Che Gelida Manina lyrics

Song information

Artist: Michael Bolton
Album: My Secret Passion: The Arias

Lyrics

(La boheme)(how cold your little hand is!)

Che gelida manina! se la lasci riscaldar
Cercar che giova? al buio non si trova
Ma per fortuna e una notte di luna
E qui la luna l'abbiiamo vicina
Aspetti, signorina, le diro con due parole chi son
Chi son, e che faccio, come vivo, vuole?
Chi son? chi son? son un poeta
Che cosa faccio? scrivo. e come vivo? vivo
In poverta mia lieta scialo da gran signore
Rimi ed inni d'amore
Per sogni e per chimere e per castelli in aria
L'anima ho milionaria
Talor del mio forziere ruban tutti
I gioielle due ladri: gli occhi belli
V'entrar con voi pur ora ed I miei sogni usati
Ed I bei sogni miei tosto si dileguar!
Ma il furto non m'accora poiche
Poiche v'ha preso stanza la speranza
Or che mi conoscete parlate voi
Deh parlate. chi siete? vi piaccia dir?

Synopses
It is christmas eve on paris' left bank. rodolfo is at home writing when a stranger knocks at the door. it is mimi, a neighbor, who needs to borrow a match to relight her candle. mimi is barely out the door, when she realizes she has lost her key. as they search for it, rodolfos' hand falls upon hers

English translation
How cold your little hand is! will you let me warm it for you?
Why bother looking? it's dark, and we won't find it
It's our good luck, though, this night's filled with moonlight
Up here the moonlight could rest on our shoulders
Please wait, my dear young lady, and I will quickly tell you
Who stands before you, and what I do
How I make my living. may i?
Who am i? what am i? I am a poet
What keeps me busy? writing! and what do I live on? nothing!
In poverty I'm cheerful, I am a prince who squanders
Arias and couplets of longing
And as for hopes and dreams of love and castles-in-the-air
Miss, I am a millionaire!
My fortress could be broken in, robbed clean of the fine jewels
I store; if the thieves were eyes like yours
And now that I have seen you, all of my lovely dreaming
All of the sweetest dreams I've dreamt, quickly have slipped away
This theft does not upset me, because such treasures
Mean nothing now that I'm rich with sweet hope!
And now that you have met me, I ask you please
Tell me, lady, who you are, I ask you please!

[from http://lyrics.doheth.co.uk]

"My Secret Passion: The Arias" album track list