by Lope de Vega
Santiago, their Captain-General, 375
Already rides against Girón,
Who holds Ciudad Real. But yes,
Jacinta is a decent girl.
I do feel sorry for her.
ESTEBAN. And Mengo too
Was flogged?
ALDERMAN. His body the colour of 380
The blackest cloth or ink.
ESTEBAN. I'll hear
No more. It makes me boil to see
Such wickedness. Everyone speaks ill
Of him. As for myself, what use
Is this rod of office?*
ALDERMAN. But if 385
His servants were to blame, why be
Upset?
ESTEBAN. You'd like to hear more? I'm told
The other day they came across
Pedro Redondo's wife, down in
The valley, and when he'd had his way 390
With her, he gave her to his servants.
ALDERMAN. There's someone there! Who is it?
FRONDOSO. It's me,
Frondoso. I'd like permission to speak
With you.
ESTEBAN. Since when do family
Require permission? Your father gave 395
You life and I much love. I've seen
You grow. To me you are a son.
FRONDOSO. Then, trusting in your love, I'd ask
-42-
Of you the greatest favour. You know
My father . . .
ESTEBAN. Has this Fernán Gómez wronged you? 400
FRONDOSO. He has.
ESTEBAN. I thought as much.
FRONDOSO. The fact is, sir,
That knowledge of your love for me
Makes me so bold as to declare
I love Laurencia and wish
To marry her. Forgive me if, 405
In asking for her hand, my tongue
Has run away with me or my
Request seems over-bold.
ESTEBAN. No, not
At all, Frondoso. You give me another lease
Of life, allaying my greatest fear. 410
I thank the heavens that you do me
This honour; am grateful to your love
That you have shown such honesty.
But now it's only right, of course,
Your father is informed. If he 415
Does not object, I am agreed.
That being so, you have my blessing.
ALDERMAN. Should not the girl be asked, before
You agree to anything?
ESTEBAN. Oh, don't
You worry, they'll have seen to that, 420
Agreed between themselves before
It's gone this far. We could discuss
The dowry if you want. I'd like
To give you money.
FRONDOSO. But I don't need
A dowry, sir. It's not important. 425
ALDERMAN. Be thankful, Esteban, he'll take
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Her as God made her.
ESTEBAN. I think it best
I ask her what she thinks.
FRONDOSO. Of course.
No point in going against a person's wishes.
ESTEBAN. Daughter! Laurencia!
LAURENCIA. Yes, father? 430
ESTEBAN. You see how she always obeys me?*
Laurencia, my dear, there's something I'd like
To ask you . . . (come over here a moment) . . .
How do you feel about your friend, Gila,
Taking Frondoso as a husband? 435
He's an honourable boy, as good
As any in Fuente Ovejuna.
LAURENCIA. Gila . . . ?
ESTEBAN. A deserving girl, a match
For him in every respect.
LAURENCIA. Well, yes, father,
I have to agree.
ESTEBAN. But even so, 440
As ugly as sin! Frondoso's far
Better off with you.
LAURENCIA. Father, that's such
A rotten trick, and at your age!*
ESTEBAN. You love him?
LAURENCIA. I'm very fond of him
And have grown fonder still. But as 445
You know . . .
ESTEBAN. You want me to say 'yes'?
LAURENCIA. On my behalf.
ESTEBAN. It's in my hands?
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All right, that's settled. Come on, we'll find
My old friend in the square.
ALDERMAN. Let's go.
ESTEBAN. My boy, the question of the dowry. 450
What shall we say to him? I'm quite prepared
To give you four thousand maravedis.*
FRONDOSO. But, sir, to accept it would offend me.
ESTEBAN. Oh, come along. Such things are soon
Forgotten. If there's no dowry, I tell 455
You you'll regret it afterwards.
[Exit ESTEBAN and the ALDERMAN. FRONDOSO
and LAURENCIA remain
LAURENCIA. Are you happy, Frondoso?
FRONDOSO. Why would
I not be? I'm head over heels with joy!
My eyes reveal the feelings of
My heart when they see you are mine, 460
My sweet Laurencia!
They leave. Enter the MASTER,*the COMMANDER,
FLORES, and ORTUÑO.
COMMANDER. You must escape. There's nothing else
To do.
