In the sixth line, in which [Luciano Pavarotti, playing The Duke of Mantua] says “Di che il fato ne infiora la vita,” notice the bloom in his voice as he says “infiora.” While it is translated [in the libretto] as “gladdens,” the word actually means “adorns with flowers.” “Gladdens” is a useful translation in terms of the length of the sentence, but it does not have the floral meaning of “infiora.” I’m sure the bloom that Pavarotti imparts to this word was intentional.
from Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera
