At the beginning of the aria, Agathe, the head forester's daughter, has a sense of foreboding over the next day's shooting competitions where she wishes Max will win to succeed her father and become her husband.
Agathe doesn't know that Max had cast magic bullets with the Black Huntsman. Max had lost to a peasant at an earlier target shooting competition and was afraid of losing the whole contest.
At the competition, the magic bullet, controlled by the Black Huntsman, hits Agathe. She only faints, her bridal wreath having deflected the shot. The bullet instead strikes Caspar, the man the Black Huntsman was after, and the man who had tricked Max into making the magic bullets in the first place.
The wise hermit who had warned Agathe of bad fate, reappeared and counseled the prince not to banish Max. Max had lived an exemplary life before and had succumbed to a bad influence because he loved Agathe and was afraid of losing.
At the vivace con fuoco section of Leise, Leise, Agathe sings about her excitement of seeing Max the next day.
Here is the literal translation from German:
All my pulses beat,
And the heart surges wildly,
Sweet delighted to meet him.
Could I dare to hope?
Yes, it turned as luck
To the dear friend back
Will tomorrow be proven true.
Is not this deception? Is not this delusion?
Heavens, and give grateful tears
For this deposit of hope.
Here are English lyrics from the Schirmer opera score:
How every pulse is flying,
And my heart beats loud and fast,
We shall meet in joy at last,
Could I dare to hope such rapture?
Frowning fate at last relents,
and crown our love consents,
oh what joy for us tomorrow.
Am I dreaming? Is this true?
Bounteous heaven, my heart shall praise thee
For this hope of rosy hue.
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