EVENING
A
TIDY, LITTLE ROOM
MARGARET
(BRAIDING AND TYING UP HER HAIR)
I’d
give a lot to know and say
Just
who that gentleman was today.
He
looked most valiant, a sign
That
he comes from a noble line.
I
read that from his brow, else he
Would
not have been so bold with me.
(SHE
EXITS)
(ENTER
MEPHISTOPHELES AND FAUST)
MEPHISTOPHELES
Come
on, come in on silent feet.
FAUST
(AFTER A QUIET PAUSE)
Now
please leave me alone. Retreat!
MEPHISTOPHELES
(NOSING AROUND)
Not
every girl is quite so neat.
(HE EXITS)
FAUST
Oh,
welcome sweet, soft twilight shine,
You
who weave through this sanctuary!
Now
grip my heart, oh, sweetest love-born pain,
Oh,
you who live by sipping on hope's dew!
A
feeling of tranquillity,
Of
order and contentment too,
Breathes
here. How full this poverty!
What
blessedness in this cell’s view!
(HE
THROWS HIMSELF INTO AN ARMCHAIR NEAR
THE
BED)
Oh,
take me now- you chair with arms spread out;
You
held the joy and pain of worlds now gone.
How
often at this old forefather's throne
A
troop of children clustered round about!
Perhaps
my dear, as child full-cheeked, would stand,
Give
thanks for Christmas gift and, so devout,
Then
kiss an elder one’s age-withered hand.
Oh
girl, I feel your spirit play
And
whisper through this order and completeness-
How
mother-like it leads you day by day,
Prompts
you to spread the tablecloth with neatness,
Smooth-scatter
sand upon the flagstones' way.
Oh
lovely hand! With godlike power!
Through
you this hut becomes a heaven now.
And
here!
HE
LIFTS A BED CURTAIN
What shivers of delight seize me!
Here
I could while away full hours. It seems,
O
Nature, that here you built up in light dreams
Her
inborn angel to maturity!
And you! What brought you to this town?
I
feel so stirred within my inmost core.
What
are you doing ? Why is your heart weighed down?
Poor
Faust! I do not know you any more.
Does
some enchanted fragrance rove
Around
me? Instant pleasure was the snare-
But
now I feel dissolved in dreams of love.
Are
we the sport of every breath of air?
And
if this moment she walked in, how you
Would
then feel punished for your crime, your fall;
Great
boastful clown, you’d feel so small,
Lie
at her feet and melt like dew!
MEPHISTOPHELES
(ENTERING)
She’s
down below; no time to waste!
FAUST
Off!
Off! I’ll never return- never!
MEPHISTOPHELES
Here
is a casket- somewhat heavy-
Procured
from another place.
Put
in that press these offerings,
I
swear to you, she’ll lose her senses,
I
got for you some little things
To
broach more strongly-build defences-
But
girls are girls and play is play.
FAUST
Don’t
know, should I?
MEPHISTOPHELES
You still ask, eh?
Perhaps
you like to keep the treasure?
May
I advise you keep your lust
From
lovely daylight, so you’ll just
Spare
me from toiling for your pleasure.
You’re
not a skinflint too, I trust?
I
scratch my head, I wring my hands-
HE PUTS THE CASKET INTO THE CLOTHES PRESS
AND
CLICKS THE LOCK SHUT AGAIN
Let’s
go! Quick! Forward!
It’s
just to lead this sweet girl toward
The
will and wish your heart commands.
Yet
still you stall,
As
though you stood within a lecture hall
And
there, in grey reality, with you
Stood
physics and metaphysics too!
Away!
THEY
EXIT
MARGARET (WITH A LAMP)
Here
it’s so sultry, close and hot,
(SHE
OPENS A WINDOW)
And
yet outside it’s not so warm.
There’s
something strange, I don’t know what-
I
wish my mother would come home.
A
shiver ran right through my frame-
Oh,
what a silly, fearful girl I am!
(SHE
STARTS TO SING AS SHE UNDRESSES)
In
Thule there lived a king,
Stayed
true to his last breath-
His
lady gave to him
A
gold cup at her death.
And
nothing was more dear,
He
used it every meal;
His
eyes would brim with tears
Each
time he drank his fill.
Near
death he counted up
His
kingdom town by town;
His
heirs got all, all but
His
goblet of renown.
He
sat and dined where all
His
faithful knights could be-
His
high ancestral hall,
His
castle by the sea.
There
stood the old carouser
And
drank his life’s last glow,
And
threw the sacred beaker
Into
the flood below.
He
saw it falling, twinkling,
Then
sink in ocean’s roar-
His
eyes, they too were sinking,
He'd
drink not one drop more.
(SHE OPENS THE CLOTHES PRESS TO PUT HER CLOTHES AWAY AND NOTICES THE
CASKET)
How
did this pretty casket get in this?
I’m
sure I locked the clothing press.
It’s
surely wonderful! And what’s inside? Perhaps
It’s
brought as a security-
My
mother’s made a loan on it.
There
on the ribbon’s one small key,
I
think I’ll see if it’s a fit!
What’s
this! My God! In all my life
I've
never seen such things in all my days!
What
a jewel! Fit for a noble wife
To
wear on highest holidays.
How
would this necklace look on me?
Who’d
own such shining splendour? Who?
SHE
PUTS THEM ON AND STEPS BEFORE THE MIRROR
If
only I’d such earrings too!
How
straight away they change my face.
What
use are beauty and youth alone?
They’re
well and good, yet on their own
They
leave you in your lowly place.
And
praise is half pity, for
Towards
gold still bends,
On
gold depends
Everything.
Ah! we poor!
No comments:
Post a Comment