Act I
Vienna, during the last years of the Habsburg Empire. The Marschallin, Princess von Werdenberg, has spent the night with her young lover, Octavian, Count Rofrano. He hides when a page brings breakfast, then again when loud voices are heard in the antechamber. The unexpected visitor is the Marschallin’s country cousin, Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau. Bursting into the room, he brags about his amorous conquests and his upcoming marriage to Sophie von Faninal, the young daughter of a wealthy bourgeois. When he asks the Marschallin for advice as to which cavalier could present Sophie with the traditional silver engagement rose, she suggests Octavian—who suddenly, to avoid discovery, emerges from his hiding place disguised as a chambermaid. The baron instantly starts to make advances towards “Mariandel,” who quickly makes her escape as the room fills with the daily crowd of petitioners and salespeople. Among them is a singer, whose aria is cut short by Ochs’s wrangling with a lawyer over Sophie’s dowry. The Baron hires a pair of Italian intriguers, Annina and Valzacchi, to locate the shy servant girl.

When the room is cleared, the Marschallin, appalled by the thought of the rude Ochs marrying the innocent young girl, muses on her own waning youth. The returning Octavian is surprised to find her in a distant and melancholy mood. He passionately declares his love but she can only think about the passing of time and tells him that one day he will leave her for a younger woman. Hurt, he rushes off. The Marschallin tries to call him back, but it is too late. She summons her page and sends Octavian the silver rose.

第一幕
維也納，哈布斯堡帝國晚期。威登堡的瑪麗泰瑞絲公主，也就是元帥夫人，剛與她年輕的愛人羅夫拉諾伯爵奧克塔文度過纏綿的一夜。兩人正在共享早餐時，前廳傳來喧鬧聲，奧克塔文趕快找地方藏身。突然闖來的人是夫人來自鄉下的表哥—雷亨瑙的歐克斯男爵。歐克斯先是對自己近來的風流韻事大吹大擂一番，然後談到自己即將到來的婚事，他的新娘是富可敵國而且新進受封的法尼納爾男爵的小女兒蘇菲。按照習俗，歐克斯必須請一位年輕貴族為他將銀製婚約玫瑰送交未婚妻，所以他想要聽聽元帥夫人的建議。元帥夫人帶著捉弄的心情建議他選擇奧克塔文，同時奧克塔文變裝成女侍走出來。歐克斯見到這所謂的「瑪莉安德」立即展開攻勢，不過元帥夫人晨間例行「接見」期間房內總是擠滿來找夫人商談事務的人，而「瑪莉安德」就趁這個機會逃脫。就在歌者演唱時，歐克斯在旁邊與律師大聲爭吵著蘇菲的嫁妝，打斷了表演。這些圍繞著元帥夫人的人之中有兩個義大利密謀者，名叫安妮娜和華察基，歐克斯隨即僱用他們替自己追查這個漂亮的女孩。

當眾人退去，元帥夫人想到歐克斯即將迎娶單純的年輕女孩大感震驚，同時亦讓她悲憶起自己消逝的青春。奧克塔文回來找她，驚訝見到瑪麗泰瑞絲對他的冷漠態度，以及表現出來的憂鬱心情。他熱切表白自己的愛，但元帥夫人滿腦子都是對時光逝去的憂慮，跟奧克塔文說總有一天他也會離開她，去找年輕的姑娘。奧克塔文對她的說的話感得很傷心，匆匆離去。元帥夫人召來她的侍者穆罕默德，要他追上去，把銀玫瑰拿給奧克塔文。


INTERMISSION
中場休息


Act II
On the morning of her engagement, Sophie excitedly awaits the arrival of the cavalier of the rose. Octavian enters and presents her with the silver rose on behalf of the Baron. Sophie accepts, enraptured, and the two young people feel an instant attraction to each other. When Ochs, whom Sophie has never met, arrives, the girl is shocked by his crude manners. Ochs goes off to discuss the wedding contract with Faninal, and Sophie asks Octavian for help. They end up embracing and are surprised by Annina and Valzacchi, who summon Ochs. The outraged Octavian grazes the Baron’s arm with his rapier and Ochs melodramatically calls for a doctor. In the ensuing confusion, Sophie tells her father that she will not marry the Baron, while Octavian enlists Annina and Valzacchi to participate in an intrigue he is hatching. When Ochs is alone, nursing his wound with a glass of wine, Annina, sent by Octavian, appears with a letter from “Mariandel,” asking Ochs to a rendezvous. Intoxicated with his own charm, the Baron is delighted at the prospect of a tête-à-tête. When he refuses to tip Annina, she determines to get even.

