No, Pagliaccio non son – Pagliacci

Canio

No! I am not Pagliaccio;

If my face is pale,

It’s from shame, and lust for revenge!

This man is taking back his rights,

This bleeding heart wants blood

To wash away the shame, o cursed woman!

No, I am not Pagliaccio!

I am the idiot

Who picked this little orphan off the street

Almost dead from hunger,

And gave you a name,

And a love that was feverish and mad!

Peasant women

Clown, you make me cry!

This scene seems so real!

Peasant men

Be quiet down there! What the hell!

Silvio

I can hardly believe it!

Canio

I had hoped, I had been blinded by this delirium,

If not love, pity... mercy!

And my heart was glad for every sacrifice required,

And confidently believed

In you, more than God Himself!

But only vice lives in your neglected soul;

you have no feeling... only feeling for yourself!

Go away, you’re not worth my grief,

Wretched harlot,

You have my contempt

Just to crush you under my feet!!

The crowd

Bravo!

Nedda

Fine then! If you judge me unworthy of you,

You're driving me away.

Canio

Ah! ah!

You can ask nothing better

Than to run quickly to your dear lover.
You’re a clever one! No! by God!

You’ll stay…

You will tell me your lover’s name!!

Nedda

Come on, this is awful

I can’t really believe you!

There’s nothing tragic here.

Come and tell them or Taddeo,

The man sitting there,

Sitting next to me just now

It was... the fearful and harmless Harlequin!

Canio

Ah! you challenge me!

You still don’t get it

That I’m not giving in to you?...

The name, or your life! His name!

Nedda

Ah! No, my God!

Maybe I’m not worthy…

Not what you want, but I’m not vile, for God’s sake!

Peasants

Are they acting?

Is this serious?

Be quiet down there!

This is serious and dark!

Silvio

I can’t resist anymore!

Oh what a strange comedy!

Peppe

We must leave, Tonio. I’m afraid!...

Tonio

Shut up, idiot!

Nedda

You anger is stronger than my love!

I won’t talk! No! Even at the risk of death!

Canio

His name! His name!

Nedda

No!

Silvio

Holy hell! He’s serious...

The crowd and Peppe

What are you doing? Stop! Help!

Canio

To you! To you!

You will say it, in the throes of death!

Nedda

Rescue me! Silvio!

Silvio

Nedda!

Canio

Ah!... is it you?

So be it!

The crowd

Stop! Jesus and Mary!

Canio

The comedy is finished!

Placido Domingo in the final scene of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. With Teresa Stratas as Nedda and Sherill Milnes as Tonio.
Metropolitan Opera, 1978. Conductor: James Levine.