> > > > > Act I
| CHORUS. |
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Go, bring forth old Simon's daughter! |
| (pointing to PEPPIN.) Here's a lord who counts her fair; |
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Long in wedlock he hath sought her, |
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And would crown her golden hair |
| MEN. |
WOMEN. |
| With this gar- |
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| ---- |
With this garland |
| land he |
he hath wrought her Out |
| hath wrought her — |
of gems most rich and |
| Out of gems most rich and rare! |
rare, Out of gems most rich and rare! Faith, a gal- |
| land knight we've | |
| Faith |
brought |
| her; Come | |
| a gallant knight |
then, greet the happy pair! |
| Aye faith, | |
| we've brought her; |
a gallant knight we've |
| Come then, |
brought her Come and |
| greet the happy pair! |
greet the happy pair, the happy pair! |
| CHORUS. |
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Come then, come then, greet the happy pair! |
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Faith, a gallant knight we've brought; |
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So greet the happy pair! |
From the alley comes LAINE, transcendently beautiful, as at the end of the previous
scene. The men and girls follow wonderingly.
| PHILIP (rising from his chair in amazement and admiration). |
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By Our Lady, she is fair! |
| CHORUS. |
What is this? Nay, look again! |
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It is! and yet it cannot be! |
| PHILIP. |
Angel face without a stain, |
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Eyes that muse in ecstacy! |
| CHORUS. |
Away! we sought the cripple Laine! |
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Nay, look again, for this is she! |
| PHILIP. |
Sweet, wondering maid, if thou wilt deign |
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To take thy crown, it waits for thee! |
| NICHOLAS. |
Where then hath fled that hump upon her shoulder, |
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If this be Laine? |
| PHILIP. |
Nay, whence have come those tresses that enfold her, |
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Like golden rain? |
| NICHOLAS. |
Her hollow eyes were dim, her wan cheek whiter |
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Than frozen snow! |
| PHILIP. |
Lips like a rose-red flower, those eyes are brighter |
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Than earth can show. |
| SAIDA (to PHILIP). |
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Ah, let her not lure thee on! |
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Oh, turn thine eyes away, |
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Let her not lure thee on; |
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Though fair she seems to-day, |
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Bid her begone! |
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For how can beauty stay |
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Where all was foul before? |
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For how can beauty stay |
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Where all was foul before? |
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Then turn thine eyes away, |
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And gaze no more! |
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Turn thine eyes away, |
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And gaze no more! |
| SAIDA. |
PHILIP. |
CHORUS 1. |
CHORUS 2. |
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Oh, turn thine eyes |
Oh turn |
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away |
thine eyes |
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Let not |
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Was ever sprite or fay |
her lure thee on; |
away — |
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So fair |
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to look upon? |
Tho' fair |
Tho' fair |
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Tho' fair |
Tho' fair |
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Shall |
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beauty hold its sway |
she seems today |
she seems today, |
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When thou |
Bid her |
Bid her |
| Oh, turn |
art gone? |
begone — |
begone — |
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When thou |
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| those eyes |
art gone |
Tho' fair |
Tho' fair |
| away |
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| And gaze |
Then lift |
she seems |
she seems |
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thine eyes |
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| no more! -- |
and say, |
today |
today |
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Woo'd from what faery |
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| Turn thine eyes |
shore, Thy feet |
Turn thine eyes |
and |
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have found |
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| away |
their way |
away |
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To earth |
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no |
| And gaze |
once more! |
and gaze |
no more! |
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have found their |
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| And gaze no more! |
way To earth once more! |
no more! |
no more! |
| SAIDA. |
In vain ye plead, some magic spell enthralls him! |
| GUNTRAN. |
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Aye, 'tis in vain! he will not heed your cry! |
| DEVIL. |
What if it be the Devil's voice that calls him! |
| SAIDA. |
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Yea, 'tis a witch he worships! Let her die! |
| SOPRANOS. |
MEN. |
| A witch! |
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A witch! |
| a witch! |
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a witch! |
| Beware! |
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Beware! |
| beware! |
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beware! |
| Round |
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| about her draw not nigh! |
Round about her draw not nigh,
yet draw not nigh, |
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draw not nigh! |
| CHORUS. |
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Bind her! burn her! Have a care, |
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For see, she hath the evil eye! |
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A witch, a witch! Beware, beware! |
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Or on a broomstick she may fly |
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Up and up and through the air! |
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A witch! a witch! then let her die! |
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A witch! a witch! then let her die! |
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A witch! |
They circle her, advancing and retreating with alternating rage and fear. In the end
they fall upon her and seize her, as JOAN and SIMON force their way through the
crowd. LAINE rushes to her mother in terror.
