Non Posso Disperar

Non posso disperar!

Non posso disperar,

Sei troppo, troppo cara,

Troppo, troppo cara,

Sei troppo cara al cor.

Non posso disperar,

Sei troppo cara al cor.

Non posso disperar,

Sei troppo cara,

Sei troppo, troppo cara, cara al cor,

Sei troppo, troppo cara, cara al cor.

Il solo sperare,

Il solo sperare

D'aver a gioire

M'e un dolce languire,

M'e un caro dolor,

M'e un caro,

M'e un caro dolor.

Il solo sperare

D'aver a gioire

M'e un dolce languire

M'e un caro dolor

M'e un dolce languire,

M'e un caro dolor.

Non posso disperar!

Non posso disperar,

Sei troppo, troppo cara,

Troppo, troppo cara,

Sei troppo cara al cor.

Non posso disperar,

Sei troppo cara al cor.

Non posso disperar,

Sei troppo cara,

Sei troppo, troppo cara, cara al cor,

Sei troppo, troppo cara, cara al cor.

King Romulus strode into a small chamber. "Leave us," he barked at the guard standing at attention by the door. The guard bowed and left Romulus alone with Ericlea. Romulus approached her, but she gazed fixedly out the window, disregarding him.

"Ericlea?" he said. She ignored him. "You wish you were out there, don't you?" He sat down on the cot next to her. "You can be – if you marry me."

Her head snapped around. "I have a husband."

"You had a husband. This is your home now."

"If you let me go back, I'll be happy. You want that, don't you?"

"I want you to be happy here. Besides, if you go back, you won't like what you find."

"What do you mean?"

Romulus looked at her soberly, then pulled a bracelet out of his pocket and handed it to her. She began to cry.

"Who-who killed him?"

"I couldn't say."

"P-please leave me."

Romulus sighed and rose to leave. He suddenly turned and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to face him.

"Damn you, woman!" He pushed her to the cot and sat on her, pinning her. He waited until she stopped struggling, then leaned close to her and spoke. "I cannot despair. You are too dear to my heart. The only hope I have of happiness is a sweet languishing, a dear pain."

Ericlea looked at him strangely. Romulus gave a derisive grunt and left.