[DUCHESS]
I am not like Circe
Who showed men no mercy
Men are most important in my life
Venus, Cleo, Psyche
Are melodies in my key
They knew how to live the high life
Gallantry I find archaic
Poetry I find prosaic
Give me the man who's strong and silent
Inarticulate but violent

Sing me not a ballad
Send me not a sonnet
I require no ballad
Rhyme and time are wasted on it
Save your books and flowers
They're not necеssaries
Oh, the precious hours
Lost in grim prеliminaries

Deck me not in jewels
Sigh me not your sighs
Duel me no duels
And please don't vocalize
Romance me no romances
Treasure not my glove
Spare me your advances
Just, oh just, make love
Spare me your advances
Just, oh just, make love
[DUCHESS & MALE QUARTET]
Send me not a sonnet (A sonnet)
I require no ballad
Rhyme and time are wasted on it
Save your books and flowers
They're not necessaries (Not necessaries)
Oh, the precious hours
Lost in grim preliminaries

Deck me not in jewels
Sigh me not your sighs
Duel me no duels
And please don't vocalize
Romance me no romances
Treasure not my glove
Spare me your advances
Just, oh just, make love
Spare me / her your advances
Just, oh just, make love

[NARRATOR, spoken]
She offers him her ducal chalice
An invite to the summer palace
Now the Duchess leaves her beau
She's borne away, off they go
Before Cellini can draw breath
A chap arrives who wants the death
Of the Duke, Ottaviano's the man
Who's plotted this demonic plan
He'll satisfy Cellini's ambition
The cost: one simple, dreadful mission
Cellini wants this chat to end
And simply states:
[CELLINI, spoken]
The Duke is my friend!

[OTTAVIANO, spoken]
The Duke is an ass, and you are a fool. 

[NARRATOR, spoken]
Ottaviano loses his cool
He needs to try a change of tack
And so he calls a soldier back
To guard his prey. The baddie goes
What luck! For Cellini knows
The soldier is his faithful friend
Ascanio, loyal to the end
To their mutual delight
The boss and his man can reunite
Meanwhile, not too far away
We find the Duke, who wants to play