Full Orchestra. There is a vocal version for guidance available here: • Karaoke Opera: La Fleu...
Carmen and José have just reunited after José's stay in prison for releasing Carmen when he was supposed to be guarding her. She has danced and played castanets for him, but in the distance, he hears the call back to the barracks, and he says he must go. She becomes angry at him for leaving her. Don José then responds by singing how the flower she threw to him kept him going throughout his stay in prison.
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra
John Landor
A Musical Concepts production
LA FLEUR QUE TU M’AVAIS JETEE
La fleur que tu m'avais jetée, The flower that you threw to me
Dans ma prison m'était restée. Stayed with me in prison.
Flétrie et sèche, cette fleur Wilted and dried, this flower
Gardait toujours sa douce odeur; Always kept its sweet fragrance
Et pendant des heures entières, And during all of those hours,
Sur mes yeux, fermant mes paupières, Over my eyes closing my eyelids,
De cette odeur je m'enivrais I became intoxicated by this fragrance
Et dans la nuit je te voyais! And in the night I saw you!
Je me prenais à te maudire, I would start to curse you,
À te détester, à me dire : To detest you, to say to myself:
Pourquoi faut-il que le destin Why is it that destiny
L'ait mise là sur mon chemin? Should put her on my path?
Puis je m'accusais de blasphème, Then I accused myself of blasphemy
Et je ne sentais en moi-même, And I didn't feel in myself
Je ne sentais qu'un seul désir, I only felt one desire
Un seul désir, un seul espoir: A sole desire, a sole hope
Te revoir, ô Carmen, oui, te revoir! To see you again, oh Carmen, to see you again
Car tu n'avais eu qu'à paraître, For you only had to appear
Qu'à jeter un regard sur moi, You only had to cast a glance towards me
Pour t'emparer de tout mon être, To take a hold of all my being
Ô ma Carmen! Oh my Carmen!
Et j'étais une chose à toi And I was something to you
Carmen, je t'aime! Carmen, I love you!