Words to Carmen Flower Song

[John Soward Bayne]

Dear Operaphiles:

Can someone please supply these (French and
English would be ideal)? I want to use them
to court an anonymous female "secret admirer"
who sent me a single flower blossom on
Valentine's Day.

Thanks, and wish me luck!

Cheers
JSBayne

[Mark R. Penney]

In article <330CC9...@nt.com>, John Soward Bayne

My assumption is you're talking about the Habanera, which she
sings just before she throws the flower. The song itself doesn't
have a whole lot to do with the flower, and truthfully isn't all
that seductive. But here goes. (This comes from my libretto
book, so inaccuracies are theirs, not mine.)

French:

CARMEN:
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle
S'il lui convient de refuser.
Rien n'y fait, menace ou priere,
L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait:
Et c'est l'autre que je prefere,
Il n'a rien dit, mais il me plait.

CHORUS: (repeats the first four lines above)

CARMEN:
L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!
[L'amour est enfant de la boheme,
Il n'a jamais jamais connu de loi,
Si tu ne m'aimes pa, je t'aime;
Si je t'aime, prends garde a toi!]

CHORUS: Prends garde a toi!

CARMEN, then CHORUS, repeat bracketed piece above.

CARMEN:
L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
Battit de l'aile et s'envola;
L'amour est loin, to peux l'attendre
Tu ne l'attends plus, il est la!
Tout autour de toi vite, vite,
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient;
Tu crois le tenir, il t'evite;
Tu crois l'eviter, il te tient!

(bracketed bit repeated once again)
* * *

The English translation in my libretto book (which does a lousy
job of fitting the music, BTW):

Love is a mutinous bird
That nobody can tame,
In vain you'll call his name
When it suits him to refuse.
No point in threts or pleading voice,
The first speaks well and the other's dumb,
The silent one's my choice,
I fancy him, though he keeps mum.

(Chorus repeats first four lines)

Love! Love! Love!
Love is the child of gipsy life
The laws he loves to flout
If you won't love me, I'll love you,
And if I love you, then watch out!

(chorus: Watch out!)

The bird you thought you'd bait
Took wing and flew away;
When love's far off it makes you wait;
When you give up, it's in the way!
All round you, quickly winging by
It comes, it goes, and back again;
You think you've caught it, then it's shy;
When you keep clear, it's got you then!

Hope this helps.

--M.