Ah! Signor cosa e stato

English Libretto or Translation:

ANTONIO
Oh my lord ... mylord ...

COUNT
What's the matter?

ANTONIO
How dare he! Who did it? What was it?

COUNTESS, SUSANNA, COUNT and FIGARO
What's he saying? What's wrong? What's happened?

ANTONIO
Listen.

COUNTESS, SUSANNA, COUNT and FIGARO
Go on, then, speak.

ANTONIO
Every day I see all kinds of things thrown
From the balcony overlooking the garden;
But just now (it couldn't be worse)
I saw a man, my lord, thrown down!

COUNT
From the balcony?

ANTONIO
D'you see these carnations?

showing them the broken flower-pot

COUNT
Into the garden?

ANTONIO
Yes!

SUSANNA and COUNTESS
aside to Figaro
Figaro, think quickly!

COUNT
What do I hear?

SUSANNA, COUNTESS, and FIGARO
aside
He's taken aback.
aloud
What's this drunkard doing in here?

COUNT
to Antonio
So you saw a man: where did he get to?

ANTONIO
The scroundrel took to his heels
And was out of sight at once.

SUSANNA
aside to Figaro
You must know it was the page ...

FIGARO
aside to Susanna
I know, I saw him.
laughing loudly
Ha, ha, ha!

COUNT
to Figaro
Be quiet,sir.

ANTONIO
to Figaro
What's there to laugh at?

FIGARO
to Anionio
You're drunk from morn till night.

COUNT
to Antonio
Now tell me again, a man from the balcony?

ANTONIO
From the balcony.

COUNT
Into the garden?

ANTONIO
Into the garden.

SUSANNA, COUNTESS and FIGARO
My lord, it's the wine in him talking!

COUNT
Go on though: didn't you see his face?

ANTONIO
No, I didn't.

SUSANNA and COUNTESS
aside to Figaro
Figaro, did you hear that?

FIGARO
to Antonio
You whining old fool, do be quiet
Making such a fuss over nothing!
scornfully touching the carnations
Since the fact can't be concealed,
It was I who jumped down from there.

COUNT and ANTONIO
What? It was you?

SUSANNA and COUNTESS
aside
What presence of mind!

FIGARO
Why so surprised?

COUNT
I just can't believe it.

ANTONIO
to Figaro
How have you grown so tall, then?
After the jump you weren't so big.

FIGARO
Jumping does that to one.

ANTONIO
Who'd have thought it?

SUSANNA and COUNTESS
aside
The fool is persistent!

COUNT
to Antonio
You, what do you say?

ANTONIO
It looked like that boy to me.

COUNT
Cherubino!

SUSANNA and COUNTESS
aside
Wretched man!

FIGARO
Of course, it was he,
Back on horseback from Seville,
From Seville where he'd been.

ANTONIO
No, no, that's not so.
I didn't see any horse jump down.

COUNT
Give me patience! Let's have done with this nonsense.

SUSANNA AND COUNTESS
aside
Merciful heaven, how will this end?

COUNT
violently, to Figaro
So it was you ...

FIGARO
... who jumped down.

COUNT
And why?

FIGARO
I was afraid ...

COUNT
Afraid of what?

FIGAR0
indicating the servants' quarters
I was shut up in there
Waiting for that dear little face ...
There was an unusual coming and going
And noise ... you were shouting, there was
That letter ... I lost my nerve and jumped
Down in terror and wrenched a muscle in my foot!

rubbing his foot as if he had hurt it

ANTONIO
Then these letters which you dropped
Will be yours?

He hands some folded papers to Figaro: the Count seizes them.

COUNT
Here, give them to me.

FIGARO
aside to Susanna and the Countess
I'm caught in a trap.

SUSANNA AND COUNTESS
aside to Figaro
Figaro, think quickly!

COUNT
opening the paper, then promptly refolding it
Well, tell me, what's this paper?

FIGARO
Wait just a moment ... I've so many.

He takes some letters from his pocket and pretends to look through them.

ANTONIO
I expect it'll be a list of his debts.

FIGARO
No, alist ofthe tavern-keepers.

COUNT
to Figaro
Speak up.
to Antonio
And you, let him be.

SUSANNA, COUNTESS and FIGARO
Let him (me)be and go away!

ANTONIO
All right, I'll go, but if l catch you again! …
Exit

FIGARO
Oh go away: I'm not afraid of you.

COUNT
opening the letter again and then refolding it; to Figaro
Well?

COUNTESS
aside to Susanna
Oh heavens! the page's commission!

SUSANNA
aside to Figaro
Good Lord! the commission!

COUNT
ironically to Figaro
Take courage!

FIGARO
as if recollecting something
Oh what a head! it's the commission
The boy gave me a while ago.

COUNT
What for?

FIGARO
It lacked...

COUNT
It lacked?

COUNTESS
aside to Susanna
The seal!

SUSANNA
aside to Figaro
The seal!

COUNT
to Figaro, who pretends to be thinking
Well, answer!

FIGARO
It'susual ...

COUNT
Go on, why hesitate?

FIGARO
It's usual to seal it.

COUNT
seeing the paper lacks the seal and tearing it up
This rascal's driving me mad.
throwing the paper aside in a fury
The whole thing's a mystery to me.

SUSANNA and COUNTESS
aside
If I survive this storm
I'll fear no further shipwreck.

FIGARO
aside
In vain you fume and stamp, sir,
You'll get nothing out of me.