances and smiling all the way. The translation is repeated below for those who, like me, love the song but do not know the Italian language.
The title of this post warns that it is a treat for men but if any women readers have come so far, they are advised to leave to avoid getting offended.
"La donna e mobile" - 'Woman is fickle' :-
'Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind
She changes in voice and in thought
Always a lovely pretty face
In tears or in laughter, it is untrue.
Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind
She changes her words and her thoughts
Always miserable is he who trusts her
He who confides in her, his unwary heart
Yet one never feels fully happy
Who from that bosom does not drink love!
Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind
She changes her words and her thoughts.'
To quote RK Laxman- "You Said It!"
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