After some considerations regarding the nature of translation; these are applied to the field of opera and more in particular librettos. The article tries to decide on the priorities when translating taking into consideration the many musical restrictions found in a libretto. Cultural references should not be overseen and given the fact that there are so many restrictions: is it possible to translate a text with so many restrictions to make it comprehensible? The article tries to breach the gap between Music Studies and Translation Studies.