EGLE.
Now, hear me, Eridon, I cannot bear it more,
Strange pleasure is it thus to plague Amina sore.
Forsake her if thou thinkest that she’s no longer true,
But if thou thinkest she loves, this course no more pursue.
ERIDON.
I never plague her.
EGLE.
No? How strange are all thy measures
From jealousy to cast a gloom upon her pleasures.
To doubt, although the fact is known to thee full clearly,
If she —
ERIDON.
Wilt thou be bail that she doth love me dearly?
AMINA.
I love thee not?
ERIDON.
What proof hast thou at thy command?
Who let bold Damon steal a nosegay from her hand?
Who took that ribbon fair which youthful Thirsis brought?
AMINA.
My Eridon! —
ERIDON.
All this was not a dream, methought.
And what was their reward? Thou kisses canst bestow!
AMINA.
Canst thou not, dearest, too?
EGLE.
Oh, peace, he’ll nothing know I
Whate’er there was to say thou said’st it o’er and o’er,
He listens for a time, and then complains once more.
And what’s the use? If thou his charges shouldst disclaim
He’ll go away in peace, and next time do the same.
ERIDON.
With justice, too, perchance.
AMINA.
What! I unfaithful? oh,
Amina false, my friend? Dost thou believe it?
ERIDON.
No I
I cannot, will not.
AMINA.
Say, in all my life did I
E’er give occasion?
ERIDON.
Thou dost oft a cause supply.
AMINA.
When was I faithless?
ERIDON.
Ne’er! Hence all these cares of mine:
Through levity thou err’st, and never by design.
As trifles thou dost hold the things I weighty deem;
The things that vex me most to thee as nothing seem.
EGLE.
Well! If she deems them naught where is the mischief, pray?
ERIDON.
She often asked the same; it vexes me, I say.
EGLE.
What then? Amina ne’er forgets her own position.
ERIDON.
Too much to deem her true, too little for suspicion.
EGLE.
More than a woman’s heart e’er loved she loveth thee.
ERIDON.
And dances, pleasures, games, she loves as much as me.
EGLE.
Who cannot this endure should only love our mothers!
AMINA.
Peace, Egle! Eridon, my joy thy language smothers.
Our friends will tell thee how I think of thee all day,
E’en when we’re far from thee, and full of mirth and play;
How oft I with chagrin, that spoils my pleasure, cry,
“I wonder where he is!” because thou art not nigh.
If thou believest me not, O come to-day with me,
And settle for thyself if I’m untrue to thee.
I’ll dance with thee alone, I’ll never leave thy side,
This arm shall cling to thine, this hand in thine abide.
If my behavior then the least mistrust should wake —
ERIDON.
To keep oneself in check, no proof of love can make-
EGLE.
Behold her falling tears! they’re flowing in thy honor;
Ne’er thought I that thy heart so basely looked upon her.
The boundless discontent, incessant and diseased,
Which ever asks for more, the more it is appeased, —
The pride which will not let within thy sight appear
The guileless joys of youth her bosom holds so dear, — -
Within thy hateful heart alternately they reign,
Thou heedest not her love, thou heedest not her pain.
She’s dear to me, and thou no more shalt treat her ill;
To fly thee will be hard; to love thee, harder still.
AMINA (aside).
Ah, wherefore must my heart with love be flowing o’er!
ERIDON
(standing still for a moment, and then timidly approaching
AMINA and taking her hand).
Amina, dearest child! Canst thou forgive once more?
AMINA.
Have I not granted oft forgiveness full, complete?
ERIDON.
Thou noble, best of hearts, let me before thy feet —
AMINA.
Arise, my Eridon!
EGLE.
Thy many thanks withhold;
What one too warmly feels, will soon again grow cold.
ERIDON.
And all this warmth of heart with which I honor her —
EGLE.
A greater bliss would be, if somewhat less it were.
More calmly would ye live, and all her pain and thine —
ERIDON.
Forgive me once again, more wisdom shall be mine.
AMINA.
Dear Eridon, now go, a nosegay pick for me;
If gathered by thy hand, how charming it will be I
ERIDON.
Thou hast a rose there now!
AMINA.
Her Lamon gave me this.
It suits me well.
ERIDON (touchily).
Indeed —
AMINA.
O take it not amiss,
And thou shalt have it, dear.
ERIDON (embracing her, and kissing her hand).
I’ll bring thee flowers with speed.
[Exit.
SCENE IV.
AMINA, EGLE. Presently LAMON.
EGLE.
O poor, good-hearted child, this plan will ne’er succeed!
The more that it is fed, more hungry grows his pride.
Take heed, ‘twill rob thee else of all thou lovest beside.
AMINA.
One care alone I have, lest he should not be true.
EGLE.
How charming! One can see thy love is very new.
’Tis always so at first; when once one’s heart is given,
One thinks of nothing else but love from morn till even.
