from Act II of the French opera
Lakmé by Leo Delibes
Libretto: Edmond Gondinet
Role: Lakmé, daughter of Nilakantha, a divine priestess
Voice Part: soprano Fach: lyric coloratura
Setting: A public square in a town in India
Synopsis: Ordered by her father, Lakmé sings the legend of the pariah's daughter. The girl was walking through the forest at night and comes upon a stranger who has been set upon by wild animals. She rings a magic bell that is on her wand and saves the man, who is actually Vishnu, the son of Brahma the Creator. Vishnu takes her up to paradise for saving him.