Habanera (aria)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The "Habanera" is an aria from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, adapted^[1] from the habanera "El Arreglito" originally composed by Sebastián Yradier.^[2] The song is also sometimes known by its first two lines, "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle que nul ne peut apprivoiser".^[3] Its melody, among the most famous in the Western musical tradition, is based on a descending chromatic scale followed by variants of the same phrase in first the minor and then the major key, corresponding with the vicissitudes of love expressed in the lyrics. In live performances, after singing the concluding words of the song (prends garde à toi!),^[4] Carmen tosses a flower to Don José. Later on, in the celebrated Flower Song, ^[5] Don José tells how he treasured the flower while in prison.

Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Notes 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Lyrics

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 prière, l'un parle bien, l'autre se tait: Et c'est l'autre que je préfère, Il n'a rien dit mais il me plaît. L'amour! l'amour! l'amour! l'amour! L'amour est enfant de Bohême, il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi; si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime: si je t'aime, prends garde à toi! etc. L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre battit de l'aile et s'envola ... l'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre; tu ne l'attends plus, il est là! Tout autour de toi, vite, vite, il vient, s'en va, puis il revient ... tu crois le tenir, il t'évite, tu crois l'éviter, il te tient. L'amour! l'amour!, lamour, l'amour!

Love, love is a rebel bird that nobody can ever tame, and you call him quite in vain if it suits him not to come. Nothing helps, neither threat nor prayer. One man talks well, the other's mum; it's the other one that I prefer. He's silent but I like his looks. Love! Love! Love! Love! Love, love is a gypsy child, it has never, never, known a law; love me not, then I love you; if I love you, you'd best beware! etc. The bird you thought you had caught spreads its wings and flies away ... love stays away, you wait and wait; when least expected, love appears! All around you, swift, so swift, it comes, it goes, and then returns ... you think you hold it fast, it flees you think you're free, it holds you fast. Love! Love! Love! Love!

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Bizet thought he was using a popular tune
2. ^ Yradier is better known for another habanera called "La Paloma".
3. ^ Love is a rebellious bird that nothing can tame
4. ^ Watch out!
5. ^ La fleur que tu m'avais jetée (the flower which you had thrown me)

[edit] See also

• Habanera for a discussion of the history of the habanera.

[edit] External links

• Text and translation at Aria-Database.com. The translation there is a literal translation that tries to preserve the rhythm of the original at the expense of nuance of meaning in places. For instance, the phrase prends garde à toi! is translated there as keep guard of yourself, whereas a more direct translation might be simply watch out!, not only for an attack but for what you yourself might do in your quest for love. Indeed, the latter is an important aspect of the whole opera.