Wenn [Maskerade] [English translation]

Marie Antoinette:

If I wasn’t who I am1, then I’d run away with you

Axel von Fersen:

If I wasn’t who I am, I’d stay forever here2

Axel & Marie:

Why has the accident of birth imprisoned me in this life?

Something in me longs to one day be completely free3

Margrid Arnaud:

If I wasn’t who I am, people would fawn over4 me

Duke of Orléans:

If I wasn’t who I am, I would rule this land

Duke & Margrid:

Why has the accident of birth imprisoned me in this life?

Something in me longs to one day be completely free

Ensemble:

Our fate is fixed

The wish to escape remains a fantasy

And so we put on our masks

In the hall and the gallery5

But we’re never content6

Margrid & Axel:

Is the path we travel also determined

Desire has another end in sight7

Marie & Duke:

We would like to see into hearts

But what we see is always just

A masquerade, masquerade8

Ensemble:

Our fate is fixed

The wish to escape remains a fantasy

And so we put on our masks

In the hall and the gallery

But we’re never content

Marie & Margrid:

Something in me longs to one day be completely free…

All:

Don’t expect too much from here,

In the end9 its just a masquerade...

1. literally “that which I am”2. ”with you” is implied here3. literally “something in me longs after one day being free” as in “what I long for is to one day be free”4. or “flatter”5. perhaps this refers to paintings in galleries - they’re all fake and staged6. or “satisfied/happy”7. literally “has another goal/destination”8. literally “mask game” - in German “die Maskerade” is “masquerade”, but the point here is the same.9. literally “end-ly” or “finally”