Ivanhoe by Arthur Sullivan

In the forest. Outlaws cross glade singing and dancing.

OUTLAWS:

Light foot upon the dancing green,
Light hand upon the bow,
With glancing eye and laughing mien
Adown the glade we go.
Adown, adown the glade we go,
Adown the glade we go.
And, marching, sing like yeomen true,
"Our bows are made of English yew."
Light foot upon the dancing green,
Light hand upon the bow
Adown the glade we go, we go
Down the glade.

Enter KING RICHARD, lute in hand. IVANHOE follows him.


King Richard

KING:

Oh, I would be an outlaw bold,
To strike the flying deer,
Or leave the lover's tale half told
In lingering maiden's ear.
In lingering maiden's ear.
(to IVANHOE) Hither, dear lad, and lean on me,
This air of woodland wild and free
Shall brace the arm that hangs so weak,
And bring the wild rose to thy cheek.
Here will we rest and wile the time away
With dainty lute and jocund roundelay.

IVANHOE:

Thy love is more to me, my King,
Than breath of May that poets sing,
And dear as maiden's love to me
The hope to live and fight for thee

KING: (to his lute)

Oh, forest ways are dark enow,
Though shine the silver moon,
And dark beneath the forest bough,
The stricken deer shall swoon.
(to IVANHOE) Here seat thee, lad, and rest thy bones;
This knoll shall be the best of thrones;
And 'neath my canopy of singing birds
I'll judge me like a king o' the ancient world.
What ho! What ho! Bring my prisoner forth.

Enter DE BRACY, guarded.

KING:

Maurice de Bracy, faithless knight,
Since thou didst seize upon the road
Ladies and liegemen of the King,
Now tell me why, in heaven's sight,
Of noble tree a thankless load
Thou shouldst not swing?

DE BRACY:

My liege, I have no word to say,
But only of thy mercy pray,
Cover my face; I would not fright
The little birds from their delight;
Cover my face, and let me swing
'The highest servant of my King.

KING:

Maurice de Bracy, I pronounce thy doom:
Get thee to horse, strike spur and ride away!

DE BRACY:

To horse! and free!
Surely my King doth jest with me!

KING:

Not I. I bid thee up and fly!
Ride as the fiend were after thee!
Ride till thou find my brother John,
Charge him he yield him to our grace
Ere ten days pass, or, by the Holy Cross,
I will so maul him that his Louis o' France
Shall know him not, and I'll so bend his neck
That his back break. Go! Let thy horse be fleet!
Kneel not, speak not, but live in honesty.

Exit DE BRACY.

KING: (to IVANHOE)

Look, where thy moody father walks apart,
And by his side thy gentle lady fair,
Lad, will thy sire forgive thee?

IVANHOE:

Alas, my liege, I fear.

KING:

We'll bend him yet. Look, where he comes this way;
Stand thou apart, and I will strive with him.

Enter CEDRIC and ROWENA.

KING:

Cedric, good friend, didst thou not promise me
A boon for lusty fighting? What if I ask
Free pardon for thy son and a fair wife?

CEDRIC:

I am grown infirm of purpose; I know not
If for the love of woman's face
My life-long task must ended be,
And lost, the hope of Harold's race,
What work remains for me, remains for me,
Beneath the sun?

KING:

Maiden, if e'er in forest free
The sun shone fair for love's delight,
Kneel down and pray for charity,
Kneel down and pray for charity,
For so by thy brave knight
Shall bride be won,
For so by brave knight shall bride be won.

ROWENA:

Cedric, O father, hear me pray
By days of childhood's lost delight,

ENSEMBLE.

*ROWENA:*	IVANHOE:	CEDRIC:	KING:
O father,Cedric, hear me pray	O Cedric, O father,	O if for the love of woman's face	O maiden, if e'er in forest free
By days of childhood's lost delight,	May I	My life-long task, my	The sun shone fair, for love's
When he and I were wont to play	find favour in thy sight, And take	life-long task must ended be, And lost	delight, Kneel down and pray in charity,
	me to thy heart again	the hope of Harold's race, and lost the	delight, Kneel down and pray in charity,
Cedric, O father, hear,	True man, and trusty Knight,	hope of Harold's race	For so by thy brave Knight,
Forgive, forgive thy son,	And tine own son,	What work remains for me Beneath the sun	shall bride be won, shall bride be won.
Forgive thy son,	Forgive thy son,	Forgive my son,	Forgive thy son,
Forgive thy son,	Forgive thy son,	Forgive my son,	Forgive thy son,
Forgive thy son.	Forgive thy son.	my son.	Forgive thy son.

CEDRIC: (Embracing IVANHOE.)

Be it as thou wilt.
God knows I pardon thee!
Wilfred, my son! But let me hence awhile,
Follow me not; I pray thee, let me go!

Exit CEDRIC.

KING:

The pliant willow waves,
But the oak groans in bending.
And I'll go too, for well wot I
That man and lily maid
Well met i' the forest shade,
Desire no king for company.

Oh! I would be an outlaw bold,
To strike the flying deer;
For hearts are young in forest old,
And Spring is all the year,
And Spring is all the year.

Exit KING RICHARD.

IVANHOE:

How oft beneath the far-off Syrian skies
Have I looked up and seen amid the stars,
Twin lights of home in land of distant wars,
These star-like eyes,
These star-like eyes.

ROWENA:

How oft, when thou wert far beyond the foam,
And mine was woman's part of weary rest,
Dream'd I my head lay happy on this breast,
Thy heart my home!
Thy heart my home!

ENSEMBLE.

ROWENA:	IVANHOE:
	How oft beneath the far-off Syrian skies Have I looked up and seen amid the stars,
How oft, when thou wert far beyond the foam,	Twin lights of home in land of distant wars,
Dream'd I my head lay happy on this breast,	Twin lights of home, of home,
Lay happy, happy on this breast,	Twin lights of home in land of distant wars
Thy heart my home, Thy heart my home!	Thy heart my home, Thy heart my home!

Enter ISAAC, pale and in haste.

ISAAC

Knight, Knight of Ivanhoe, I come for thee!
My child is doomed to die.

IVANHOE:

To die!

ISAAC:

Nay, hear me.
When the fierce Templar
Snatched her from burning Torquilstone, he bore her
To the next house of the Order.
There have they sat in judgment on my child,
For witchcraft practiced on that evil knight,
And she must die by fire.
My child has asked a champion;
Thou wilt come, I pray thee at thy feet, away with me!

ROWENA:

Wilfred, bethink thee, thou art weak with wounds.
In mercy stay with me, Wilfred, my love!

IVANHOE:

And shall she die by fire?
She led me back to life and love of thee.
Though I were weaker than an ailing girl,

ENSEMBLE.

*ROWENA:*	IVANHOE:	ISAAC:
	Must I not go?	My child must die by fire!
I would not have thee stay With me and shame.
		My child must die!
O Wilfred, O my love,
Go, go, lest I entreat thee
thee back again!	My heart, my queen!	My child must die
entreat thee back again!	Be brave till next I clasp thee in my arms.	by fire! Thou wilt come,
Go, O love, O my love!	Farewell, dear love! Farewell, dear love!	I pray, I pray, I pray thee come away, away, away with me! Away!