If we then, at this time a touching novel read,
How greatly this one loved, and that one, true indeed,
That hero soft of heart, so bold when dangers hover,
So mighty in the fight, because he was a lover, —
Our head ‘gins whirling round, we deem it our own story.
We fain would wretched be, or covered o’er with glory.
A youthful heart soon takes impressions from a novel;
A loving heart still less inclines on earth to grovel;
And so we long time love, until we find that we,
Instead of being true, were fools to a degree.
AMINA.
Yet that is not my case.
EGLE.
A patient oft will tell
The doctor in a rage that he is sound and well.
Do we believe him? No. Despite his opposition,
His medicine he must take. And that is thy condition.
AMINA.
’Tis true of children, yes; but’ tis not true of me;
Am I a child?
EGLE.
Thou lovest!
AMINA.
Thou, too!
EGLE.
Yes, love as we!
First moderate the storm which hurries thee along!
One can be very calm, although one’s love is strong.
LAMON.
Here is the ribbon!
AMINA.
Thanks!
EGLE.
&nb
sp; Thou art a laggard wooer!
LAMON.
I was upon the hill when Chloris called me to her,
And made me deck her hat with dowers ere she dismissed me.
EGLE.
And what was thy reward?
LAMON.
Mine? None; she only kissed me.
Whatever one may do, no maiden can afford
To give a greater prize than kisses in reward.
AMINA (showing EGLE the wreath with the loop).
Is all now right?
EGLE.
Yes, come!
(She hangs the wreath on AMINA, SO that the loop comes on the right shoulder. In the meantime she talks to LAMON.)
To-day right merry be!
LAMON.
Right noisy be to-day. We feel not half the glee
When we demurely meet, discussing in full quorum
Our loved one’s whims, or else the duties of decorum.
EGLE.
Thou’rt very right.
LAMON.
O, yes!
EGLE.
Amina! Sit thou here!
(AMINA sits down. EGLE puts flowers in her hair, while she continues.)
Come, give me back the kiss that Chloris gave thee, dear!
LAMON (kissing her).
Most gladly. Here it is.
AMINA.
How very strange ye are!
EGLE.
Were Eridon the same, thou wouldst be happier far.
AMINA.
He ne’er, instead of me, would kiss another maid.
LAMON.
Where is the rose?
EGLE.
When he attempted to upbraid,
She gave it him for peace.
AMINA.
I wish to be polite.
LAMON.
If thou dost pardon him, he’ll pardon thee. Quite right!
Yes, each the other plagues in turn, I clearly see.
EGLE.
(As a sign that she is ready with the decoration for the head.) There!
LAMON.
Good!
AMINA.
I wish the flowers were ready now for me
That Eridon should bring.
EGLE.
Do thou await him here.
I’ll go and deck myself. Come also, Lamon, dear!
We’ll leave thee here alone, but soon be back again.
SCENE V.
AMINA. (Presently ERIDON.)
What enviable bliss! O, what a tender swain!
How wish I that it but depended upon me
My Eridon content, myself made blest, to see!
Did I not to his hands such influence o’er me give,
Far happier he would be, and I in peace should live.
If to o’ercome this power I seeming coldness try,
At my indifference he’ll into fury fly.
I know his wrath, and dread to feel it; thou, my heart,
Wouldst very badly play so difficult a part.
Yet, if thou wouldst succeed as fully as thy friend,
And ‘stead of serving him, his will to thine wouldst bend,
To-day’s the very time; I never must allow
The chance to p’ass... He comes! My heart, take courage now
ERIDON (giving her flowers)*
They’re not so very good, my child! pray, pardon me,
I gathered them in haste.
AMINA.
Enough, they are from thee.
ERIDON.
They’re not so blooming quite, as those fair roses were
That Damon stole from thee.
AMINA (placing them in her bosom).
I’ll keep them safely there.
There where thou art enshrined, these flowers should also blow.
ERIDON.
If there alone they’re safe —
AMINA.
Hast thou suspicions? —
ERIDON.
No!
I’ve none, my child; ’tis fear alone I feel to-day.
The best of hearts forgets,’ midst merry sport and play,
When happy in the dance, and at the noisy fête,
What duty may enjoin, and wisdom may dictate.
Thou may’st perhaps think of me, when in this joyous vein,
Yet thou dost not attempt the freedom to restrain
Which youths allow themselves to practise, bit by bit,
If maidens but in jest a liberty permit.
Their idle pride presumes to treat as love ere long
A pleasant playful mien.
AMINA.
Enough, if they are wrong.
’Tis true that loving sighs pursue me by the score;
Yet thou dost hold my heart, and say, what wouldst thou more?
Poor fellows! upon me thou mightest let them look;
They think that wonder —
ERIDON.
