Jussi Bjorling "Bella figlia dell'amore" from Verdi's Rigoletto. (It was featured in the English movie "Quartet" which I just watched last night, and which is about retired singers and musicians putting on a Verdi Gala. It has a great cast, by the way, including Maggie Smith and also some bona fide elderly opera singers. It's a very sweet movie, but oh dear, how I dread the idea of getting that old...of course, the alternative isn't so great either!
)
Anyway, this Jussi Bjorling version is one of my favorites. It's just stupendously beautiful. Ironic but true that this Swede was one of the greatest "Italianate" tenors ever to grace the stage. He's at his best here...the tone...the phrasing...my god, the breath control...he seems to have superhuman lung capacity. When I hear untrained singers drawing these rasping breaths all over the place I want to throw a slipper or something!
Here are the lyrics for the section starting at 1:58. Does anything ever change? Ah, the perfidy of men!
DUKE
Fairest daughter of love,
I am a slave to your charms;
with but a single word you could
relieve my every pain.
Come, touch my breast and feel
how my heart is racing.
MADDALENA
Ah! Ah! That really makes me laugh;
talk like that is cheap enough.
Believe me, I know exactly
what such play?acting is worth!
I, my fine sir, am quite accustomed
to foolish jokes like this.
GILDA
Ah, these are the loving words
the scoundrel spoke once to me!
O wretched heart betrayed
do not break for sorrow.
RIGOLETTO
to Gilda
Hush weeping can do no good...
You are now convinced he was lying.
Hush, and leave it up to me
to hasten our revenge.
It will be quick, it will be deadly,
I know how to deal with him.
Listen to me, go home.
Take some money and a horse,
Put on the men's clothes I provided,
then leave at once for Verona.
I shall meet you there tomorrow.
http://www.islandcityopera.org/park/translations