La boheme sample - Chadwick Creative Arts
(More literal version)
This Red Sea soaks and freezes me…
…as if it rained on me in drops.
To avenge myself, I drown a Pharaoh!
What are you doing?
In the gray skies I see Paris through a thousand chimneys,
and I think of that lazy old stove living in leisure like a great lord!
- He hasn’t received his honest wages for a while.
- Those dumb forests, what are they doing under the snow?!
Rodolfo, I’d like to share with you a profound thought…
- …I’m freezing!
- though I don’t believe in a hard day’s work myself.
My fingers are frozen, as if I still had them plunged down in the icebox
that is Musetta’s heart.
- Love is a stove that consumes so much…
- And quickly!
- Where man is the kindling…
- And the woman is the andiron!
- The one burns in a flash…
- The other stands there watching!
- But meanwhile we’re here freezing…
- And one dies of starvation!
- Fire is needed…
- Wait! Let’s sacrifice the chair!
- Eureka!
- You found it? - Yes!
- Sharpen your wits! Let the idea blaze in flames!
- Shall we burn the Red Sea?
No. The painted canvas stinks.
My drama. Let my burning drama keep us warm.
You want to read it, perhaps? Chilling!
No, let the paper and inspiration flake in ashes back to heaven.
- Harm threatens our century… Rome is in danger!
- What a great heart!
- Take the first act. Tear it up.
- Here, light it.
What a happy glow!
Already, signs of the Apocalypse appear:
No pawning allowed on Christmas Eve!
- A flame!
- Quiet, they’re presenting my drama…
- …to the fire!
- It’s sparkling!
- Vivid!
- But short lived.
- Brevity is a great merit.
- Author, quickly give me the chair!
- These intermissions make a person die from boredom!
- The second act.
- Not a whisper…
- Profound thoughts!
- Right color!
- In that blue flicker an ardent love scene vanishes.
- A page crackles.
They were kisses!
Now I want to hear all three acts at once!
- Thus the thought of the bold ones becomes integrated.
- It’s beautiful to vanish in a happy flame!
- Oh God, the flame is lowering already.
- What a vain, fragile drama!
Already it’s creaking, curling up, and dying.
Down with the author!
Firewood! Cigars! Bordeaux!
Destiny has brought us the abundance of a fair!
- The Bank of France goes broke for you!
- Gather it up! - They’re pieces of tin!
- Are you deaf? Nearsighted? Who is this?!
- Louis Philippe! I bow to my king!
It’s Louis Philippe at our feet!
Now I’ll tell you: This gold…
well… silver… has a fine history.
- Let’s warm up the stove. - It’s suffered so much cold!
- An Englishman… a gentleman… wanted a musician.
- Let’s prepare the table! - I’m flying!
- Where’s the kindling? - There!
- I present myself. He accepts, so I ask, when are the lessons?
- Cold roast! - Sweet pastries!
He accepts, so I ask, when are the lessons?
He says: “Let’s begin!”
“Look” he says, and points out a parrot on the first floor.
“You play until that dies!”
- Now the candles!
- And so I played for three long days…
- Then I used my beautiful face to charm the maid…
- Eat without a tablecloth? - An idea… The Constitutional!
- A great newspaper… one devours a supplement!
- I gave the parrot some parsley…
Polly spread his wings, opened his beak,
and he died just like Socrates!
- Who?
- The devil take all of you!
And what are you doing now?
No! These provisions are for future dark days!
To eat at home on Christmas Eve while the Latin quarter bedecks its
streets with sausages and delicacies?
When an aroma of fritters perfumes the old streets?
- There the girls sing happily…
- On Christmas Eve! - And for each girl there’s a student!
A bit of religion, my gentlemen…
One drinks at home, but eats out!
- May I?
- Who’s there?
- Benoit!
- The landlord! - Slam the door in his face!
- There’s no one here!
- It’s locked!
- Just a word…
Just one!
- Rent!
- Hey! Give him a chair!
- Quickly!
- It’s not necessary… I want…
- Sit! - A drink?
- Thanks!
- A toast!
- Drink! - A toast!
- This is the last quarter…
- I’m glad!
- And therefore… - Another drink?
- A toast to your health!
I come to you because last quarter you promised me…
- And now I keep my promise…
- (What are you doing?) (Are you crazy?!)
You see? Now stay a moment in our company.
- Tell us, how old are you, Mr. Benoit?
- How old?! For pity’s sake!
- Our age, more or less?
- More, much more!
He said more or less.
The other night, they caught you being sinful at the cabaret.
- The Mabille Cabaret the other night… you deny it?!
- A coincidence.
- Beautiful woman. - Very!
Rogue! Seducer! An oak! A cannon! Such good taste!
- Her hair, curly and auburn; he, swaggering and full-chesty…
- I’m old, but robust!
- Swaggering, nimble, full-chesty…
- And to him surrendered the feminine virtue!
I was a shy boy, now I’m making up for it!
You know… it’s a pastime…
a little woman that’s cheerful, and a bit…
I’m not saying a whale or a globe,
or a round face like a full moon…
…but not too skinny, no!
