Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix is a popular mezzo-soprano aria from Camille Saint-Saëns's opera Samson and Delilah, known in English as "Softly awakes my heart", or more literally "My heart opens itself to your voice". It is sung by Delilah in Act II as she attempts to seduce Samson into revealing the secret of his strength.[1] In actual performance of the opera, Delilah is responding to Samson's words "Dalila! Dalila! Je t'aime!" (Delilah! Delilah! I love you!) which he repeats between the first and second verses of her aria.
[edit] Aria text and translation
| Original French | English translation [2] |
Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix, comme s'ouvrent les fleurs Aux baiser de l'aurore! Mais, ô mon bienaimé, pour mieux sécher mes pleurs, Que ta voix parle encore! Dis-moi qu'à Dalila tu reviens pour jamais, Redis à ma tendresse Les serments d'autrefois, ces serments que j'aimais! Ah! réponds à ma tendresse! Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse! Ainsi qu'on voit des blés les épis onduler Sous la brise légère, Ainsi frémit mon coeur, prêt à se consoler, A ta voix qui m'est chère! La flèche est moins rapide à porter le trépas, Que ne l'est ton amante à voler dans tes bras! Ah! réponds à ma tendresse! Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse! | My heart opens to your voice Like the flowers open to the kisses of the dawn! But, oh my beloved, to better dry my tears, Let your voice speak again! Tell me that you are returning to Delilah forever! Repeat to my tenderness the promises of old times, those promises that I loved! Ah! respond to my tenderness! Fill me with ecstasy! Like one sees the blades of wheat that wave in the light wind, So trembles my heart, Ready to be consoled, by your voice that is so dear to me! The arrow is less rapid in bringing death, than is your lover to fly into your arms! Ah! respond to my tenderness! Fill me with ecstasy! |
[edit] In modern music
A montage of the last two lines of "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" has been recorded by British alternative rock band, Muse, and is included on their album, The Resistance in the track titled "I Belong to You (+Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix)", track 8.
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