New Blog Title: The Lawless Love of a Gypsy Child

I realized that the title "Mindful Musings" is nothing if not unoriginal, so I decided to replace it with another title which, come to think of it, is just slightly less unoriginal as the first one. I got the title "The Lawless Love of a Gypsy Child" from one of the arias in Georges Bizet's Carmen, a French opera set in Spain about the love affair between a beautiful gypsy girl and a Spanish soldier.

In the first of four acts, Carmen sings "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" ("Love is a rebellious bird"), an aria in habanera form. In the aria, two lines, when translated into English, say that "love is a gypsy's child, it has never known the law." I was very taken by those lyrics and decided to base the blog's new title on them.

If you would like to hear the aria, I have attached a video of it from youtube. Props to Anna Caterina Antonacci and her amazing voice. Enjoy!

All lyrics in parentheses are sung by Choir

French

Translation in English

(spoken intro) Quand je vous aimerai? Ma foi, je ne sais pas, Peut-être jamais, peut-être demain. Mais pas aujourd'hui, c'est certain (sung) 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! Carmen: 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! (Prends garde à toi!) Si tu ne m’aimes pas, Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime! (Prends garde à toi!) Mais, si je t’aime, Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi! 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! L'amour! L'amour! Carmen: 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! (Prends garde à toi!) Si tu ne m’aimes pas, Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime! (Prends garde à toi!) Mais, si je t’aime, Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi! Choir: 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! (Prends garde à toi!) Carmen: Si tu ne m’aimes pas, Si tu ne m’aimes pas, je t’aime! (Prends garde à toi!) Mais, si je t’aime, Si je t’aime, prends garde à toi!

(spoken intro) When will I love you? Good Lord, I don't know, Maybe never, maybe tomorrow. But not today, that's for sure. (sung) Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame, and you can call him (although it is) quite in vain, because it suits him not to come. Nothing helps, neither threat nor prayer. One man talks well, the other, silent; but it's the other that I prefer. He says nothing, but he pleases me. Oh, love! Love! Love! Love! Carmen: Love is a gypsy's child, it has never known the law; if you love me not, then I love you; if I love you, you'd best beware! (You'd best beware!) if you love me not, if you love me not, then I love you (You'd best beware!) but if I love you, if I love you, you'd best beware! The bird you hoped to catch beat its wings and flew away ... love stays away, you wait and wait; when least expected, there it is! All around you, swift, swift, it comes, goes, then it returns ... you think you hold it fast, it flees you think you're free, it holds you fast. Oh, love! Love! Love! Love! Carmen: Love is a gypsy's child, it has never known the law; if you love me not, then I love you; if I love you, you'd best beware! (You'd best beware!) if you love me not, if you love me not, then I love you (You'd best beware!) but if I love you, if I love you, you'd best beware! Choir:Love is a gypsy's child, it has never known the law; if you love me not, then I love you; if I love you, you'd best beware! (You'd best beware!) Carmen: if you love me not, if you love me not, then I love you (You'd best beware!) but if I love you, if I love you, you'd best beware!

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop