In Bohemia with Du Maurier | Page 6

étreint les flots,
qu'éclaire Son rayon doux comme un baiser; Les moindres fleurs ont
des tendresses Pour leurs pareilles d'ici-bas Que valent toutes ces
caresses Si tu ne me caresses pas?[2]

[Footnote 1: See Shelley's "Love's Philosophy."]
[Footnote 2: Pour bien apprécier la valeur artistique de cette romance, il
faut l'entendre chanter par Rag en tenant les yeux fixes sur le profit de
Bobtail.]
Two slight sketches of "L'auteur de profil" and "Le compositeur de
face" head the page.
[Illustration]
Soon afterwards he sends me another poetical effusion and writes:
"DEAR BOBTAIL,--I send you the Serenade composed 'tant bien que
mal' last night, not 'entre la poire et le fromage,' but between the tea and
the pears. I am afraid you will not find it as dramatic as you wished; but
I don't feel it otherwise, and as Mahomet can't write words to the
mountain's music, the mountain must try and adapt its music to the
verses of Mahomet.
SÉRÉNADE APRÈS LA SIESTE.
"Berthe aux grands yeux d'azur, ouvre done ta paupière, Chasse les
rêves d'or de ton léger sommeil-- Ils sont là, nos amis; cêde a notre
prière Le trône préparé n'attend que ton réveil; Le soleil a cessé de
régner sur la terre, Viens régner sur la fête et sois notre soleil. Réponds
à nos accords par tes accents plus doux Au jardin des amours, viens ô
viens avec nous.
Au jardin des amours ta place est réservée, Parmi des feux de joie et
des lilas en fleurs. Viens réveiller en nous de nouvelles ardeurs--
Descends avec la nuit, ainsi que la rosée-- Tant que l'astre d'argent
sourit à la vallée, Toi, bel astre d'amour, viens sourire à nos coeurs!
Réponds à nos accords par tes accents plus doux, Au jardin des amours,
Berthe, viens avec nous.
Viens avec ta couronne, et viens avec ta lyre, Tes chants pour nos amis,
tes doux regards pour moi! Déjà j'entends les jeux de la foule en émoi
Sur des gazons fleuris ... oh le joyeux délire! Si tu ne descends pas,
helas! on pourra dire: 'Berthe aux grands yeux d'azur, on a chanté sans
toi!' Réponds à nos accords par tes accents plus doux, Berthe aux
grands yeux d'azur, viens ô viens avec nous!
"You see I have indulged in poetic license; for instance, the first tenor
says he hears the folks doing the light fantastic toe. One might suppose
they danced in sabots--mere poetic license, and besides, a first tenor
ought to have very good ears.... So now, my lad, inspire yourself."

What the result of his appeal to my inspiration may have been, I do not
remember, but I find this is what he writes on the subject--
"CARISSIMO,--In vain have I taxed Rag's inventive powers to alter the
last stanza; we must e'en stick to 'Ce baiser-la.' The lines I have
underlined mean that I don't quite approve the part of the music that
comes just there, as in the musical phrase you have set to it I fancy
there is a want of tenderness. All the rest is stunning; the more I hums it
the more I likes it, but I can't exactly come your accompaniment."
[Illustration: Moscheles, or Mephistopheles? which]
No wonder, for my accompaniments were usually rather indefinite
quantities, subject to the mood of the moment. "Moscheles or
Mephistopheles, which?" he asks, as he depicts me at the piano,
perhaps evolving some such accompaniment from the depths of
"untrained inner consciousness." "Eureka" he might have put under that
other sketch, where his own hands have at last found some long-sought
harmony or chord on the piano. Another drawing there is of a
somewhat later period which he calls "Inspiration papillotique." Again
I am at the piano, my eyes raised to the "She" in papillottes, who floats
as a vision in the clouds, issuing from my ever-puffing cigar, whilst at
my feet is stretched the meditative form of my friend, and under them
is crushed some work of our immortal colleague Beethoven.
[Illustration: "INSPIRATION PAPILLOTIQUE."]
[Illustration: DU MAURIER IMPROVISING.]
And who was "She" thus to inspire us? On the supposition that most
people are, like myself, interested in the "Shes" that can inspire, I may
permit myself to say something about the attractive young lady who
was able to lead us by easy stages from the vague "inspiration
papillotique" to an admiration which might be said to culminate in
flirtation. I don't remember either of us ever trying to cut the other out,
as the accompanying sketch seems to imply, where "Rag and Bobtail
fight a duel for Carry, using their noses as double-barrelled pistols.
Shows the way in which Rag tries to _désillusioñer_ Carry on Bobtail,
and in which Bobtail tries to ditto ditto on Rag Carry being on this side
of the rivals is not