What are the lyrics to that "Wagnerian" type opera that starts the game? I can't understand a single word of the singing.

thats is because the language is dragon language.

Go here hun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0MmoYXGKqg

Is that first one in your sig HL2? I know I recognize it but I can't quite put my finger on it....

I'm a [censored] I just noticed it clearly stated that in the discription......

Page 4 of the Skyrim official game guide they have the lyrics of the "Song Of The Dragonborn" in the Dragon tongue along with an English translation.

Dovahkiin Dovahkiin
Naal ok zin los vahriin
wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal
ahrk fin norok paal graan
fod nust hon zindro zaan
Dovahkiin fah hin kogaan mu draal

ahrk fin kel lost prodah
do ved viing ko fin krah
tol fod zeymah win kein meyz fundein
Alduin feyn do jun
kruziik vokun staadnau
voth aan bahlok wah diivon fin lein

(Yes. It's not English. That's why you can't work it out )

Wagnerian?
Yes I know who Wagner was but what has he to do with this?

The lyrics are as follows.

la la la, da da da , ba ra ba, da ra da,
Dee dee dee, lad ed dee tra la, o la,

You then just kind of repeat this for most of the way through it.

Because I know who Wagner is also (Kurt and Ricard) I didn't want to say "the operatic opera", so I had to search for another adjective. I guess I could have said Verde or Puccini, but it just sounds more "germanic" to me. And Wagner was German. Mozart was Austrian (German), but it sounded newer than Mozart. I guess I could have just said "the opera"...

Why does it bother you?

ROFL thanks for explaining though. Is this made-up language based on Swedish or Norwegian?

Unfortunately, the Skyrim Wiki is "down" in futile protest of a stupid law that has no chance of passing anyway, so I can't link to the full lyrics... It's really awesome, but THAT [censored] SOPA ADVERTIZEMENT DOESN'T EVEN LET ME GET TO THE [censored] GOOGLE CACHE!

Okay... found it, managed to bypass the [censored] protest advertizement by using the Text-only version of the cache.

The really obvious shouting at the beginning:
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin
naal ok zin los vahriin
wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan
fod nust hon zindro zaan
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!
Translates to:
Dragonborn, Dragonborn
by his honor is sworn
To keep evil forever at bay!
And the fiercest foes rout
when they hear triumph's shout,
Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

Then, after an instrumental interlude, the second part in shouting is:
Huzrah nu, kul do od, wah aan bok lingrah vod
Ahrk fin tey, boziik fun, do fin gein!
Translates to:
Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age, long ago
and the tale, boldly told, of the one!

Then, after the horn fanfare, under the sustained female voice, we have:

Wo lost fron wah ney dov
ahrk fin reyliik do jul
voth aan suleyk wah ronit faal krein
Which translates to:
Who was kin to both wyrm
and the races of man
with a power to rival the sun

And then the cadence changes to a less even, more deliberate and measured one:

Vey zeim hokoron pah
ol fin Dovahkiin komeyt ok rein!
Alduin, feyn do jun,
kruziik vokun staadnau,
voth aan bahlok wah diivon fin lein!

It can actually be difficult to hear due to unusual emphasis on the sylables(for example, it's pronounced Ald'uin - one syllable), and alternation between drawn-out and rapidly-condensed lyrics
(English translation)
Cut through enemies all
as the Dragonborn issued his roar!
Alduin, Bane of Kings,
ancient shadow unbound,
with a hunger to swallow the world!

After the fanfare, we get the slower, stately, Morrowindesque:

Nuz aan sul, fent alok,
fod fin vul dovah nok,
fen kos nahlot mahfaeraak ahrk ruz!
Paaz Keizaal fen kos stin nol bein Alduin jot!

Which translates as:
But a day, shall arise,
when the dark dragon's lies,
will be silenced forever and then!
Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduin's Maw!
Then, back to:

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin
naal ok zin los vahriin
wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan
fod nust hon zindro zaan
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

EDIT: The forums decided to make like the Beetle Borgs and Bug Out, so I had to fix it... Anyway - here are the full lyrics, in context with the song. Enjoy