Im 14 And I Wear Thongs

Comment pourrait-il mourir le dédain? (Duet)

This charming duet is from Hector Berlioz's opera Béatrice et Bénédict , based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing .

The italics indicate spoken dialogue.

Thanks to my mother and Sonya Taaffe for helping me figure out a confusing sentence. Any remaining mistakes are entirely mine.







Like a heart

BÉATRICE	BEATRICE
Oh! sans doute, les héros de l'Iliade, Alexandre et César, ne sont rien auprès de vous, et ce serait pitié de parler, le même jour, de leurs exploits et des vôtres.	Oh, without doubt, the heroes of the Iliad, Alexander, and Caesar are nothing next to you, and it would be a pity to speak of their exploits and yours on the same day.
 	 
BÉNÉDICT	BENEDICK
Eh! quoi, signora Dédain. Vous vivez encore?	What, Lady Disdain. Are you still alive?
BEATRICE BEATRICE
disdain How could he die? How Could	disdain die?
You're alive!	You are living!
We would be born	Would You see it born
If no, if it didn't	exist;
And here as low	and as long as here below
you dare look, you dare to	APPEAR
For his pleasure	for its good pleasure
He will not leave.	It Will never wish to leave.
BENEDICT	Benedick
Aimable Disdain! one is too happy	Kind Disdain! One Is too happy
to endure your moves!	in enduring your blows!
Disdain kind!	Kind Disdain!
What am I master	Am I not a master
To follow your footsteps! Has your	followings steps?
Yes, both here below	Yes, as long as here below
You deign to appear	you deign to APPEAR
To charm our eyes to charm	o eyes,
Who wants to go to heaven?	Who Would wish to go to the skies?
BEATRICE BEATRICE
I pity your irony.	Your sarcasm IS pitiful.
BENEDICT	Benedick
Me, ridicule! Although, I deny it.	I mock? Certainly, I deny it.
But frankly, no,	Purpose Frankly, no,
You're right.	you are right.
I'm insensitive,	I am hard-hearted,
Feeling inflexible	Of An unyielding temperament,
And it's a real pleasure for us	and It Is Truly Fortunate for us
adored by all women,	That, though I am Adored by All Women,
ignited, despite myself, so many souls, setting	So Many Hearts aflame In Spite of Myself,
I'm not loved you. I am not	loved by you at all.
BEATRICE BEATRICE
Do not worry about it!	Do not have "any worries On That account!
BENEDICT	Benedick
I'm insensitive, and so on.	I am hard-hearted, etc..
BEATRICE	BEATRICE
Do not worry about it!	Do not have "any worries On That account!
BENEDICT	Benedick
From you displease in all I will do my study.	I Will make it my study to displease you in everything.
too much grief I despair of you!	I Would Be mortified at driving you to despair!
BEATRICE BEATRICE
You can effortlessly, Lord, to reassure you. You May	set your mind at ease, Sir, Without effort.
Beatrice and Benedict	BEATRICE AND Benedick
But what strange pleasure	Purpose What strange pleasure
Found I to irritate!	I find annoying in him / her!
Like a heart that revenge	Like a heart That Takes Revenge
I feel my own leap and throb. I feel mine	jump and beat Faster.
A shiver of anger	A thrill of anger
me when I take him / her know.	sixteen me when I see him / her.
His laugh annoys me	His / her laughter infuriates me
And I tremble in his voice.	and I tremble at his / her voice.
BENEDICT	Benedick
God of heaven! Give me grace God in heaven	! Do Me The Favor
Not to grant me woman, not of	Granting me a wife,
[showing Beatrice]	[informal & informal Beatrice]
Blonde especially!	Especially a blonde one!
BEATRICE BEATRICE
What threat!	What a Threat!
BENEDICT	Benedick
Better to send me to hell.	It's Better to send me to hell.
BEATRICE BEATRICE
God of heaven! Give me grace God in heaven	! Do me the Favor
not to intrude on a husband, not of	Imposing a husband I am,
[showing Benedict]	[informal & informal Benedick]
Barbu especially! Especially	a bearded one!
BENEDICT	Benedick
What threat!	What a Threat!
BEATRICE BEATRICE
I ask both knees.	I beg it on my knees.
Beatrice and Benedict	BEATRICE AND Benedick
But what strange pleasure	Purpose What strange pleasure
Found I to irritate!	I find annoying in him / her!
Like a heart that revenge	That Takes Revenge
I feel my own leap and throb. I feel mine	jump and beat Faster.
A shiver of anger	A thrill of anger
me when I take him / her know.	sixteen me when I see him / her.
His laugh annoys me	His / her laughter infuriates me
And I tremble in his voice.	and I tremble at his / her voice.