Two Bright Angels Sing the Lakme Flower Duet

Of Good Report and lovely is the Flower Duet. You'll recognize it as the British Airways commercial.


Here are the lyrics. But you don't have to know them to understand two beautiful women admiring the flowers in the morning along the river bank.

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 descendTogether!
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!)