All'alba Vincerò

"All'alba Vincerò - At dawn, I shall be victorious!"

Nessun Dorma is the famous aria from Puccini's oriental opera Turandot - a love story between Prince Calaf (the Unknown Prince) and Princess Turandot, a vengeful princess who vows to execute any suitors who cannot answer her riddles.

In this opera, Prince Calaf manages to answer all of Turandot's three riddles and in turn, asks Turandot to answer one riddle of his own - "What is my name?".  If Turandot can find out his name by dawn, Calaf promises to go away, never to return again. If not, he will then claim the prize of answering her three riddles, and that is her hand in marriage.

Turandot immediately forbids anyone in China from sleeping that night, ordering them to find out the true identity of the Unknown Prince.

In this aria, Prince Calaf rejoices in his victory, and looks forward to dawn, as he is confident that no one in the realm knows who he is.

Nessun Dorma (Italian)

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o Principessa
Nella tua fredda stanza
Guardi le stelle che tremano
D'amore e di speranza!
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me
Il nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
Quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà
Il silenzio che ti fa mia!
ll nome suo nessun saprà
E noi dovrem, ahimè! Morir! Morir!
Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò!
Vincerò! Vincerò!

English Translation

None shall sleep,
None shall sleep!
Even you, oh Princess,
In your cold room,
Watch the stars,
That tremble with love
And with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
My name no one shall know,
No... no...
On your mouth, I will tell it,
When the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win!
I will win!
I will win!