Sharing the magic of music - Bote in der nacht - Ships in the night

 Hi!
As you can see, I'm back from my trip to the scandinavian lands, maybe I'll even share some photos and memories later.
Todays song is a duett from one of my favourite musicals, Elisabeth, and it is called "Bote in der nacht" - literally Ships in the night. It is a duett sung by Elisabeth and her husband Franz Joseph, the later still beeing hopeful, while Sissi tries to make him believe that they do not suit, a beautiful and emotional moment, I think.
I have two translations for this song, the first is a word by word translation of the  original german lyrics the second is a word by word translation of the hungarian translation, hungarian version of the song - because I heard it first in hungarian. I try to do my best and stay as close to the original meaning as possible but english is not my mother tongue so there may be some phrases that sound odd to a nativ speaker. Just let me know and I'll try and explain and figure out how to formulate it better.
You can listen to one of the german versions here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFjJ5VeU2s

I say one of the german versions because there were several  german productions of the show, in Vienna, in Essen, in Stuttgar and more. The actress playing and singing Sissi is the original Sissi, her name is Pia Douwes. She was the very first actress to take this role in the musical and reprised it several times.
Here is another german version with english subtitles that was NOT made by me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3qYG8wNAJM
Maya Hakvoort is singing Sissi here, another actress famous for this role but there are so many of them!

Here is my translation, based on the first german video:

Franz Joseph: You know why I’ve come?

Elisabeth: No but I have a suspicion.

Franz Joseph: Come home Sissi. We belong together. I still believe that. I love you And Love can, as they say, heal all wounds.

Elisabeth:        Love can do a lot but sometimes Love is not enough.

Belief is strong but sometimes belief itself is nothing but deception.

We wanted wonders but they did not happen

It’s time to finally admit it to ourselves:

We are like two ships in the night,

each has its own destination and its own cargo.

We meet on the sea and then it is hard to say goodbye

but we can’t choose what forces us to go on

(there might be a mistake, that’s why it is so different in the)

Franz Joseph:    You want everything but sometimes just a little is so much

Elisabeth:           Your dream is too small for me

Franz Joseph:    Be close together in the dark – isn’t that enough as a goal?

Elisabeth:           I don’t want to be your shadow

Together:           If you could see only once through my eyes

then you would no longer misunderstand me!

We are like two ships in the night,

each has its own destination and its own cargo.

We meet on the sea and then it is often hard to say goodbye

Why is it made so hard for us to be happy?

Elisabeth:           You and me, two boats in the night

Franz Joseph (at the same time): Understand me… I need you… I love you

Franz Joseph:    Why can’t you be with me?

Elisabeth:           each has its own destination and its own cargo

Franz Joseph (at the same time): Understand me… I need you… I love you

Franz Joseph:    Why are we alone?

Together:           We meet on the sea and are even more lonely than before

Why is it made so hard for us to be happy?

Franz Joseph: I love you

Elisabeth:           Understand, there are things that simply can’t be

The hungarian version can be found here(music only):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgn2DukAbik
 Janza Kata as Sissi - she was Jasmines hungarian singing voice in Aladdin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kKsD9CxKCA
 Vágó Bernadett as Sissi - she plays Belle in the hungarian musical version of Beauty and the beast and also voiced Anna from Frozen and Tiana from Princess and the frog.
I have a few more but either Franz Joseph or Sissi are sung by an actor or acress that can be heard in these two as well and I wanted to show as many different ones as possible :)

And here is my translation of the hungarian lyrics:

Franz Joseph: You know why I’ve come?

Elisabeth: No but I have a suspicion.

Franz Joseph: Come home Sissi. We belong together. I still believe that. I love you And Love can, as they say, heal all wounds.

Elisabeth:           There are feelings and strength in our hearts but there are things it can’t resolve

our faith is strong but it can’t disengage us

maybe we waited for a miracle but there is no reason to do so anymore

Even if we shared a path in the past it has already ended.

Like two galleys on the sea of the night                               (Like two galleys was later changed to Tired galleys)

but our fates are different now

you go that way, I go this way

The flood carried us close but fate parts us already

and there is no way out, no hope

Franz Joseph: If you aim too high, that is not even worth a little              (I guess he means if she wants too much she will never ever be satisfied)

Elisabeth: Maybe you are defeatist

Franz Joseph: To take care of each other, that should be the only goal

Elisabeth: How very primitive

Together:           Please try to see through my eyes once, then maybe we would understand each other

Like two galleys on the sea of the night                               (Like two galleys was later changed to Tired galleys)

but our fates are different now

you go that way, I go this way

The flood carried us a little closer but fate parts us already

Why has the light in us faded so much?

Elisabeth:           You and me two galleys on the sea of the night

Franz Joseph(at the same time): Don’t hurt me… Don’t leave me… Don’t cast me away

Franz Joseph: I would love you

Elisabeth:           but our fates are different now

you go that way, I go this way

Franz Joseph(at the same time): Don’t hurt me… Don’t leave me… Don’t cast me away

Franz Joseph:    Loneliness does not help

Together:           The flood carried us a little closer but fate parts us already

Why has the light in us faded so much?

Franz Joseph: Don’t cast me away

Elisabeth: Please, believe, what’s gone, is no more

 

And, for those, who are interested, here is the original german text, written by Michael Kunze

source: https://genius.com/Elisabeth-boote-in-der-nacht-lyrics

Franz-Joseph:
Du weißt, warum ich gekommen bin?
Elisabeth:
Nein. Aber ich ahne es
Franz-Joseph:
Komm heim, Sissi. Wir gehören zusammen. Ich glaube immer noch daran. Ich liebe dich. Und Liebe, sagt man, kann alle Wunden heilen
Elisabeth:
Liebe kann vieles, doch manchmal ist Liebe nicht genug
Glaube ist stark, doch manchmal ist Glaube Selbstbetrug
Wir wollten Wunder, doch sie sind nicht geschehn
Es wird Zeit, dass wir uns endlich eingestehn:
Wir sind wie zwei Boote in der Nacht
Jedes hat sein eig‘nes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer, und dann fällt der Abschied uns schwer
Doch was uns treibt, liegt nicht in uns’rer Macht
Franz-Joseph:
Du möchtest alles, doch manchmal ist wenig schon sehr viel
Elisabeth:
Dein Traum ist mir zu klein
Franz-Joseph:
Sich nach zu sein im Dunkeln - genügt das nicht als Ziel?
Elisabeth:
Ich will nicht dein Schatten sein
Elisabeth & Franz-Joseph:
Könntest du einmal nur durch meine Augen sehn!
Dann würdest du mich nicht länger mißverstehn
Wir sind wie zwei Boote in der Nacht
Jedes hat sein eig’nes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer, und oft fällt der Abschied uns schwer
Warum wird uns das Glück so schwer gemacht?
Elisabeth:
Du und ich, wir sind zwei Boote in der Nacht
Franz-Joseph (gleichzeitig):
Versteh‘ mich...
Ich brauch‘ dich...
Ich lieb‘ dich...
Kannst du nicht bei mir sein?
Elisabeth:
Jedes hat sein eig’nes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht
Franz-Joseph (gleichzeitig):
Versteh‘ mich...
Ich brauch‘ dich...
Ich lieb‘ dich...
Warum sind wir allein?
Elisabeth & Franz-Joseph:
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer und sind mehr allein als vorher
Warum wird uns das Glück so schwer gemacht?
Franz-Joseph:
Ich lieb‘ dich!
Elisabeth:
Begreif doch:
Was nicht sein kann, kann nicht sein

Marie Antoinette - A story told

 "Die Welt wird dich nicht vergessen.

Du hast versagt als Königin.

Jedoch nach deinem Sturz

warst du bewunderswert.

Dein Leben war

nicht ohne Sinn!"

Translation: The world will never forget you/you failed as a queen/but after your fall/you were admirable/ Your life was/not meaningless!

from the Finale of the musical Marie Antoinette by Lévay and Kunze

I'm not sure how much you know about Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, so here is a link where you can read a bit more about her life if you are interested. She was forming the fashions of her time, she was said to be extravagant and expensive but she ended her life on the guillotine, just a few weeks before her 38th birthday.

