The Bells of Notre Dame

Olim, olim Deus accelere

Hoc saeculum splendidum

Accelere fiat venire olim

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

Morning in Paris, the city awakes

To the bells of Notre Dame

The fisherman fishes, the baker-man bakes

To the bells of Notre Dame

To the big bells as loud as the thunder

To the little bells soft as a psalm

And some say the soul of the city's the toll of the bells

The bells of Notre Dame (Kyrie eleison)

Listen, they're beautiful, no?

So many colours of sound, so many changing moves

Because, you know, they don't ring all by themselves

(They don't?) No, silly boy

Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell-ringer

Who is this creature (who?)

What is he (what?)

How did he come to be there (how?)

Hush (aw) and Clopin will tell you

It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster

Dark was the night when our tale was begun

On the docks near Notre Dame

(Shut it up, will you? We'll be spotted) (hush, little one)

Four frightened gypsies slid silently under

The docks near Notre Dame

(Four guilders for safe passage into Paris)

But a trap had been laid for the gypsies

And they gazed up in fear and alarm

At a figure whose clutches were iron as much as the bells (Judge Claude Frollo)

The bells of Notre Dame (Kyrie eleison)

Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin (Kyrie eleison)

And he saw corruption everywhere except within

(Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice)

(You there, what are you hiding?)

(Stolen goods, no doubt, take them from her)

She ran (dies irae, dies irae)

Dies illa, dies illa

Solvet saeclum in favilla

Teste David cum sibylla

Quantus tremor est futurus (dies irae)

Quando Judes est venturus

Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary!

Quantus tremor est futurus (dies irae)