Rusalka

Rusalka is a through-composed opera without strict scene delineations so there may be some discrepancies between editions. The breakdown here is given as a guideline only.

Prelude

Act One

‘Hou, hou, hou, stojí měsíc nad vodou!’ / ‘Ho, ho, ho, the moon is standing over the water!’ - Three Wood Nymphs, Vodnik

‘Hastmánku, tatíčku!’ / ‘Vodník, daddy dear!’ - Rusalka, Vodnik

‘Sem často přichází’ / ‘He often comes here’ - Rusalka, Vodnik

‘Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém’ / ‘Oh moon in the deep sky’ (Song to the Moon) - Rusalka

‘Ta voda studí! Ježibabo, Ježibabo!’ / ‘That water chills me! Ježibaba! Ježibaba!’ - Rusalka, Vodnik, Ježibaba

‘Čury mury fuk, bílá pára vstává z luk!’ / ‘Abracadabra, white mist is rising from the meadows!’ - Ježibaba, Rusalka, Vodnik

‘Jel mladý lovec, jel a jell’ / ‘A young hunter rode and rode’ - Lovec, Prince,

‘Ustaňte v lovu, na hrad vraťte se.’ / ‘Stop the hunt, return to the castle’ - Prince, Lovec, Chorus Naiads, Vodnik

Act Two

‘Jářku, klouče milé, dopověz,’ / ‘Do tell, dear boy, what else?’ - Hajný, Kuchtík

‘Již týden dlíš mi po boku’ / ‘For a week already I have you by my side,’ Prince, Foreign Princess

‘Běda! Běda! Ubohá Rusalko bledá,’ / ‘Alas! Alas! Oh poor, pale Rusalka’ - Vodnik, Chorus, Rusalka,

‘Květiny bílé po cestě’ / ‘White flowers along the way’ - Chorus

‘Ubohá Rusalko bledá’ / ‘Poor pale Rusalka’ - Vodnik, Rusalka,

‘Ó marno, ó marno to je’ / ‘Oh, it’s futile, it’s futile’ - Rusalka

‘Vám v očích divný žár se zračí’ / ‘I see a strange glow in your eyes’ - Foreign Princess, Prince

Act Three

‘Necitelná vodní moci’ / ‘Oh insensitive watery power’ - Rusalka

‘Aj aj, už jsi se navrátila?’ / ‘What, what? You’re back already?’ - Ježibaba, Rusalka

‘Lidskou krví musíš smýti’ / ‘Well, I do have advice’ - Ježibaba, Rusalka

‘Chci věčně trpět v úzkostech’ / ‘I want to suffer eternally in anguish’ - Rusalka, Ježibaba

‘Vyrvána životu v hlubokou samotu’ / ‘Torn from life into deep solitude’ - Rusalka, Water Nymphs

‘Že se bojíš? Třesky, plesky’ / ‘Scared, you say? Chatter, babble!’ - Hajný, Kuchtík

‘Kdo to hlučí? Kdo to volá?’ /’Who’s making that noise? Who’s calling?’ - Ježibaba, Hajny, Kuchtik, Vodnik

‘Mám, zlaté vlásky mám’ / ‘I have golden tresses, yes I do’ - Wood Nymphs, Vodnik,

‘Bílá moje lani!’ / ‘My white doe!’ - Prince

‘Miláčku, znáš mne, znáš? / ‘My love do you recognize me, do you?’ - Rusalka, Prince, Vodnik

Translations by David R Beveridge

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.