Arabella has always admired the Queen of Fashion, Marie Antoinette. She loves fashion, just like the Queen of France did and has a good taste just like her. They even share their interest in elegant furniture. When she got to know that there is a musical about Marie Antoinette and even her dressmaker appears several times, she knew she had to go. All those wonderful costumes! She wanted to see them so badly that next time Marie Antoinette was on the program, she came along. 

the theatre from the outside

Although she has already seen the building from the ‘Victoria and her hussar’ trip, she was impressed. As she looked it over to remember every little detail, she suddenly noticed something.

‘There are pictures from the performance there!’ she screamed of excitement. ‘Please, please, take me there so I can see them better!’ She was taken there but when she got there, there was a different picture. ‘But… but… what happened? Where is Marie Antoinette?’

‘Don’t worry, they are not gone forever, they’ll come back within a minute. It changes so it won’t get boring.’

‘Could… could you take a photo of them? For our blog?’ she asked shyly.

‘Sure!’

‘And one of the theatre as well? Please.’

‘No problem.’

the queen and Orleans the ball where the necklace changes owners (top)  Margrid with her friends

the swedish count, Axel Fersen and Marie Antoinette (top), Margrid Arnaud got something to eat and she shares it

 The photos she asked for were taken and a few inside the building as well. 

inside the building: one of the stairs

The stairs, a window and the chandeliers the seats were all inspected with a critical eye.

‘This is going to be such a great post!’ Arabella exclaimed. The shyness she felt when she realized how many total strangers were around left her completely.

Some details: a picture exjibited in honour of the 100th birthday of a different show

At the entrance to the auditorium, everybody got a card with a short summary of the story and a bit of the historical background with a few pictures from the performance. On the other side, there was a portrait of the actress playing Marie Antoinette dressed up as Marie Antoinette, which had been a promotion picture of the show. It is a… strong picture, as Arabella put it. Maybe even a bit scary. The real Marie Antoinette was beheaded and that is what that picture implies. The actresses who play the queen said that it wasn’t there when the photos were made, that part is most likely added with a program like Photoshop.

Bella wanted to pose with this picture nevertheless.

Arabella posing with that picture of the actrass as Marie Antoinette

‘I really like the roses in her hair. But I wouldn’t use powder, as she did. I like my natural haircolor best. And those wigs! Why did she use them? Was she bald?’ Meritre explained that at that time, everybody wore wigs in fashionable circles and as far as she knew, the princess had thin hair. And that wigs, when they are worn too often and for a long time, make hair fall out. They used horse hair to make those enormous wigs back then. ‘They were even bigger than those used on the stage, you’ll see.’ Bella looked down at the stage and noticed that there were pictures projected on the iron curtain.

Axel von Fersen, a swedish countand Marie Antoinettes lover

Jacques-René Hébert, a journalist with a vulgar, scurrilous style

the prince of Orleans, the kings brother, whose son becomes king some 40 years later

Cagliostro on the left and W. A. Mozart on the right

‘Who are those?’

‘Those are pictures of the real people that are characters in the show or Marie Antoinette’s contemporaries, like the well-known composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. See, there is Marie Antoinette and next to her is her husband.’

Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI.

Arabella looked disappointed.

‘She is not pretty at all.’

‘She was thought to be pretty then. Fashions and tastes change. There will always be some who doesn’t think the ruling fashions and ideals are beautiful. And she is said to be charming in a way a portrait can’t show.’

She thought about that and then looked over the rest of the people. Louis XVI., his younger brother the Prince of Orleans, a vulgar journalist, a count from Sweden and more. There were a few words about each person as well to help a bit with the historical background. And then the performance started and the Magic took little Bella with it or at least she claimed it’s magic.

The queen goes to parties while the folk is hungry. She doesn’t really understand. She is told that she should spend less money. She decides not to buy a very expensive and beautiful necklace made of diamonds. But the prince plots against her and it is made to look like she bought the necklace in incognito and tries to put the blame on Cardinal Rohan. They didn’t like each other from the start and this story damages the queens reputation badly. The cardinal didn’t know he didn’t give the necklace to the queen but to Margrid, dressed up as the queen.

The break came just at the right time or she would have burst, she wanted to share so many thoughts. Which dress was the most beautiful, which actor had the best voice and the little extras the actors added to the characers. Like how to knock on a non existing door. The prince of Orleans did this by knocking on the floor with his walking stick. There were a few things she didn’t undstand about the story.

‘That count or price or whatever’ she asked ‘why is he plotting against his own brother?’

