"Oh figli...Ah, la paterna mano"

O figli, o figli miei!

Ah sons, ah sons of mine
Da quel tiranno tutti uccisi voi foste,

You all were killed by that tyrant,
e insiem con voi la madre sventurata!

and with you along, your unfortunate mother!

Ah, fra gli artigli di quel tigre

Ah! I let into the claws of that tiger
Io lasciai la madre e i figli?

the mother and her sons!

Ah, la paterna mano non vi fu scudo, o cari,

Ah! The paternal hand didn't defend you,my dears,
Dai perfidi sicari che a morte vi ferîr!

from the hired ruffians that wounded you to death!

E me fuggiasco, occulto voi chiamavate invano

And you looked in vain for me, a concealed fugitive,
Coll'ultimo singulto, coll'ultimo respir.

with your last sob, with your last sighs.

Ah! trammi al tiranno in faccia,

Ah! Bring me in front of that tyrant,
Signore, e s'ei mi sfugge

Lord, and if he escapes from me
Possa a colui le braccia del tuo perdono aprir.

may I offer him to Your forgiveness.

***

Character: Macduff, a Scottish noblememan (lyric tenor)
Setting: The border between England and Scotland
Synopsis: Macbeth has killed Macduff's children and wife. Macduff, immensely saddened by this news, laments his children's death with this aria.
Opera: "Macbeth"
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto : Francesco Maria Piave