Music by: Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1991)

Translated into Arabic by: Samir Shikhani

An opera in four acts, first produced in Rome in 1859.

The Characters:

• Riccardo: the King • Renato: his secretary • Amelia: Renato's wife • Samuel • Tomasso • Oscar: the King's boon companion • Ulrica: a fortune-teller • Silvano: a sailor • A judge, servants and retainers, some of the townspeople.

Time: the eighteenth century. Place: Sweden.

Act One

The scene: the assembly hall in the royal palace.

The curtain rises on the chorus singing a song from which we understand that the nobles are of two factions: one loyal to King Riccardo, and one, led by the conspirators Samuel and Tomasso, laying plans to assassinate him.

Oscar, the King's companion, announces his master's entrance and presents him with a list of those invited to the masked ball that is to be held. The King studies it and reads out the names it contains, and when he reaches the name "Amelia," signs of rapture and contentment appear on his face. For he loves this lady, despite her being the wife of Renato, his private counselor and dearest friend.

The King dismisses the men of his retinue, and they have scarcely withdrawn when Renato enters to warn him of the plot being woven around him. But the kind-hearted King refuses even to hear the names of the enemies who wish him ill, lest he be forced to punish them.

Meanwhile one of the judges enters to obtain the King's signature on a decree banishing the fortune-teller Ulrica. Oscar intervenes on the fortune-teller's behalf, insisting that she harms no one, and that many people of high station consult her and believe in her power to know the unseen; so the King orders the judge to pardon her.

This incident, however, reminds the King of

something: he summons his retinue once more and proposes that each of them disguise himself, and that they all visit the fortune-teller that afternoon.

Renato takes this as an ill omen, while those conspiring against the King's life see in it a golden opportunity to help them achieve their ends.

The scene ends with everyone going out to prepare for the visit to the sorceress.

Act Two

The scene: the house