José Carreras  sings   Nessun dorma

Nobody Shall Sleep  from Giacomo Puccini's Turandot

Learn Italian Pronunciation While Singing

1)  Study or review pronunciations on my Guide to Italian Pronunciation for Singers.

2)  Listen to the song on the video to familiarize yourself with the melody.

3)  Aloud or to yourself, read the song lyrics below (without video), trying to use proper pronunciation.

4)  In the Guide, check any pronunciations about which you are unsure.

5)  Read the lyrics silently while listening to the video.  Be aware that two consecutive words may sometimes be sung on a single note, thus making your task a little more challenging. 

6)  Try to sing along with the video.

7)  You will have the most difficulty where the words are sung fast.  Practice saying those parts fast until you can do so successfully. 

8)  Start the video, but stop it after the first phrase has been sung.  Now, you sing what you heard (without the video running).  Then, listen to the next phrase, stop the video, then sing that phrase.  Repeat this sequence until you reach the end of the song.

9)  Repeat step 8 until you are doing reasonably well.

10)  Sing along with the video from beginning to end.  Then, marvel at what you have accomplished.

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!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà!...  e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!  Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!  vincerò, vincerò!

TRANSLATION BELOW                    TRANSLATION BELOW

Nobody shall sleep!... Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o 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!