>Act
II
No. 22: Song (Selene)
Selene. | ||
Hark ye, sir knight. I'll yield my fairy state, | ||
That I may follow thee to yonder earth, | ||
And join the whispering band of hidden hate | ||
Who feed on falsehood and who war with worth; | ||
The busy band who stab in secrecy; | ||
The blighting band within whose lips is hung | ||
The deadliest weapon of earth's armoury! | ||
A woman's tongue — a woman's blighting tongue! | ||
The talisman I will so deftly wield | ||
To twist and turn and torture good to ill, | ||
That, were it in thy traitor heart
to yield To holy deeds of peace and calm goodwill, Those deeds should seem of holiness bereft, |
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From every form of righteousness averse — | ||
Thy peace a war — thy charity a theft — | ||
Thy calm a fury and thy prayer a curse! Thy prayer, thy prayer a curse! |
She throws herself on a bank exhausted.
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Page modified 13 August 2011