One of the worst natural disasters to touch our shores was Hurricane Katrina.
Imagine the desolation. Be "Alone. Lost. Abandoned."
UPDATE: Appelate Court Rules Against Katrina Flood Victims (Hat tip to Wordsmith.)
Well, you barely need imagination. There was an opera about someone frikking dying and desolate in New Orleans and the first performance of it was in 1893. That would be Puccini's "Manon Lescaut."
"Manon" was a wayward, so to say, French chick. Forget that for this post. The whole thing becomes unfair, and despite my cheek, is entirely relevant. She ends up "Alone. Lost. Abandoned." in New Orleans. Sound familiar?
This is a demanding post; click the youtube video, but watch the words. I made a time correlation to help watch where what is being said in the words, but the important part is the emotional part.
(Beautiful introduction first…The time counts down -6:12 to 5:06)
(5:06) Sola, perduta, abbandonata
in landa desolata...
Alone, lost, abandoned
in desolation…
(4:30) Orror!
Intorno a me s'oscura il ciel.
Horror!
Around me the sky is obscured.
(4:09) Ahimè, son sola!
Oh no, I am alone
E nel profondo deserto io cado,
And in the deep deserted state I fall
(3:41) strazio crudel, ah sola, abbandonata,
io, la deserta donna.
Stranded, ragged, alone, abandoned,
An abandoned woman.
(3:15) Ah, non voglio morire! Ah, non voglio morire!
I do not want to die! No, I do not want to die!
(2:51) Tutto dunque è finito.
All is ended
Terra di pace mi sembrava questa…
Terra di pace mi sembrava questa…
A peaceful land this seemed to me, a peaceful land
A peaceful land this seemed to me, a peaceful land
(2:10) Ahi, mia beltà funesta,
ire novelle accende! Strappar da lui mi si voleva,
or tutto il mio passato orribile risorge
Oh, my lost beauty and youth, new angers ignite!
To tear him who wanted me from me, or even my horrible past
(1:50) e vivo innanzi al guardo mio si posa.
Ah, di sangue ei s'è macchiato!
It revives HIM, and still yet alive, I watch as my past and future are put down.
Ah, my blood, I see now is marked!
(1:35 Ah, tutto è finito!
Ah, all is ended
(1:19) Asil di pace
ora la tomba invoco…
The hour of peace
calls for the tomb…
(0:58) No, non voglio morire.
Non voglio morire!
No, non voglio morire!
Amore… aita!
No, I do not want to die.
No, I do not want to die.
No, I do not want to die.
Love, come for me!
Now don't you just find that crazy, that an Opera, you never knew of, from over 100 years ago, would describe folks trying to get out of New Orleans, much less an individual situation there?
And BTW, substitute this "Manon Lesacaut" for the "Statue Of Liberty."
It's pretty much how I think of it these days.
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