Desiree:
Isn't it rich?

Fredrik:
Are we a pair?
You here at last on the ground.

Desiree:
You in mid-air.
Was that a farce?

Fredrik:
My fault, I fear.

Desiree:
Me as a merry-go-round.

Fredrik:
Me as king lear.
Make way for the clow

Petra:
Look, ma'am, an invitation,
Here, ma'am, delivered by hand.
And, ma'am, I notice the station-
Ary's engraved and very grand.

Anne:
Petra, how too exciting!
Just when I need it!
Petra, such elegant writing,
So chic you hardly can read it!
What do y

Charlotte:
Every day a little death
In the parlor, in the bed,
In the curtains, in the silver,
In the buttons, in the bread.
Every day a little sting
In the heart and in the head,
Every move and every breath
(And you hardly feel a thing)
Brings a perfect littl

Carl-magnus:
She wouldn't...therefore they didn't...
So then it wasn't...not unless it...would she?
She doesn't...god knows she needn't...therefore it's not.
He'd never...therefore they haven't...
Which makes the question absolutely...could she?
She daren't...therefore I

FREDRIK:
I should never have gone to the theatre.
Then I'd never have come to the country.
If I never had come to the country,
Matters might have stayed as they were.

CARL-MAGNUS:
Sir...

FREDRIK:
Sir...

If she'd only been faded,
If she'd only been fa

HENRIK:
Later...
When is later?
All you ever hear is "Later, Henrik, Henrik, later."
"Yes, we know, Henrik,
Oh, Henrik,
Everyone agrees, Henrik,
Please, Henrik!"
You have a thought you're fairly bursting with,
A personal discovery or problem, and it's:
"Wh

MME. ARMFELDT:
At the villa of the Baron De Signac,
Where I spent a somewhat infamous year,
At the villa of the Baron De Signac
I had ladies in attendance,
Fire-opal pendants...

Liaisons! What's happened to them?
Liaisons today.
Disgraceful! What's become of the

Mrs. Anderssen
The sun sits low,
Diffusing its usual glow.
Five o'clock,
Twilight...
Vespers sound,
And it's six o'clock,
Twilight
All around.

Quintet:
But the sun sits low,
As low as it's going to go.

Mr. Erlansen:
Eight o'clock...

M

Mrs. Nordstrom:
The sun sits low
And the vespers ring,

Mr. Erlansen:
And the shadows grow
And the crickets sing,
And it's--

Mrs. Nordstrom:
Look! Is that the moon?

Mr. Erlansen:
Yes.
What a lovely afternoon!

Mrs. Nordstrom:
Yes.

M

FREDRIK:
Now, as the sweet imbecilities
Tumble so lavishly
Onto her lap,
Now, there are two possibilities:
A, I could ravish her,
B, I could nap.
Say
It's the ravishment, then we see
The option
That follows, of course:
A,
The deployment of charm, o

Mrs. Nordstrom:
Perpetual anticipation is good for the soul
But it's bad for the heart.
It's very good for practicing self-control,
It's very good for morals, but bad for morale.
It's very bad.
It can lead to going quite mad.
It's very good for reserve and learning to

Mr. Lindquist:
Remember?

Mrs. Nordstrom:
Remember?
The old deserted beach that we walked--
Remember?

Mr. Lindquist:
Remember?
The cafe in the park where we talked--
Remember?

Mrs. Nordstrom:
Remember?

Mr. Lindquist:
The tenor on the boa

Desiree:
Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air.
Send in the clowns.
Isn't it bliss?
Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move.
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.
Just when I'd s

Anne:
Soon, I promise,
Soon, I won't shy away,
Dear old--
Soon, I want to.
Soon, whatever you say.
Even now,
When you're close and we touch,
And you're kissing my brow,
I don't mind it too much.
And you'll have to admit I'm endearing,
I help keep thing

[Fredrika]
Ordinary mothers lead ordinary lives
Keep the house and sweep the parlor
Cook the meals and look exhausted
Ordinary mothers, like ordinary wives
Fry the eggs and dry the sheets
And try to deal with facts--
Mine acts!

[Desiree]
Darling, I miss you

PETRA:
I shall marry the miller's son,
Pin my hat on a nice piece of property.
Friday nights, for a bit of fun,
We'll go dancing.
Meanwhile...

It's a wink and a wiggle and a giggle in the grass
And I'll trip the light fandango,
A pinch and a diddle in the middle

FREDRIK:
She lightens my sadness,
She livens my days,
She bursts with a kind of madness
My well-ordered ways.
My happiest mistake, the ache of my life:
You must meet my wife.
She bubbles with pleasure,
She glows with surprise,
Disrupts my accustomed leisure