[from]
Vocal Selections
from
The Fortune Teller
Comic Opera in 3 Acts.
Book by Harry B[ache]. Smith
Music by Victor [August] Herbert
As Produced by
The Alice Nielson Opera Co.
"The Serenades of All Nations" (1898)
Words by Harry B[ache]. Smith
Music by Victor [August] Herbert

New York: M. Whitmark & Sons
[Source: 074/134@Levy]

1.
When a girl is in the ballet operatic
She has a gorgeous chance for breaking hearts,
She's the object of attentions quite ecstatic,
From young and aged patrons of the arts.
With serenades they nearly make me frantic,
With lack of sleep I am distracted quite.
For instance there's that Irish lord romantic
Whose ballads often keep me up all night.
What does he sing
This Irish Lord?
[Almost speaking.]
Tell m, would not this drive you mad?

Oh! Come all yeswate mavourneens,
ye acushlas and colleens,
And bring your best shillelahs,
your potheens and your dudeens,
For arrah na Pogue has won my heart,
She is my Colleen Bawn,
Oh how I love my deelish and my Cruiskeen tawn.

2.
On the night before a certain Spanish Senor
Beneath my window tinkled his guitar,
In a rather antiquated sort of tenor
Told me I was his idol and his star.
With fearful portamento and crescendo
He sang what Spanish songs he had on hand.
To which I had to answer No comprendo,
Please go away I do not understand,
What sort of music did he sing?
His songs were all this sort of thing:

Come to me in the moonlight Amorita!
Let us fly away to fair Granada,
There we'll live and love sweet Senorita,
Dance and drink all day in the posada,
My Amorita! My Senorita!

3.
On the night before the minister from China
Was sitting in a box upon my right
When I came to do my dance his eyes met mine ah!
I saw he fell in love with me at sight.
That night ere slumber brought me sweet effacement
I heard a noise that made me shriek for aid,
That Chanaman was there beneath my casement
A singing me a chinese seranade,
A chinese seranade, What bliss!
To me is sounded like this:

Na ya so yo ti chi low lan cho po
Sham ko trin gee woo kow moo
She no foo wow moo.

4.
On the night before the gay marquis Parisian
Beneath my window warbled all alone,
And he tempted me to Paradise Elysian
By lifting up his whezzy baritone,
In voice that was so tender so asthmatic
Suggestive and absinth and cigarettes
He sang me cavatinas operatic,
Likewise a few Parisian chansonettes.
No doubt those songs
Were gay and sweet,
Well some of them I will now repeat.

Je vous aime! Je l'adore
Could Mam'zelle wish for more?
Mon coeur you it haf I am sure.
Ma belle fly vie me, vix me to gay Paree,
Je l'aimerais, je t'aimerais, je t'aimerais, je t'aimerais,
je t'aim-er-aim-er-aim-er-aim-er-ais, tou jours.

5.
One summer night, the noble Prince of Hayti,
As black was he any ace of spades:
Came plunking on his banjo 'neath my window,
And sang me "dark complected" serenades,
He sang of mel yous, rabbit's foods and 'possums,
Addressing me as Dinah, Lou and Sal.
He offered me his deep brunette affectious,
Requesting that I be his "honey gal."
What did he sing, that ebon Prince?
His songs I've thought of ever since.

Me an' de banjo underneath yo' windy,
Jus' becase I love my honey;
Out in de moonlight, kickin' up a shindy,
Jus' becase I loives yo'.
I can't sing much, but my heart am true,
I loves yo' down to the grown', I do.
Dere aint no gal in de world but yo',
An' dat's becase I loves yo'!