Skinny women are both tiresome and troublesome,
and full of aches… for example, my wife.
- This man has a wife, but obscene desires in his heart!
- Horrors!
- And he corrupts our honest dwelling!
- Get out!
- Burn some sugar - cleanse the air!
- Drive out the reprobate! - Our morals drive you away!
- My good sirs!
- Silence! Go, sir! Go from here!
- And good night to you, sir!
- I just paid for the quarter!
- Café Momus awaits us at the Latin Quarter!
- Long live the spender! - Divide up the booty!
There, there are beauties descended from Heaven.
Now that you’re rich, pay heed to decency!
Bear, tidy up your hair!
I’ll meet a barber for the first time!
Lead me to the ridiculous outrage of a razor.
Let’s go!
- I’ll stay to finish the leading article for The Beaver.
- Hurry up!
- Five minutes. I know the subject.
- We’ll wait downstairs at the concierge’s.
- If you’re late, you’ll hear about it! Cut The Beaver’s tail short!
- Five minutes.
- (Keep your eye on the stairs, hold onto the railing.)
- Slowly!
- (It’s pitch dark!)
- (Cursed concierge!)
(Damn it!)
- (Are you dead, Colline?) - (Not yet!)
- (Come quickly!)
I’m not in the mood…
- Who’s there? - Excuse me…
- A woman!
- Please, my light has gone out.
- Here I am. - Would you?
- Come in for a moment.
- It’s not necessary.
- Do you feel ill?
- No, it’s nothing.
- You’re pale!
- My breath… those stairs…
What shall I do?
There!
Such a sick girl’s face.
Do you feel better?
It’s so cold here. Come sit by the fire.
Wait… have some wine.
- Just a little… …thank you.
- Like this?
- (What a beautiful girl!)
- I’m fine now. Please let me light my candle.
- Are you in a hurry?
- Yes.
Thank you. Good evening.
- Oh, foolish me, where did I leave the key to my room?
- Don’t stand at the door, the flame flickers in the wind.
- Oh, God! Light it again.
- Oh, God… mine went out!
- And where is the key?
- Pitch dark!
- Unlucky me!
- Where can it be?
- Your neighbor’s being a bother! Look for it…
- Not at all! I’m looking…
Where can it be?
Did you find it?
- It seemed…
- It’s the truth…
- Are you looking?
- I’m looking.
What an icy little hand, let me warm it.
What’s the use of searching? We can’t find it in the dark.
But fortunately it’s a moonlit night,
and here the moon is near.
Wait, miss, I’ll tell you in two words who I am,
what I do, how I live. Would you like that?
Who am I? I’m a poet. What do I do? I write.
And how do I live? I live!
In my happy poverty I squander like a great Lord,
rhymes and hymns of love.
When it comes to dreams and fantasies,
or for castles in the air, I have a millionaire’s soul.
At times from my coffer all my jewels
are stolen by two thieves: two beautiful eyes.
The thieves, your beautiful eyes, entered here just now,
and my beautiful and familiar dreams disappeared!
But their theft doesn’t grieve me,
because hope has taken their place.
Now that you know me, you speak,
who are you? Would it please you to tell?
Yes, they call me Mimi, but my name is Lucia.
My story is brief.
I embroider on cloth or silk, at home or away.
I’m calm and happy, and it is my pastime
to make lilies and roses.
Things with sweet magic please me, that speak of love,
of spring times, of dreams and of chimeras…
…things that have the name of poetry. You understand?
They call me Mimi, but I don’t know why.
I make my meals by myself alone.
I don’t always go to Mass, but I pray often to the Lord.
I live alone, all alone. There in a white little room,
I look over the roofs and into the sky.
But when the thaw comes, the first sun is mine…
…the first kiss of April is mine! The first sun is mine!
A rose blossoms in a vase. Leaf by leaf I watch it!
The perfume of a flower is so delicate!
But the flowers that I make, alas, don’t have a fragrance!
I wouldn’t know what else to tell you about myself.
I’m your neighbor who comes to bother you at an odd hour.
Hey! Rodolfo!
Hey – can’t you hear!
- You snail! - Damn that lazy one!
- I’ll write another three lines in haste.
- Who are they? - Friends.
- You’ll get an earful! - What are you doing there alone?
I’m not alone, we are two!
Go to Momus and hold us a place. We’ll be there soon!
- Momus! Momus! Quiet and discreet, let’s go!
- He found poetry!
- Gentle maiden! Sweet face surrounded by gentle moonlight…
- (He found poetry!)
In you I see the dream that I would always with to dream.
- Ah! You alone command, Love!
- Sublime sweetness already trembles in my soul!
- How sweetly descend his compliments to my heart!
- Tremble, sweetness extreme, love trembles in a kiss!
- No, for pity’s sake!
- You’re mine!
- Your friends await you…
- You send me away already?
- I want to say, but I don’t dare…
- Tell me…
- If I came with you?
- What? It would be so sweet to stay here.
- It’s cold outside.
- I’ll be close to you.
- And when we return?
- Curious!
- Give me your arm, my little one…
- I obey, sir!
- Tell me you love me.
- I love you!
Love!