| JOAN. |
What would ye do? Lord Philip, spare, oh, spare her! |
| SIMON. |
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Wretches! ye knew her well an hour ago! |
| JOAN. |
What though her poor, wan cheek be now grown fairer, |
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'Tis Heaven's sweet miracle hath made her so. |
| SIMON. |
Yea, Heaven hath made her fair, then wherefore fear her? |
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This is no witch ye look upon to-day. |
| JOAN. |
Down on thy knees! Sweet lord, we prithee hear her! |
| PHILIP. |
Stand back, ye knaves, and thou, sweet maid, draw nearer! |
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Whence came thy wondrous beauty, speak and say! |
| LAINE. |
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I can but tell I knelt and prayed |
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To Her who hearkens when we cry, |
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"Mother, as Thou wert once a maid, |
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Oh, let me love, or bid me die!" |
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Still I was crooked, halt, and lame |
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And knew not then she heard my prayer, |
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But now I know, for, lo, there came |
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A holy man who made me fair. |
| PHILIP. |
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Enough, enough! ye have but to behold her! |
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Nay, scan her well and tell me, if ye dare, |
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What devil's art or witch's wile could mould her |
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There where she stands the fairest of the fair? |
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When the rose-leaf lies on the dew, do we ask if it fell from the rose? |
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If honey be sweet on our lips, know we not it was stored by the bee? |
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When the wind blows salt in our teeth, do we wonder from whither it blows? |
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Nay, though the shore be afar, though the shore be afar, |
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yet we know that it comes from the sea!
Yet we know that it comes from the sea! |
| CHORUS. |
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When the rose-leaf lies on the dew, do we ask if it fell from the rose? |
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If honey be sweet on our lips, know we not it was stored by the bee? |
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When the wind blows salt in our teeth, do we wonder from whither it blows? |
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Nay, though the shore be afar, though the shore be afar, afar, |
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yet we know that it comes from the sea,
yet we know that it comes from the sea! |
| PHILIP. |
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Sweet maid, Heaven too lies afar, |
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yet we know that from Heaven alone |
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Come those lips that an angel hath kissed, |
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and those eyes with the light of a star! |
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And those eyes bright as a star, as a star! |
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Though with roses we crown thee to-day, |
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and girdle thee round with a zone, |
| CHORUS. |
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Though with roses we crown thee to-day, |
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and girdle thee round with a zone, |
| PHILIP. |
CHORUS. |
| Is there aught |
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| that shall bind thee to earth |
Is there aught that shall bind |
| whose home lies |
thee to earth whose homes lies beyond |
| afar? |
and afar afar |
| is there aught that shall bind thee |
shall bind thee to |
| to earth whose home lies beyond and afar? |
to earth whose homes lies beyond and afar? |
| PHILIP and CHORUS. |
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Is aught that shall bind thee, |
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shall bind thee to earth whose home lies beyond, |
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lies beyond and afar, |
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whose home whose home lies beyond and afar, |
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lies beyond and afar, lies beyond and afar? |
PHILIP, having crowned LAINE with the wreath of rose-buds, clasps the silver
girdle about her waist as the curtain falls.
END OF ACT I.
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Page modified 9 October 2011
