Nessun Dorma - Lyric and Translation - Text

"Nessun dorma" is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. The aria, whose title translates from Italian as "Let no one sleep", follows the proclamation by the Princess Turandot that no one shall sleep: they shall all spend the night attempting to find out the name of the unknown prince, Calaf, who has set the challenge. Calaf sings, indicating his certainty that their effort will be in vain.


The aria achieved pop status after Luciano Pavarotti's rendition of it was used as the BBC's theme for the 1990 Football World Cup held in Italy. It has been that tenor's signature song outside Italy since the 70s, as his rendition of it garnered him worldwide fame.

ITALIAN;


Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!

Tu pure, o, Principessa,

nella tua fredda stanza,

guardi le stelle

che fremono d'amore

e di speranza.




Ma il mio mistero e chiuso in me,

il nome mio nessun sapra!

No, no, sulla tua bocca lo diro

quando la luce splendera!




Ed il mio bacio sciogliera il silenzio

che ti fa mia!




(Il nome suo nessun sapra!...

e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)




Dilegua, o notte!

Tramontate, stelle!

Tramontate, stelle!

All'alba vincero!

vincero, vincero!





ENGLISH

None must sleep! None must sleep!

And you, too, Princess,

in your cold room,

gaze at the stars

which tremble with love

and hope!




But my mystery is locked within me,

no-one shall know my name!

No, no, I shall say it as my mouth

meets yours when the dawn is breaking!




And my kiss will break the silence

which makes you mine!




(No-one shall know his name,

and we, alas, shall die!)




Vanish, o night!

Fade, stars!

At dawn I shall win