[[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 pendant
Liaisons! What's happened to them?
Liaisons today
Disgraceful! What's become of them?
Some of them
Hardly pay their shoddy way
What once was a rare champagne
Is now just an amiable hock
What once was a villa, at least
Is "digs
What once was a gown with train
Is now just a simple little frock
What once was a sumptuous feast
Is figs
No--not even figs--raisins!
Ah, liaisons!
Now, where was I? Where was I? Oh, yes
At the palace of the Duke of Ferrara
Who was prematurely deaf but a dear
At the palace of the Duke of Ferrara
I acquired some position
Plus a tiny Titian
Liaisons! What's happened to them?
Liaisons today
To see them--indiscriminate
Women, it
Pains me more than I can say
The lack of taste that they display!
Where is style?
Where is sk**?
Where is forethought?
Where's discretion of the heart?
Where's pa**ion in the art?
Where's craft?
With a smile
And a will
But with more thought
I acquired a chateau
Extravagantly o
Verstaffed
Too many people muddle s**
With mere desire
And when emotion intervenes
The nets descend
It should on no account perplex
Or worse, inspire
It's but a pleasurable means
To a measurable end
Why does no one comprehend?
Let us hope this lunacy's just a trend
Now where was I? Where was I? Oh, yes
In the castle of the King of the Belgians
(We would visit through a false chiffonier)
In the castle of the King of the Belgians
Who, when things got rather touchy
Deeded me a duchy
Liaisons! What's happened to them?
Liaisons today
Untidy! Take my daughter, I
Taught her, I
Tried my best to point the way
I even named her Desiree
In a world where the kings are employers
Where the amateur prevails
And delicacy fails
To pay
In a world where the princes are lawyers
What can anyone expect
Except to recollect
Lia
[She falls asleep]