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Voyez-la sous son éventail - No. 10, Couplets
from Act I of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach
Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Nicklausse, the friend of Hoffmann
Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo
Setting: The parlor room of Spalanzani the scientist, 19th century
Synopsis: Nicklausse sings this "cautionary tale" to Hoffmann to warn Hoffmann from falling too deeply in love with "la belle Olympia" who, Nicklausse implies very clearly, is not at all what she seems.
Range: Tessitura:
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Translations/Aria Texts:
Translation into English by Karen Mercedes (added 2000-08-25)
Voyez-la sous son éventail, Nicklausse's aria from Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Voyez-la sous son éventail  		See her from behind her fan  
Tourner, baisser, lever la tête,  	Turn, lower, raise her head  
Ouvrir ses yeux d'émail  		Open her eyes of enamel  
Et dire d'un air bête:  		And say in a stupid way:  
"Oui, oui, oui, oui, halte-là!"  	Yes, yes, yes, yes, stop! 
C'est la belle Olympia! 		It is the beautiful Olympia!  

Je sais des horloges de bois  		I know of wooden clocks  
D'où sort un petit coq en cuivre  	From which a little copper rooster emerges,  
Que chante par trois fois,  		That sings three times,  
Tend l'aile et semble vivre.  		Flaps its wings, and seems to be alive.  
Cocorico, ce coq-là  			"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" That rooster  
me rappelle Olympia!  			reminds me of Olympia!  

Translation by Karen Mercedes (dalila@radix.net)
Sounds:
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Sheet Music/Scores:
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Recordings:
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