We are about to encode a work that includes a number of excerpts from
  opera libretti with translations. The convention used for indicating
  the simultaneous singing of different lines is a bracket in the left
  margin. Here's a sample of what it looks like in ASCII imitation
  (forgive the lack of accents and truncated lines):
 
 
  ---                              MARGUERITE
  |   Dieu juste, a toi je m'abandone!     Great heaven, grant pardon...
  |   Dieu juste, a toi je m'abandone!     Great heaven, grant pardon...
  |   Je sui a toi, Dieu bon, pardonne!    for soon I shall appear...
  |
  |                                  FAUST
  |   Viens! suis-moi!                     Come, follow me!
  |   Viens! suis-moi!                     Come, follow me!
  |   Suis-moi! veins, je le veux!         Come, I wish it!
  |
  |                              MEPHISTOPHELES
  |   L'heure sonne!                       It is the time!
  |   Deja le jour envahit,                Already the day invades,
  |   envahit les cieux!                   invades the heavens!
  ----
 
  Has anyone already figured out how to encode this? Or does anyone have
  a crafty suggestion?
 
     Robert DeCandido
     The New York Public Library
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