Texts
Book 8 References
How is it you’re not ashamed to bury such pearls in the country?
Countess Bezúkhova quite deserved her reputation of being a fascinating woman. She could say what she did not think—especially what was flattering—quite simply and naturally.
Oh, my enchantress! she cried to the blushing Natásha. Charming! No, this is really beyond anything, my dear count, said she to Count Rostóv who had followed her in. How can you live in Moscow and go nowhere?
She looked at Natásha’s dresses and praised them, as well as a new dress of her own made of metallic gauze, which she had received from Paris, and advised Natásha to have one like it.
But anything suits you, my charmer! she remarked.
The idea of throwing her brother and Natásha together amused her.
My brother dined with me yesterday—we nearly died of laughter—he ate nothing and kept sighing for you, my charmer! He is madly, quite madly, in love with you, my dear.
How she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty! said Hélène. You must certainly come. If you love somebody, my charmer, that is not a reason to shut yourself up. Even if you are engaged, I am sure your fiancé would wish you to go into society rather than be bored to death.
So she knows I am engaged, and she and her husband Pierre—that good Pierre—have talked and laughed about this. So it’s all right. And again, under Hélène’s influence, what had seemed terrible now seemed simple and natural. And she is such a grande dame, so kind, and evidently likes me so much. And why not enjoy myself? thought Natásha, gazing at Hélène with wide-open, wondering eyes.
Charming
Featured Characters: HÉLÈNE, NATASHA
[HÉLÈNE]
Oh my enchantress
Oh you beautiful thing
Charming, charming
Oh, this is really beyond anything
These dresses suit you
This one, “metallic
gauze”
Straight from Paris
Anything suits you, my charmer
[HÉLÈNE]
Oh how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!!
Oh
how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!!
Charmante, charmante!
You are such a lovely thing
Oh where
have you been?
It’s such a shame to bury pearls in the country
Charmante, charmante, charming
[HÉLÈNE]
Now if you have a dress
You must wear it out
How can you live in Moscow and not go nowhere?
So you love somebody, charming
But that’s no reason
to shut yourself in
Even if you’re engaged
You must wear your dress out somewhere
[HÉLÈNE]
My brother dined with me yesterday
But he didn’t eat
a thing
Cuz he was thinking ’bout you
He kept sighing about
you
[HÉLÈNE]
Oh how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!!
Oh
how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!!
Charmante, charmante!
You are such a lovely thing
Oh where
have you been?
It’s such a shame to bury pearls in the country
Charmante, charmante, charming
[HÉLÈNE]
Now a woman with a dress
Is a frightening
and powerful thing
You are not a child
When you’re draped in scarlet
and lace
Your fiancé would want you to have fun
Rather than
be bored to death
Alliez dans le monde
Plutôt que de dépérir d’ennui!
[HÉLÈNE]
My brother is quite madly in love
He is quite madly
in love with you, my dear
[HÉLÈNE]
Oh how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!!
Oh
how she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!!
Charmante, charmante!
You are such a lovely thing
Oh where
have you been?
It’s such a shame to bury pearls in the country
Charmante, charmante, charming
Such a shame to bury pearls in the
country
Charmante, charmante, charming
[NATASHA]
What once seemed so terrible
Now seems simple and
natural
She knows that I’m engaged
And still she talks so
frankly
So it must be all right!
[HÉLÈNE]
There is a ball at my house tonight
You
must come
Oh your wide-open, wondering eyes!
You will be the prettiest there!
How the thought of throwing them together amuses me!
You must come
[NATASHA]
I will come