Der Hölle Rache Lyrics in English Diana Damrau , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Der Hölle Rache by Diana Damrau from German to English.

Hell's vengeance boils in my heart

Death and despair

Death and despair blaze around me!

If through you Sarastro doesn't feel death's torment

Sarastro feels death's torment

Then you're my daughter nevermore

Then you're

My daughter nevermore

Then you're my daughter nevermore

Cast off be forever

Forsaken be forever

Shattered be forever

All the bonds of nature

Cast off, forsaken, and shattered

All the bonds of nature

All

all the bonds of nature

Unless through you Sarastro turns pale!

Hear, hear, hear, gods of vengeance!

Hear the mother's oath

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SONG MEANING

Imagine a mother so furious that her very heartbeat seems to spark flames. In Mozart’s celebrated opera The Magic Flute, the Queen of the Night reaches a boiling point of anger and anguish in the aria “Der Hölle Rache.” Here she swears fiery vengeance and demands that her daughter, Pamina, assassinate the wise priest Sarastro. If Pamina refuses, the Queen vows to disown her forever, shattering every bond of nature and family. The lyrics pulse with words like death, despair, and eternal rejection, painting a picture of maternal love twisted into terrifying rage.

Why is this so thrilling? The music catapults the Queen’s fury into the stratosphere, soaring to dizzying high notes that test even the most virtuosic sopranos, such as Germany’s Diana Damrau. Each rapid-fire run and piercing top F captures the character’s volcanic emotions, making listeners feel both awestruck and slightly alarmed. The result is a dramatic showdown between love and vengeance that remains one of opera’s most electrifying moments.

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Diana Damrau Der Hölle Rache Lyrics