A Stupid & Unfunny Satire

This blogger came upon the libretto for "Mira, o Norma," a duet written by Vincenzo Bellini for his opera, Norma.  The duet sung by mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne and soprano Joan Sutherland is available on You Tube [1].  

Libretto in Italian: [2]

ADALGISA
Mira, o Norma, a' tuoi ginocchi
Questi cari tuoi pargoletti!
Ah! Pietade di lor ti tocchi,
Se non hai di te pietà!
NORMA
Ah! Perchè, perchè la mia costanza
Vuoi scemar con molli affetti?
Più lusinghe, ah, più speranza
Presso a morte un cor non ha!
ADALGISA
Mira questi cari pargoletti,
Questi cari, ah, li vedi, ah!
Mira, o Norma, a' tuoi ginocchi,
questi cari tuoi pargoletti,
Ah! Pietade di lor ti tocchi,
Se non hai di te pieta! ecc
NORMA
Ah! Perchè, ah! Perchè la vuoi scemar?
Ah! Perchè, perchè la mia costanza
Vuoi scemar con molli affetti?
Più lusinghe, ah, più speranza
Presso a morte un cor non ha!
ADALGISA
Cedi! Deh, cedi!
NORMA
Ah! Lasciami! Ei t'ama.
ADALGISA
Ei già sen pente.
NORMA
E tu?
ADALGISA
L'amai. Quest'anima
Sol l'amistade or sente.
NORMA
O giovinetta! E vuoi?
ADALGISA
Renderti i dritti tuoi,
O teco al cielo agli uomini
Giuro celarmi ognor.
NORMA
Sì. Hai vinto. Abbracciami.
Trovo un'amica amor.
NORMA ED ADALGISA
Sì, fino all'ore estreme
Compagna tua m'avrai.
Per ricovrarci insieme
Ampia è la terra assai.
Teco del fato all'onte
Ferma opporrò la fronte,
Finchè il tuo core a battere
Io senta sul mio cor, sì.

English translation: [3]

JURJ [4], [5]
See, [o Sama], at you knees
these dear little children of yours! [poor innocent children [6] trained to be killers]
Ah! Let pity for them touch you,
if you do not have pity for yourself!
SAMA [7]
Ah! Why do you want to weaken
my steadfastness with sweet affection?
A heart near death [cannot ever again be the son of his billionaire father [8] and enjoy the luxuries of life]
has no more illusions, no more hope!
JURJ
See these dear little children,
these dear ones, ah, see them, ah!
See, [o Sama], at your knees
these dear little children of yours!
Ah! Let pity for them touch you,
if you do not have pity for yourself, etc
SAMA
Ah! Why do you want to weaken it?
Ah! Why? Ah! With sweet affection,
do you want to weaken my steadfastness
A heart near death
has no more illusions, no more hope!
JURJ
Give way! Ah, give way!
SAMA
Ah! Leave me! He loves you. [He: Mohammad]
JURJ
He already regrets it. [Because Jurj said his god told him to invade Iraq when it was actually Mohammad who told him!]
SAMA
And you?
JURJ
I loved him. But my soul
now feels only friendship.
SAMA
O [man]! and what do you want?
JURJ
To restore your rights to you,
or else I swear to conceal myself
from heaven and mankind with you forever [there is only one place to hide eternally from heaven and from earth (these words could be prophetic)]
SAMA
Yes. You have won. Embrace me
I have found my friend again.
SAMA & JURJ
Yes, until our last hours,
you will have me as your companion.
To shelter us, to shelter us together
the earth is wide, is wide enough.
With you I will face
the affronts of destiny,
as long as I feel your heart
beating over my own.

The entire audience tears up, gives a standing ovation and claps when the two men in a "bromantic" embrace finish the song in unison and in euphony.  As the curtain comes down on the proscenium and closes the show, both of them disappear behind a row of fire-lit torches and theatrical smoke as they take their final bow holding hands that drip a liquid that has the color and consistency of human blood.


[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrY66tzzveY (short version); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7oe_48BDvM (long version, from approximately 33:52 to the end); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STtwkh1rAAs (another long version)
[2] http://www.beverlysillsonline.com/text/l_norma04.htm
[3] Ibid.
[4] Blogger's translation of ADALGISA
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_(given_name)
[6] Al-Qaeda - http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-02-05-camps-usat_N.htm (2008);
Al-Qaeda/Taliban - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2313023/The-Talibans-boy-commandos-Children-young-FIVE-horrifying-arsenal-weapons-terror-training-camp.html (2013);
ISIS/Taliban - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/why-afghanistans-children-are-used-as-spies-and-suicide-bombers/ (2015)
[7] Blogger's translation of NORMA
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden