The Flower Duet
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"The Flower Duet" (Sous le dôme épais) is a famous duet ("Viens, Mallika, les liens en fleurs") from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé.
[edit] Text
Sous le dôme épais
Où le blanc jasmin
À la rose s’assemble
Sur la rive en fleurs,
Riant au matin
Viens, descendons ensemble.
(Under the thick dome where the white jasmine
With the roses entwined together
On the river bank covered with flowers laughing in the morning)
Doucement glissons de son flot charmant
Suivons le courant fuyant
Dans l’onde frémissante
D’une main nonchalante
Viens, gagnons le bord,
Où la source dort et
L’oiseau, l’oiseau chante.
(Gently floating on its charming risings
On the river’s current
On the shining waves
One hand reaches
Reaches for the bank
Where the spring sleeps and
The bird, the bird sings.)
Sous le dôme épais
Où le blanc jasmin,
Ah! descendons
Ensemble!
Sous le dôme épais
Où le blanc jasmin
À la rose s’assemble
Sur la rive en fleurs
Riant au matin
Viens, descendons ensemble.
(Under the thick dome where the white jasmine
Ah! We descend
Together! Under the thick dome where white jasmine
With the roses entwined together
On the river bank covered with flowers laughing in the morning)
Doucement glissons de son flot charmant,
Suivons le courant fuyant
Dans l’onde frémissante
D’une main nonchalante
Viens, gagnons le bord
Où la source dort et
L’oiseau, l’oiseau chante.
(Let us descend together
Gently floating on its charming risings,
On the river’s current
On the shining waves,
One hand reaches,
Reaches for the bank,
Where the spring sleeps,
And the bird, the bird sings.)
Sous le dôme épais
Où le blanc jasmin,
Ah! descendons
Ensemble!
(Under the thick dome where the white jasmine
Ah! We descend
Together!)
[edit] Use in popular culture
- It is well known for its use in British Airways TV commercials.
- The music is also in the game Saint's Row, as well as being sampled on the David Usher song "Black, Black Heart".
- Greek composer Yanni also used this song as the basis of the composition Aria.
- Cello-based rock band Rasputina covered the song as a basis for their song "Mr. Romberg" on the bonus disk of Frustration Plantation.
- The Rapsody & LL Cool J interpolated the song on their version, "Dear Mallika".
- In 1998, Jonathan Peters released a dance remix of the duet that became popular in the "circuit party" scene.[citation needed]
- Phantom Regiment used the Flower Duet in its 2007 field show, "On Air."
- The Flower Duet was used during "the Sicilian scene" in the movie True Romance.
- The Flower Duet was also used in Patricia Rozema's 1987 film "I've Heard the Mermaids Singing."
- The Flower Duet is played in the background of the movie The American President.
- Movie credits include Tony Scott's 1983 noir "The Hunger" in the lesbian vampire scene with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon.
- Featured on Second Season episode of the F/X drama Nip/Tuck, Dr. Troy and Dr. McNamara operate on Rose and Raven Rosenberg, conjoined twins.
- Featured during a Third Season episode of The L Word.
- Featured in the Simpsons episode "The Homer They Fall".
- Featured in the film The Mirror Has Two Faces when Jeff Bridges rips down all the apartment decorations that belong to his wife.
