Un Bel Di

I had never seen "Madame Butterfly" though I had heard it's haunting song . Vaguely I imagined the story and heard the Mills Brothers singing "Poor Butterfly". I thought that the most popular song was Butterfly's swan song , her ending but I found that the song was one of hopeful joy at the possible return , the return of Butterfly's lover . It is a song that reminds me of the song of "Porgy" in the end of Porgy and Bess called "Oh Lawd , I'm On My Way" as he leaves his friends and North Carolina for New York,the "Heavenly Land". I think that part of the tragedy , the pull on your heart ,is that while this is a hopeful song , there doesn't seem much hope of the cripple reaching New York much less regaining his image of the love of Bess , a cocaine addict. In "Butterfly" she sings her song and the opera audience knows the outcome as there is no surprise ending which has been kept a secret . "Un Bel Di" or "One Fine Day" is a dream of how beautiful and romantic the character,"Butterfly" imagines the resolution of her sailor returning to her will be. We all know what is coming , that he will return with his own wife and plan to take his son , Butterfly's child , and Butterfly will commit suicide . "If she can't live with dignity , she will die in dignity."The lyrics of this song , enormous as opera can be , universal as the lost loves ,the plans , and ideas of everyone in the audience, is hopeful yet an example of hopelessness to the fates, the lot of the character's faith in something that will never be ,"Butterfly".

"Weeping? And why? And why? Ah, 'tis faith you are lacking Hear me ...

One fine day we'll notice A thread of smoke arising on the sea In the far horizon And then the ship appearing Then the trim white vessel Glides into the harbour Thunders forth her cannon See you? Now he is coming I do not go to meet him Not I I stay upon the brow of the hillock And wait there And wait for a long time But never weary of the long waiting From out the crowded city There is coming a man A little speck in the distance Climbing the hillock Can you guess who it is? And when he's reached the summit Can you guess what he'll say? He will call, "Butterfly" from the distance I, without answering Hold myself quietly concealed A bit to tease him and a bit So as not to die at our first meeting And then, a little troubled He will call, he will call "Dear baby wife of mine, Dear little orange blossom" The names he used to call me when he came here This will all come to pass as I tell you Banish your idle fears For he will return Return ."

Deanna Durbin Sings "One Fine Day"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aAuxoWjpVg&feature=related

High Opera sung in character and film by Ying Huang:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpW8Jvl9low

"One Fine Day" Translated and sung by Mary Hopkin with still photos :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7kNFmlxfqM