‘He wants to be king himself.’

She gazed at the people around her for a moment.

‘I don’t like that Orlean. I hope he’ll be punished.’ Her thoughts then wandered to another character. ‘And that poor girl, Margrid Arnaud, who is his ally now, how come she had sung the same lullaby the queen sang to her own children?’

‘You’ll understand later, I don’t want to spoil it for you.’

‘Is she mean, like this Orlean prince? She helped with that necklace trick.’

‘That will be something for you to decide.’

She looked thoughtful.

‘They have the same initials: M.A. I think it was a great idea to use those as a piece of decoration. One side is golden and fancy for Marie Antoinette the other is plain old wood for the poor and always hungry Margrid Arnaud. I jus’t can’t really understand this girl, she seems to like this count from Sweden called Axel von Fersen yet she treats him as an enemy. And he likes the queen. I’m sorry for Margrid. She has a beautiful voice, just like the queen, I hope they sing together.’

the chandelier Arabelle noticed when she bame back after the break

A few minutes later the break was almost over and the members of the audience took their seats again and so did the small extra visitor. She was so excited. What was going to happen? Oh they are so mean to her and her family! Oh, they flee, their lives are in danger. Oh no, they are caught and imprisoned! Poor Marie! True, she was extravagant and expensive and she had a lover but she was a loving mother and she got on well with her husband and didn’t leave him alone in times of need, when those people invaded the castle, she just sent her children away with a governess. She wasn’t the right person to rule during such difficult times. Her husband was an even less suitable ruler. He whished he could be a commoner, a smith. He neglected his duties as he couldn’t really cope with them. And that beggargirl, Margrid, turned out to be Marie Antoinette’s half-sister and that’s why she knew that special lullaby, too. Towards the end Margrid realizes that the queen has some good qualities and she is blamed even for things she didn’t do. Monstrous things. Margrid Arnaud only wanted justice and now tries to save her but she fails. Her initials are transformed into the guillotine, part of the big A is moved so it looks like a big H. The queen meets her end and the performance ends as well.

The little plastic hands clap as hard as they can but there are still some questions left.

‘Where was the song you showed me yesterday?’Arabella wanted to know.

‘It wasn’t there.’

‘But you claimed it was from Marie Antoinette!’

‘But of course it is. Only from a different version. Each version is different, not only because the performers aren’t the same but there may be songs that have different text ore are completely missing. The order of the scenes can be changed as well.’

The little eyes became rounder and rounder.

‘Really? Are they allowed to make such big changes, deciding everything by themselves?’

‘They work together with the original composer and writer. In later verions there might be some new songs added.’

I never knew this could be done! I really liked the text.

(she is talking about this one:

„The world will never forget you

you failed as a queen

but after your fall you were admirable

Your life was not meaningless!”

you can listen to it if you would like to here: https://youtu.be/vn90L32jTwU?list=PL5Fju6x9UzEA7YjJ0b0DU_DXe5R60OKJ8

)

She had a dreamy look on her face.

’That green ballgown was simply perfect! I don’t care for the wig but the dress and the mask! But the dressmaker and the hairdresser were not at all like I thought they would be. They were an odd pair.’

Meritre smiled.

'By the way, was it all ture? Did it all happen like we just saw?'

’No, for example the whole half-sister story was just made up. There were realistic elements but if Marie was really like in this musical – I don’t know.’

In the meantime the coats were collected and then the theater was left behind. The littlest guest slipped into the reticule.

‘That was truly wonderful’ Arabella sighted ‘Thank you for this beautiful memory!’

A few pictures, linked from different websites belonging to the theatre or the actors and actresses, tI do not own them:

the royal family

Marie Antoinette and Fersen meet after they haven't seen each other for a long time, Orleans in the background

  Photo above is by Eszter Gordon

Polyák Lilla as the queen, at the summer ball the diamond necklace disappeared

Orleans and Margrid dressed up as the queen, yes the costumes are a bit different for the two casts

the queens hairdresser and her dressmaker

Marie in the prison

the king

Orleans threatening the queen

the end

Vágó Bernadett as Marie Antoinette

There are two complete casts for the show, the different pictures show actors from both casts, for example both actresses playing Marie Antoinette are represented but not everybody from both casts. I tried to show as many of them as possible :)