El Capitan, Act I: “Bah! Bah!”
[SCARAMBA]
Bah! Bah!
Do you hear me say
Bah! Bah!
[DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
How dare he say "Bah! Bah!"
He'll go a step too far
Then he'll be sorry for his "Bah! Bah!"
[SCARAMBA]
Bah! Bah!
Do you hear me say
Bah! Bah!
[DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
How very indiscreet
The insult to repeat
He'll pay most dearly for his "Bah! Bah!"
[DON MEDIGUA]
Scaramba, my young friend
Your calm attention lend
I'm here to fight and not to spoon
[DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
He's here to fight and not to spoon
[ESTRELDA]
Yet when his fighting's done
From love he will not run
But seek it 'neath the smiling moon
[SCARAMBA]
I'll see that he knuckles right down to his work
[ESTRELDA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
He's jealous of Capitan's merited fame
[DON MEDIGUA]
He seems to imagine my duty I'll shirk
[ESTRELDA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Bold rival to question El Capitan's claim
[ESTRELDA, SCARAMBA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Bah!
[SCARAMBA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
I'm saying (Hе's saying)
He's saying
[ESTRELDA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
He's saying
[ESTRELDA, SCARAMBA, DON MEDIGUA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Bah!
[SCARAMBA, DON MEDIGUA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
I'm saying (He's saying)
Hе's saying
[ESTRELDA, DON MEDIGUA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
He's saying
[ESTRELDA, SCARAMBA, DON MEDIGUA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Bah!
[SCARAMBA, ESTRELDA, DON MEDIGUA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
I'm saying Bah! (He's saying Bah!)
I'm saying Bah! (He's saying Bah!)
[ESTRELDA]
Rash is the man who would question a maiden's choosing
What is the world unto her if that one she is losing
Dearer than gold of the earth or the pearls of the ocean
Is love, love, love, love, love and love's devotion?
[ESTRELDA, DON MEDIGUA, SCARAMBA & DON CAZARRO, INSURGENTS]
Rash is the man who would question a
(Bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah)
Maiden's choosing
(Bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah)
What is the world unto her if that
(Bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah)
One she is losing
(Bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah)
Dearer than gold of the earth or the
(Bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah)
Pearls of the ocean is
(Bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah, bah bah bah)
[ESTRELDA, DON MEDIGUA, SCARAMBA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Love, love, love, love, love and love's devotion?
[POZZO screams as he is being dragged in.]
[ESTRELDA, SCARAMBA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Perhaps it's Don Medigua they have found
[DON MEDIGUA]
More trouble yet awaits me, I'll be bound!
[POZZO, spoken]
I'm not the right one. Really, I'm not! I humbly assure you that Don Medigua is responsible, not I.
[DON MEDIGUA, spoken]
There goes the last button. Pop!
[DON CAZARRO, spoken]
Where is Don Medigua?
[DON MEDIGUA, spoken]
It's my life or his. And I think it's his.
[To the INSURGENTS]
Gag him at once!
[POZZO, spoken]
I am saved! Your Excellency will not permit—
[POZZO is gagged.]
[DON CAZARRO, spoken]
Who is this fellow?
[DON MEDIGUA, spoken]
In the name of the people of Peru and their chosen leader, Don Cazarro, I arrest you, Don Medigua, for violating the constitution.
[DON CAZARRO, spoken]
He Don Medigua?
[DON MEDIGUA, spoken]
Let him deny it if he can.
[ESTRELDA, SCARAMBA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
Ever ready to defend us
Is that man of might tremendous
Quickly as the lightning flashes
At our hated foe he dashes
Gag him to prevent his lying
His identity denying
On the scaffold he may chatter
When denial does not matter
[ESTRELDA & WOMEN, DON MEDIGUA, DON CAZARRO, SCARAMBA & MEN]
The little fife's defiance (Onward!)
Of confidence the science (Patriotic son)
Should give to all reliance (Onward)
Who waver in the field ('Til the foe's undone)
The little fife's defiance (Onward!)
Of confidence the science ('Til the battle's won)
Should give to all reliance (For your country)
And bid them never yield (And its glory)
[ESTRELDA, DON MEDIGUA, SCARAMBA, DON CAZARRO & INSURGENTS]
On the field, ra ta ta ta ta
On the field, rrr
On the field