Madame Butterfly
Giacomo Puccini Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un bel dì, vedremo
Levarsi un fil di fumo
Sull′estremo confin del mare
E poi la nave appare

Poi la nave bianca
Entra nel porto
Romba il suo saluto
Vedi? È venuto!

Io non gli scendo incontro, io no
Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle
E aspetto, e aspetto gran tempo
E non mi pesa la lunga attesa

E uscito dalla folla cittadina
Un uomo, un picciol punto
S'avvia per la collina
Chi sarà? Chi sarà?
E come sarà giunto
Che dirà? Che dirà?

Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana
Io senza dar risposta
Me ne starò nascosta
Un po′ per celia
E un po' per non morire
Al primo incontro

Ed egli alquanto in pena
Chiamerà, chiamerà
"Piccina, mogliettina
Olezzo di verbena"
I nomi che mi dava al suo venire

Tutto questo avverrà, te lo prometto
Tienti la tua paura




Io con sicura fede
L'aspetto

Overall Meaning

The song "Madame Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini tells the story of a Japanese geisha named Cio-Cio San, who is also known as Butterfly, waiting for her lover, a naval officer named Pinkerton, to return to her. The first verse begins with Butterfly dreaming of the day when she will see a small plume of smoke on the horizon, signaling Pinkerton's return on a ship. She continues to wait patiently on the hill, watching as the ship enters the harbor and her lover emerges from the crowd.


However, she decides not to run towards him as he approaches but rather waits for him to come to her. She wants to test his love and devotion towards her. When Pinkerton finally arrives, he calls out to her, and she hides herself at first, teasing him. Eventually, she emerges from her hiding place, and he greets her with affectionate names.


The lyrics are full of emotion and capture the anticipation, uncertainty, and love that Butterfly feels towards Pinkerton. It also portrays her hopes and dreams of a happy future with him, contrasting with the reality that will soon befall her. This song is a portrayal of Japanese culture and the stigma associated with the ancient tradition of being a geisha.


Line by Line Meaning

Un bel dì, vedremo
One beautiful day, we will see


Levarsi un fil di fumo
A wisp of smoke rising


Sull′estremo confin del mare
On the farthest edge of the sea


E poi la nave appare
And then the ship appears


Poi la nave bianca
Then the white ship


Entra nel porto
Enters the port


Romba il suo saluto
Its salute resounds


Vedi? È venuto!
See? He has come!


Io non gli scendo incontro, io no
I don't go down to meet him, no


Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle
I stand there on the hilltop


E aspetto, e aspetto gran tempo
And wait, and wait a long time


E non mi pesa la lunga attesa
And the long wait doesn't weigh on me


E uscito dalla folla cittadina
And coming out of the city crowd


Un uomo, un picciol punto
A man, a small dot


S'avvia per la collina
He heads towards the hill


Chi sarà? Chi sarà?
Who will it be? Who will it be?


E come sarà giunto
And when he arrives


Che dirà? Che dirà?
What will he say? What will he say?


Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana
He will call Butterfly from afar


Io senza dar risposta
I, without answering


Me ne starò nascosta
Will stay hidden


Un po′ per celia
A little bit for fun


E un po' per non morire
And a little bit to not die


Al primo incontro
At the very first meeting


Ed egli alquanto in pena
And he, somewhat anxious


Chiamerà, chiamerà
Will call, will call


"Piccina, mogliettina
"Little one, my dear wife


Olezzo di verbena"
"Fragrance of verbena"


I nomi che mi dava al suo venire
The names he used to call me when he came


Tutto questo avverrà, te lo prometto
All of this will happen, I promise you


Tienti la tua paura
Hold onto your fear


Io con sicura fede
I, with a firm faith


L'aspetto
Will wait for him




Writer(s): Giacomo Puccini, Gabriele Dotto

Contributed by Sebastian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@arrascaetadora7560

Yo asistí a una ópera , bueno y a otras,de ésta.
Desde principio a fin.
Pagué entrtrada y todo eso.
Me encontré con gente conocida incluso.
Todos emocionados y cosas así por el estilo.
Cada quién en lo suyo digamos.
De todas maneras es bien conqueto encontrar gente como una en expresión artística tal.

A una parece que se le ordena,emprolija el mundo.

Es muy grande el arte.
Cómo que tú lloras por lo tuyo

yo por lo mío y vaya a saber
de qué se se lamentan otros,
ésos,
bueno que en fin.

Cada quién vé.
Yo aprecio el arte ,
sin distinción.
A mí me rescató,me salvó digamos en la visa, la mía,

en la vivir.

Sí si sí decía yo en mi cabecita,
tú di lo que quieras y así.

Ejercicio de libertad hacía y
hago y promuevo.

Trato.

Para mí es como un tomar mate o arar

huellas .

Silencio y disfrute.
Tristeza también.



@kyte5017

19:36 - 20:34 (sharpless at butterfly)

2:14:00 - 2:15:00 (yung nakita na ni Butterfly yung kabet at yung asawa)

2:17:48 - 2:18:50 (kumuha ng pansaksak si butterfly)

2:19:04 - 2:19:54 (dumating yung anak tas hinawak hawak sa mukha ni butterfly)

2:22:50 - 2:23:32 (nakita ni pinkerton na magpapakamatay na si butterfly tas sinaksak na ni butterfly sarili niya)



All comments from YouTube:

@this_isntjake13

If you're here because of Online Class, this is the summary of the opera.

The opera starts with a US naval officer Pinkerton who rents a house in Nagasaki, Japan, for himself and his soon-to-be wife "Butterfly" she is a 15-year-old Japanese girl whose real name is Cio-Cio-san. He intends to leave her once to find a proper American wife and he did, since Japanese divorce laws are very lax. Three years later after he left, Butterfly is still waiting for Pinkerton to return, as he had left shortly after their wedding. She gives birth to his son and waits for his return. The American consul comes to break the news to her, and Butterfly have to give up her child to her husband's new wife, who has agreed to raise the child. When Pinkerton's ship arrive in the harbour to find Butterfly is waiting for him to return. As he realizes he has made a huge mistake of leaving her, he cannot face her. When butterfly hears the news she then prays to statues of her ancestral gods, says goodbye to her son, and blindfolds him. She places a small American flag in his hands and goes behind a screen, killing herself with her father's seppuku knife. Pinkerton rushes in, but he is too late and Butterfly dies.

@francinelyelgera3415

Rip butterfly.

@ayanoaishi8414

You are my Hero !!!

@joyhaya2141

Butterfly....man that’s just so sad....

@veronicagatbonton6066

Thank you

@clarencemercader2099

Arigato

32 More Replies...

@KA-yw7lu

My first and favorite opera - Madam Butterfly. My music teachers Mom and Dad would take my sister and I to an opera every year or so at a large nearby city. Mom would read the opera summaries to us as Dad drove. Even at age 6 I was able to understand and even though they were in another language, enjoy each opera immensely.

@equine2020

My favorite opera. So sad. Emotions overflow. Beautiful music.

@bribelucci1788

I still weep at the end😢 Still my favorite opera♥️ Bravo👏👏👏👏👏

@rainriansmh

I went here because of school work but this is actually very entertaining to watch.

More Comments

More Versions