I’m working on learning this aria from an opera called Werther by Jules Massanet. It’s pretty gorgeous, so I thought I’d share a video of Pavarotti singing it.
It comes at a point in the opera when Werther comes to see the woman he loves, but whom he can never be with. He proceeds to read her a translated poem from Ossian — a cycle of epic poetry (which happens to be this song). She realizes that she returns his love, and they embrace shortly before he leaves the stage. Shortly thereafter Werther kills himself, distraught with the knowledge that he can never be with the woman he loves.
Translation:
“Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?
“Why awaken me, oh breath of spring?
Pourquoi me réveiller?
Why awaken me?
Sur mon front, je sens tes caresses
On my brow, I feel your caresses,
Et pourtant bien proche est le temps
and yet, very close is the time
des orages et des tristesses!
of storms and of sorrows!
“Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?
“Why awaken me, oh breath of spring?
Demain dans le vallon viendra le voyageur,
Tomorrow in the valley will come the voyager,
Se souvenant de ma gloire première.
Remembering my first glory.
Et ses yeux vainement chercheront ma splendor,
and his eyes vainly will seek my splendor,
Ils ne trouveront plus que deuil et que misère!
They will find only mourning and suffering!
Hélas!
Alas!
“Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?
“Why awaken me, oh breath of spring?
Translation by Lea Frey (blfrey@earthlink.net)
Thanks to Aria-Database.com
Jeff Ammons 
L.Pavarotti – I love him and his arias
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IT IS NOT A……FRENCH POEM……..IT IS A BOOK OF TRANSLATIONS OF THE POEMS OF OSSIAN….. ..LEGENDARY AND CONTRAVERSIAL EPIC STORIES OF FINGAL FROM ANCIENT GAELIC VOCAL TRADITIONS OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND.
THESE TRADITIONAL STORIES WERE COLLECTED AND TRANSLATED BY …MACPHERSON A SCOTTISH POET….WHO IMBELLISHED AND POLISHED THE STORIES TO MAKE THEM MORE PALATABLE…TO THE DRAWINIG ROOMS OF THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY…….INSPIRING AN AGE OF ROMANTICISM …BECAUSE OF THEIR GREAT POPULARITY.
THAT MACPHERSON MAY HAVE FILLED IN AND MODIFIED THESE STORIES TO SUCH A DEGREE AS TO LEAVE HIM OPEN TO ACCUSATIONS OF PERPETRATING A VAST HOAX…….NO DOUBT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWO POSSIBLE EXTREMES….BUT WHAT IS UNMISTAKABLE……THESE POEMS AND STORIES INSPIRED ….POETS….WRITERS….AND COMPOSERS……ARTISTS….AND READERS AND LOVERS OF LITERATURE….
THUS CONTRIBUTING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE HUGE MELTING POT OF LATE 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURY EUROPEAN CIVILISATION.
EVEN JUST LISTENING TO THE GREAT OPERATIC ARIA…POURQUA ME REVELLERS FROM WERTER…INSPIRED BY MR MACPHERSONS …..TRANSLATIONS OF OSSIAN….IS 100 PERCENT JUSTIFICATION GOR ANY REAL OR IMAGINED SINS COMMITED BY THE GREAT SCOTTISH WRITER AND POET….
MACPHERSON.
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Ah yeah, you are correct that it’s from the book of translations of the poems of Ossian. I’ll make that correction.
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