No, such thou thoughts I will not brook
’Tis that that vexes me. Well know I thou art mine;
Yet one of them perchance the same thing may opine,
And gaze upon thine eyes, and think to give a kiss,
And triumph in the thought that he has spoiled my bliss.
AMINA.
Destroy his triumph, then! Beloved one, with me go;
Let them the preference see which thou —
ERIDON.
I thank thee, no
That sacrifice to claim would show a cruel will;
Thou, child, wouldst be ashamed of one who danced so ill;
I know whom in the dance as partner thou approvest;
The one who dances best, and not the one thou lovest.
AMINA.
That is the truth.
ERIDON (with restrained irony).
Ah, yes, I often have regretted
The gifts of Damaris, so light of foot, and petted!
How well he dances!
AMINA.
Yes, none like him in the dance.
ERIDON.
And each maid —
AMINA.
Prizes him —
ERIDON.
Adores him for’t!
AMINA.
Perchance.
ERIDON.
Perchance? The devil! Yes!
AMINA.
What mean those strange grimaces?
ERIDON.
Thou askest? Thou’lt drive me mad. Thy conduct a disgrace is!
AMINA.
Mine? Art not thou the cause of my and thy great woe?
Oh, cruel Eridon! How canst thou treat me so?
ERIDON,
I must; I love thee well. ’Tis love that makes me vex thee.
Loved I not thee so much I never should perplex thee.
My feeling, tender heart with ecstasy beats high,
When thy hand presses mine, when on me smiles thine eye.
I thank the gods who give such bliss without alloy,
Yet only I demand that none shall share my joy.
AMINA.
Of what dost thou complain! No others snare it now.
ERIDON.
Yet thou endurest them? No hatred feelest thou?
AMINA.
I hate them? Why should I?
ERIDON.
Because they dare to love thee.
AMINA.
A pretty ground!
ERIDON.
I see thou lettest their sighing move thee;
Their feelings thou muse spare; and lessened is thy pleasure,
Unless thou —
AMINA.
Eridon’s injustice knows no measure!
Does love require that we humanity should shun?
A heart that truly loves, can hate no other one.
This tender feeling ne’er with such base thoughts can dwell,
Never at least with me.
ERIDON.
Thou vindicatest well
The gentle sex’s proud and high prerogative,
If twenty blockheads kneel, the twenty to deceive!
To-day’s a day when pride may specially enfold thee.
To-day thou’lt many see, who as a goddess hold thee;
Full many a youthful heart will throb for thee right hard,
Remember me, when swarms of fools around thee run;
I am the greatest! Go!
AMINA aside).
Fly, weak heart, he has won,
Ye gods, lives he for naught but to destroy my peace?
Must my distress still last, and never, never cease? -
(To ERIDON.)
The gentle bonds of love thou turnest to a yoke:
A tyrant thou to me, yet I my love invoke!
With tenderness to all thy wrath have I replied,
I ever yield to thee, yet thou’rt not satisfied.
No sacrifice I’ve spared. Contented ne’er art thou.
My pleasure of to-day thou claimest? Thou hast it now!
(She takes the wreaths out of her hair and from her shoulder, throws them away and continues in a restrained calm voice.)
Now say, dear Eridon? Thou lovest me better so,
Than for the feast arrayed? Thine anger now forego.
Thou wilt not look at me? Remains thy heart still hardened?
ERIDON (falling down before her).
Amina, thee I love! Be my vile conduct pardoned!
Go to the feast.
AMINA.
My friend, with thee I’d sooner stay;
A loving song will serve to while the time away.
ERIDON.
Dear child, now go!
AMTINA.
Go thou, and quickly fetch thy flute.
ERIDON.
Thou will’st it?
SCENE VI.
AMINA.
He seems sad, yet feels rejoicings mute.
In vain wilt thou on him thy tenderness bestow.
He feels my sacrifice? He little heeds it; no,
He deems it but his due. What wouldst thou, ray poor heart?
Thou murmurest in my breast. Deserved I all this smart?
Yes, thou deservest it well! Thou seest he never ceases
To torture thee, and yet thy love for him increases.
I will not bear it more. Hush! Ha, I hear the din
Of music there. My heart doth throb, my foot joins in.
I’ll go! My troubled breast my misery proclaims!
How wretched do I feel! My heart with burning flames
Consumes. Off, to the feast! He will not let me move!
Unhappy maiden! See this is the bliss of love!
(She throws herself on a bank, and weeps; as the others enter, she dries her eyes and rises.)
Alas, they now approach! How can I face their jeers!
SCENE VII.
AMINA, EGLE, LAMON.
EGLE.
Make haste! The march begins! Amina! What! In tears?
LAMON {picking up the wreaths).
The garlands?
EGLE.
What means this? Who tore them off? Confess!
AMINA.
Myself.
EGLE.
Wilt thou not go?
AMINA.
If he will let me, yes.
Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Page 158