第二幕 
在訂婚當日的早晨，蘇菲興奮的等待著玫瑰騎士的到來。奧克塔文在盛大的儀式中進場，並代表歐克斯男爵對她送上銀玫瑰。兩個年輕人立刻互相吸引。從未與蘇菲謀面的歐克斯也隨即到來，蘇菲和奧克塔文兩人都為他粗魯無禮的舉動大感震驚。當歐克斯與蘇菲的父親移至另室商談婚禮細節時，蘇菲拼命懇求奧克塔文幫幫她，她不想嫁給歐克斯。兩人情意升溫，不禁相擁而吻。安妮娜和華察基早就在一旁監視他們，因而馬上將此事通報歐克斯，不過歐克斯一笑置之，不當一回事。這樣的態度更加激怒奧克塔文：他拔出劍時只是稍稍劃到歐克斯，歐克斯馬上大驚小怪叫人去請醫生。在接下來的混亂場面中，蘇菲告訴父親自己絕對不會嫁給這個男爵，此時奧克塔文也尋求安妮娜和華察基的幫忙，共同籌劃一齣好戲，要讓歐克斯無法娶到蘇菲。獨處的歐克斯正在喝酒療癒他受傷的自尊。安妮娜為他帶來了「瑪莉安德」的信，信中約男爵明晚相會。歐克斯為自己婚前還有機會享受這等風流韻事欣喜不已。安妮娜要求歐克斯辦成好事給她小費卻被拒絕，心有不甘的安妮娜想著報復。


INTERMISSION
中場休息


Act III
At Octavian’s instigation, Annina and Valzacchi prepare the back room of a dingy inn for Ochs’s rendezvous. Before long, the Baron and “Mariandel” arrive for a private supper. As she coyly leads him on, grotesque apparitions pop out of windows and secret panels, terrifying the Baron. Annina, disguised as a widow, runs in crying that Ochs is the father of her many children. When the police appear, Ochs claims that “Mariandel” is his fiancée. The arriving Faninal, furious at his future son-in-law’s behavior, summons Sophie to set matters straight, then faints and is carried off. At the height of the confusion, the Marschallin enters. Octavian takes off his disguise and the Marschallin explains to Ochs that it was all a farce. He finally admits defeat and leaves, pursued by the innkeeper and various other people who all demand payment of their bills. Left alone with Octavian and Sophie, the Marschallin laments that she must lose her lover so soon, but nevertheless accepts the truth. She gives the bewildered Octavian to Sophie and quietly leaves the room. The young lovers realize that their dream has come true.

第三幕
安妮娜和華察基在旅館準備了一間密室讓男爵與「瑪莉安德」幽會。歐克斯到場，兩人開始晚餐，席間歐克斯一直狎昵這位年輕的姑娘，「瑪莉安德」故作羞怯的欲拒還迎。突然，在眾人做過手腳的窗板上出現了怪異的鬼影。然後，衣衫襤褸的安妮娜拖著一群孩子現身，說歐克斯是孩子們的父親，男爵從原先的困惑轉為驚嚇，急得叫警察來保護自己。一位警官到場來控制場面，他質問歐克斯對「瑪莉安德」有什麼企圖，歐克斯說她其實是自己的未婚妻。此時，法尼納爾在奧克塔文的匿名通知下帶著蘇菲前來，但歐克斯竟還佯裝不認識他們兩人。氣急攻心的法尼納爾被人攙扶開來。就在場面混亂至極之際，元帥夫人意外現身。歐克斯發現「瑪莉安德」其實是奧克塔文假扮而成，感到驚愕不已。元帥夫人告訴歐克斯這個婚是結不成了，而且他最好是走得遠遠的。歐克斯終於認輸，趕快開溜，後面還追著旅館老闆和其他債主要他先買單再走。奧克塔文、蘇菲和元帥夫人留下，各自訴說著至今的心境轉折。元帥夫人眼見自己的愛人已經鍾情於這位年輕女子，一如她先前所料，因此黯然離去。這對難以相信美夢竟能成真的年輕的愛侶留在台上唱出對未來生活的憧憬。