The Flower Duet

"The Flower Duet" ("Viens, Mallika, les liens en fleurs... Sous le dôme épais") is a famous duet, between characters Lakmé and Mallika, from Léo Delibes’ opera "Lakmé".

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 rose gathers,
""To the flowered river bank, with morning laughter,
""Come, let us go down together.)"

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 let us slip from the pleasant rising flow,
""Let us follow the fleeting current
""In the shimmering stream,
""Without any care,
""Come, let us reach the bank,
""Where the spring waters slumber
""And the bird, the bird, she 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!)"

Use in popular culture

Movies, Television, and Commercials

* It is well known for its use in British Airways TV commercials.
* It was used for in several Godiva "moment" commercials in the US
*It has been used in several episodes of animated television series, The Simpsons
* It is featured in the movies "True Romance", "Private Parts", "The American President", "The Oh in Ohio", ', "Meet the Parents", "Superman Returns", "Five Corners", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "The Hunger", "Carlito's Way", "I've Heard the Mermaids Singing", '
*Las Vegas Season 5, Episode 13 "3 Babes, 100 Guns, and a Fat Chick."
*Smallville Season 4, Episode 2 "Gone"
*Nip/Tuck Season 2, Episode 9 "Rose & Raven Rosenberg"
*Boom Boom Rocket Video Game for XBox 360 uses the Flower Duet as basis of the song Smooth Operetta
*Capadoccia, HBO Original Series, episode 1

Popular music

* Sampled on the David Usher song "Black, Black Heart"
* Yanni also used it as the basis of the composition "Aria".
* Cello-based rock band Rasputina covered the song as a basis for their song "Mr. Romberg".
* 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.Fact|date=February 2008
* In 2005 Mike Oldfield included a cover of Lakme on his Light & Shade album.
* In 2007 Phantom Regiment performed the Flower Duet during their show entitled "On Air".

External links

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