Gesticulate

Lyrics

[WAZIR] The things a merciful and clement Wazir must endure! [LALUME] How surely one can tell the expert From the amateur! [THE POET] Dear hand, deft hand Clever and facile extremity Fond companion to me From my birth Sweet hand, swift hand Spinner of fable and fantasy Faithful friend of my art Would they rend us apart Leaving no finger or fist there But just the hint of a wrist there? Where then my spirited wit, my mercurial charm? Am I fated to sit with an elbow and arm And no digits to top them off If thеy lop them off! [WAZIR'S COUNCIL] Well said a plea as еver Moved a man to shed a tear! Well said, but not said enough If we know of our Wazir [THE POET] How could I plead with you How could I pray to you? How intercede with you What could I say to you? [WAZIR & THE POET] (This is becoming a bore!) Like a dog with no tail (Drag this debris out the door!) Like a spoutless whale (A bore! A bore!) [THE POET, WAZIR & WAZIR'S COUNCIL] Like an elephant sunk if you cut off its trunk! (So do as I ordered before!) (Drag this debris out the door!) [LALUME] Hold! I'd like to hear a little more [THE POET] When you tell a story Amorous or gory You can tell it best if you gesticulate Suppose the mighty Sinbad Meets a Djin who's been bad They will guess the rest if you gesticulate! A tongue is a tongue And a lung is a lung And a tale that can shout or sing Without the gesture - nothing! Should Scheherazade Undulate her body That can be expressed if you gest- Can be assessed if you gest- She'll be undressed if you gesticulate! If I tell you I was walking by the sea And found a Genie in a bottle That's trite [WAZIR'S COUNCIL] Quite! For practically everyone has seen a Genie Someone had to throttle In a bottle! [THE POET] Right! But if I say the bottle was so teenie! [WAZIR'S COUNCIL] So teenie! [THE POET] And so was the Genie [WAZIR'S COUNCIL] So was the Genie [THE POET] Until with trembling hand I pulled the cork And threw the jug And covered up my eyes And the smoke began to curl And the smoke began to swirl And it curled and it swirled And it swirled and it curled As higher it did rise Till it was so high [WAZIR'S COUNCIL] So high! [THE POET] And so was the Genie! [WAZIR'S COUNCIL] So was the Genie! [THE POET & WAZIR'S COUNCIL] Then two great arms reached down (Two great arms?) And lifted me up! Up! Up! (Up! Up! Up!) Into the sky (So high! So high!) And we did fly (And we did fly) The Genie and I (How he did fly!) We did sail! (Did sail!) Did sail! (Did sail!) Is this a tale? (This is a tale!) Are you convinced? (We are convinced) You see? (You see? You see?) [THE POET] For the facile finger Listeners will linger They will be impressed if you gest- Applaud with zest if you gest- If it's a question of a story, gory Sinbad in bad, bottle, smoke, Genie, arms Fly sky high I state, reiterate [THE POET & WAZIR'S COUNCIL] Gesticulate [THE POET & WAZIR'S COUNCIL] With your hands! (With your hands!)