Vissi d'arte is a soprano aria from the 2nd act of the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini . Mario Cavaradossi, Tosca's lover, was captured on suspicion of hiding an escaped Republican. Baron Scarpia tries to use the situation to approach Tosca. Scarpia has the prisoner tortured in order to blackmail Tosca into a concession. Act 2 is characterized by tussle and dialogues between Scarpia and Tosca and ends with the murder of Scarpia by Tosca. For the aria Vissi d'arte (“I lived for art”), the hectic stage action takes a back seat, and Tosca sings an intimate monologue in which she asks God why she is being punished like this.
text
Italian
translation
Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore,
non feci mai male ad anima viva!
Con man furtiva
quante miserie conobbi aiutai.
Semper con fè sincera
la mia preghiera
ai santi tabernacoli salì.
Semper con fè sincera
diedi fiori agli altar.
Nell'ora del dolore
perché, perché, Signore,
perché me ne rimuneri so?
Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto,
e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,
che ne ridean più belli.
Nell'ora del dolore,
perché, perché, Signore,
ah, perché me ne rimuneri so?
I lived for art, lived for love,
did not harm any living being!
With a discreet hand
I helped wherever I saw misery.
Always with sincere faith
, my prayer ascended
to the sacred tabernacles.
I
always decorated the altars with flowers with sincere faith .
In this
hour of pain,
why, why, oh Lord, why do you thank me for that?
I donated jewels for the Madonna's mantle,
and I offered songs to the stars and the sky,
which made them shine even more beautifully.
In this
hour of pain,
why, why, oh Lord, why do you thank me for that?
