English translation of lyrics from the Takarazuka production of the Off-Broadway musical.

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English translation of lyrics from the Takarauka production of the Off-Broadway musical.

Cecily:
Perhaps I shall be so frightened
That I faint!
Perhaps he will just kiss me
Without a word!
But I still want to meet him,
This stimulating
Man I’ve dreamed about:
A wicked man!

I want to meet a wicked man!
I’ve dreamed about a wicked man!
He’ll make all my dreams come true:
A wicked man!

I wonder if
He’ll fall for me?
What if he carries me off
Somewhere by force?
No matter who, any girl
Would admire him.
I’ve been waiting so long for
A wicked man!

I want to meet a wicked man!
I’ve dreamed about a wicked man!
He’ll take me away from this place:
A wicked man!

Take me away!
No matter where!
You’re the real thing!

A truly wicked man!

English translation of lyrics from the Takarazuka production of the Off-Broadway musical.

Lady Bracknell:
The thing I find suspicious is the matter of
Your birth, your birth!
The thing I can’t overlook is the circumstances of
Your upbringing, your upbringing!

As a woman with
A proper sense of morals
As her mother
I cannot permit this!

That’s right, a handbag
Can’t be called a mother!
It’s not a mother!

Jack:
I beg of you,
Please calm down and think about it!

Lady Bracknell:
Then find yourself a mother at once!

A cloakroom
Can’t be called a father!
It’s not a father!

Jack:
I beg of you,
Please calm down and think about it!

Lady Bracknell:
Then find yourself a father at once!

Jack:
Please, won’t you think it over?

Lady Bracknell:
No! Certainly not!

Jack:
But what about your daughter’s feelings?

Lady Bracknell:
I won’t permit her marriage!

Jack:
Never?

Lady Bracknell:
Certainly not! At least to you!

That’s right, a handbag
Can’t be called a mother!
It’s not a mother!

Jack:
I can’t just discard
These passionate feelings!

Lady Bracknell:
First find a mother!
First find a father! Then come back!

She could have any man
Of the proper wealth and station

If I consider my daughter’s happiness
I could never make compromises!
Your birth
Does not suit her

I cannot permit this!

That’s right, a handbag
Can’t be called a mother!
It’s not a mother!

Jack:
Oh! What if I said
I had a little brother!

Lady Bracknell:
A little brother is not a parent!

A cloakroom
Can’t be called a father!
It’s not a father!

Jack:
A father? A mother?
Which?

Lady Bracknell:
I don’t care which!

Jack:
Could you be a little less stubborn?

Lady Bracknell:
I shan’t!

Jack:
Just listen for a moment!

Lady Bracknell:
I must protect my daughter’s happiness
For I am
A mother!

That’s right, a handbag
Can’t be called a mother!
It’s not a mother!

Jack:
I can’t just discard
These passionate feelings!

Lady Bracknell:
First find a mother!
First find a father!
Then come back!

English translation of lyrics from the Takarazuka production of the Off-Broadway musical. (As the original song title differs from the Japanese song title, both are used here.)

Jack:
You are beautiful
You are wonderful
But I can’t find
The right words

I love
Everything about you
But I can’t find
The right words

Those secret thoughts
Hidden in your glance
Were surely meant
To speak to me

We only need to look at each other
To understand
We don’t need words
As long as we’re together!

I’m searching for words of love

Jack and Gwendolen:
We only need to look at each other
To understand
We don’t need words
As long as we’re together!

I’m searching for words of love

English translation of lyrics from the Takarazuka production of the Off-Broadway musical.

Algie:
You can forget London’s formalities
And go out on a visit
To Bunbury!

You should make sure to have a friend
In someplace in the country you like.
Then you can have a little romance in your life
With Bunbury!

Somewhere where pretty girls
Are always smiling at you
If you use a fake name
A whirlwind romance is easy!

Nobody can blame you!
Just go to see your sick friend at night
Night is the best time
For Bunbury!

Don’t be embarrassed
Do whatever you want
And don’t let anything catch you!

If you’re the kind of man who wants to spend your time that way
Then the best type of friend for you to have
Is Bunbury!

In this formal

Jack:
Stifling

Algie:
Era, if you can’t

Jack:
Let loose

Both:
Once in awhile,
We couldn’t bear living!

We need to have some fun once in awhile
And the most helpful person for that
Is Bunbury!
Anyone would want
A little free time
With nothing to hold them back

Jack:
I could have a chance to talk to the ladies in London!

Algie:
If you’re the kind of man who wants to spend your time that way
Then the best type of friend for you to have
Is Bunbury!

English translation of lyrics from the Takarazuka production of the Off-Broadway musical.

Gwendolen:
A hat! A hat!
The perfect hat
For today…

I need a hat
That’s sure
To catch his eye

I need a hat
That suits a maiden’s face
And catches the eye
Of all the gentlemen

A hat! A hat!
One that can straightaway
capture the heart
of any single man

With blooming flowers
To express my secret thoughts
One that’s charming
However you look at it
The perfect hat!

English translation of lyrics from the Takarazuka production of the Off-Broadway musical. Based on the lyrics from the 2005 version, so may vary slightly from later productions.

Jack:
How on earth
Am I supposed to propose?
What on earth
Am I supposed to say?
Oh, if only there was a school
That could teach me the words of love!

“I couldn’t live
Without you–”
How on earth
Am I to tell her that?
Facing an angel like her:
How can I ever do it!

I haven’t even told her
That I love her yet
But even so
I can’t wait any longer!

How on earth?
How do I do it?

How on earth
Am I supposed to propose?
I just can’t find
The right words–
“You’re the only one I think about”
How on earth am I to tell her that?

If I only knew how to do it
I’m sure I could speak to her
With words of love!

First:
“Hello,”
“How do you do.”
Of course you’re fine!
But I have to keep myself under control.
This must be done with the proper etiquette.
“Nice weather, isn’t it!”
That’s good manners.
Whatever the topic, start with the weather.

After that I can’t think of what I should do
I suppose I shouldn’t be standing…
Should I kneel first?

How on earth
Am I supposed to propose?
I just can’t find
The right words–
How am I supposed to tell her
How wonderful it would be to live together?

If I only knew how to do it
I’m sure I could speak to her
With words of love!