Don José La fleur que tu m’avais jetée dans ma prison m’était restée, flétrie et sèche, cette fleur gardait toujours sa douce odeur; et pendant des heures entières, sur mes yeux, fermant mes paupières, de cette odeur je m’enivrais et dans la nuit je te voyais! Je me prenais à te maudire, à te détester, à me dire: pourquoi faut-il que le destin l’ait mise là sur mon chemin! Puis je m’accusais de blasphème, et je ne sentais en moi-même, je ne sentais qu’un seul désir, un seul désir, un seul espoir: te revoir, ô Carmen, oui, te revoir! Car tu n’avais eu qu’à paraître, qu’à jeter un regard sur moi, pour t’emparer de tout mon être, ô ma Carmen! Et j’étais une chose à toi! Carmen, je t’aime!
| Don José In prison I kept lovingly The flower you had thrown at me. Though it had faded and turned dry, It still smelled sweet as time went by; And I would put that special flower On my closed eyes, hour after hour. Drunk with that fragrance, I felt light, And there I saw you in the night! At times I would begin to hate you, To curse you and to execrate you, To say: why did it have to be That fate brought her so close to me! Then I thought that faith had defied me, And I only felt deep inside me, I only felt but one desire, But one desire, one hope, one yen, To see you, Carmen, yes, see you again! For all you needed was to be there, To throw a fleeting glance my way, To have full mastery of me there, Oh, Carmen, dear! And all you did with me was play! Carmen, I love you! |