'Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio' Lyrics and Text Translation

"The Marriage of Figaro" (in Italian,  "Le Nozze di Figaro") is one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's most famous operas. The aria "Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio" ("I do not know what I am, what do I do?") is sung by the comic character of Cherubino, whose philandering ways get him into several tricky situations. 

History

The opera opened in 1786 in Vienna and enjoyed critical and popular success. The opera was the result of a collaboration between Lorenzo da Ponte, who wrote the libretto—the text—of the opera, and Mozart, who composed the music. 

Plot

The story is set in Seville, Spain, several years after the events of "The Barber of Seville," and tells the tale of Figaro and Susanna's attempts to marry, despite the lecherous advances of their boss Count Almaviva. "The Marriage of Figaro" is the second story in the “Le Barbier de Seville” trilogy, a series by French writer Pierre Beaumarchais.

Cherubino 'en Travesti' 

Most stagings of "The Marriage of Figaro" call for Cherubino to be a mezzo-soprano, or female singer, even though the character is a teenage boy. This is what's known as an "en travesti" (literally meaning in disguise) or "breeches" role (breeches being the formal pants men wore on stage), which requires a female singer with a higher vocal range than most male singers could achieve. That's of course, excepting a castrati singer, a male who was castrated before puberty to retain his pre-pubescent voice.

As the practice of using castrati (and the practice of castrating young boys for their singing voices) was discontinued, women were cast in the young male roles. However, many modern-day tenors have been able to train their voices to reduce the need for casting women in male opera roles.

Cherubino's Aria

In the first act of "The Marriage of Figaro," after being fired from his position as Count Almaviva's page, Cherubino sings this aria to Susanna. He tells her that every woman he sees, especially Countess Rosina, excites him and stirs passion within his heart. All he wants to do is love and be loved.

Italian Lyrics

Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio,
Or di foco, ora sono di ghiaccio,
Ogni donna cangiar di colore,
Ogni donna mi fa palpitar.
Solo ai nomi d'amor, di diletto,
Mi si turba, mi s'altera il petto,
E a parlare mi sforza d'amore
Un desio ch'io non posso spiegar.
Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio,
Or di foco, ora sono di ghiaccio,
Ogni donna cangiar di colore,
Ogni donna mi fa palpitar.
Parlo d'amore vegliando,
Parlo d'amor sognando,
All'acqua, all'ombra, ai monti,
Ai fiori, all'erbe, ai fonti,
All'eco, all'aria, ai venti,
Che il suon de'vani accenti
Portano via con se.
E se non ho chi m'oda,
Parlo d'amor con me!

English Translation

I do not know anymore what I am, what I do,
One moment I'm on fire, the next moment I am cold as ice,
Every woman changes my color,
Every woman makes me tremble.
At the very mention of love, of delight,
I am greatly troubled, my heart stirs within my chest,
It compels me to speak of love
A desire I can not explain.
I do not know anymore what I am, what I do,
One moment I'm on fire, the next moment I am cold as ice,
Every woman changes my color,
Every woman makes me tremble.
I speak of love while I'm awake,
I speak of love while I'm dreaming,
Water, shade, mountains,
Flowers, grass, fountains,
echo, air, and the winds,
The sound of my hopeless words
are taken away with them.
And if I do not have anyone near to hear me
I speak of love to myself!