Better be careful using Google translate

or should it be Google trans late?


One word of advice to all fellow singers trying to make sense out of foreign lyrics using Google translate: 

Be aware of the dangers! ;-)

I don't think that's exactly what Handel had in mind.

OK, let’s be nice to Google translate since it really has so much to offer, is real fun to use and definitively NOT dangerous.
 
First of all, pene really does mean penis in Italian, depending on the case. So, yet no mistake, right? Well, frankly it means something entirely different:

While Google’s engine for translation works not too bad on grammar these days, you have to be careful not to forget a word of a sentence which can easily happen if you’re typing in e.g. a verse from a poem - which opera lyrics are usually set in.

In this particular case, just leaving the word pene on its own at the end of the line, Google translate suggests its closest guess - and who would’ve thought that it makes such a difference?
Adding just a little word makes a huge difference e.g. pene amorose suddenly becomes lovesickness because in the way it is used here, the word's case needs to be masculine but it is actually rooted from feminine pena, which means penalty, pain, sorrow or suffering.

Tiny addition - huge differrence!

So in my aria, the poor character Oronte from Handel’s Opera Alcina is suffering from severe lovesickness and describes that no true love can be felt if there’s no real pain involved.
At least that’s what I thought at first sight! Taking a closer look at my edition, I realized the capital letter being used for Amore. Now that’s cupid, innit? Doesn’t make a real difference to the entire meaning, but still can get you into real trouble if somebody checks your level of preparation.

Should the proposed translation show up any obscurities like in this case, you should always consider clicking on the translated text, since Google translate in most cases offers different translations. So my penis turns into pain... uhm, well you know.

If ever in doubt: Click on the translated word to find out if Google translate has anything more suitable to offer.

If you’re looking for decent translations, peeking into booklets from CD recordings just adds to the confusion! Sorry for being so pedantic, but I had to take a closer look at this aria, because I’m going to sing it during a competition in a couple of weeks. In William Christie’s recording of Handel’s Alcina, the printed lyrics seem to have a different source than Handel’s original libretto for L’isola di Alcina. They aimed at something admirable, to provide the listener of this recording with a comprehensible translation, but that might upset your singing teacher if he is checking your Italian (or whatever language your aria is set in).
 

They went even further: They changed whole words in recitatives as well. In the recitative infront of this particular aria I've picked as example, they exchanged the word crudel with infidel for no particular reason. Even Handel’s original score doesn’t contain this change in any of its settings. Why? Because it makes a much better translation into German, English and French, which is quite bad, because it gives us an additional syllable to sing, despite the terrible change of meaning! It could even fit their idea of the character better which they intended her to have. Infidel is the unfaithful and crudel means cruel! In my point of view, they took it a little too far here.
 
I shall shut up and sing now, but better keep this in mind:

These days, no classical singer - especially in Baroque repertoire - could possibly afford such a flaw! Being ill-prepared is the worst mistake you could ever make - although it sounds cheesy - you better take a closer look at what is printed in the urtext edition.