MASTER. The wall was weak, the enemy
Immensely powerful.
COMMANDER. Even so,
They paid for it in blood and lives. 465
MASTER. Nor can they boast that their spoils Include the flag of Calatrava.*
That would have crowned their enterprise
And been their greatest victory.
COMMANDER. But still, Girón, your hopes now lie 470
In ruins.
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MASTER. What can I do if Fortune is
So blind that he who tastes success
Today, must see it snatched away
Tomorrow?
VOICES [off]. All hail Castile's great victory!
MASTER. Their torches crown the battlements. 475
The flags of victory adorn
The windows of the highest towers.*
COMMANDER. They could as easily adorn
Them with their blood. This is more tragedy
Than celebration.
MASTER. I shall return 480
To Calatrava.
COMMANDER. And I to Fuente Ovejuna.
You must decide if you'll pursue
Your kinsman's cause or now accept
The Catholic Kings.
MASTER. I'll write and let
You know.
COMMANDER. Time will help you make the right 485
Decision.
MASTER. Unless, as often happens in
Our youth, it proves the agent of deception.
They leave. Enter the wedding party: MUSICIANS,
MENGO, FRONDOSO, LAURENCIA, PASCUALA,
BARRILDO, ESTEBAN, MAGISTRATE, and JUAN ROJO.*
MUSICIANS. Long life to them,
The newly-weds!
Long life! 490
MENGO. Come on, you lot! It's the song that needs
More life.
BARRILDO. No doubt you think you could write
A better one!
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FRONDOSO. Mengo knows more
Of whipping than composing.
MENGO. That's true,
But there down in the valley there's 495
A chap the Commander . . .
BARRILDO. No! Say
No more! The man's an animal,
Dishonours all of us!
MENGO. He had
A hundred soldiers beat me! I had
A sling, that's all. It was terrible! 500
But not as bad as this other fellow, who shall
Be nameless. They pumped* black ink
And stones right up his backside. Can you
Imagine?
MENGO. Since when are enemas a joke! 505
They may be good for you, but I think
It would kill me.
FRONDOSO. Anyway, let's hear
The song now, let's see how good it is.
BARRILDO [sings]. I pray to God that their life
Be long and always happy; 510
That they will never come to blows
On account of jealousy.
Oh, let them go to their graves,
Worn out by being carefree.
I pray to God that their life 515
Be long and always happy.
MENGO. And the devil take the author of
Such dreadful poetry!*
BARRILDO. I had to get
It written quickly!
MENGO. I'll tell you what
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I think of such poets. You must 520
Have seen a fellow making fritters.
He throws great lumps of dough into
A pan of boiling oil until its full.
Some come out swollen, some deformed,
Some totally misshapen, some 525
Are fine, others not, some burnt to death,
Some soggy. And that's your poetry too.
The subject matter is the poet's dough.
He throws it in the pan, which is
His paper, and after it spoonfuls 530
Of honey to cover up the taste
And make it sweeter. Trouble is,
There's no one wants to try it when
It's done. So he's the one who's left
With indigestion.
BARRILDO. Stop fooling about. 535
Let the young lovers speak.
LAURENCIA. Let me kiss
Your hand.
JUAN ROJO. My hand? But why, Laurencia?
You should kiss your father's hand,
In gratitude for what he's done
For you and for Frondoso.
ESTEBAN. My friend, 540
I pray that Heaven will offer them
Its hand and constant blessing.
FRONDOSO. Why don't
The two of you bless both of us?
JUAN ROJO. Come on! Let's have some music. Sing!
They are as one!* 545
MUSICIANS [sing]. The village-girl* came down the path
From Fuente Ovejuna.
She was soon followed by the knight
Who came from Calatrava.
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She hid amongst the branches there, 550
She felt such shame and fear;
Pretending she had not seen him,
She drew the leaves around her.
'Why try to hide yourself away?
You really are quite pretty. 555
My eyes can see through walls of stone
When someone takes my fancy'.
And so the knight went up to her,
And she grew still more terrified;
She used the trees to form a screen, 560
Behind which she could safely hide.
But, as you know, a man in love
Can conquer any mountain;
There's nothing can keep him at bay,
And so he spoke to her again: 565
'Why try to hide yourself away?
You really are quite pretty;
My eyes can see through walls of stone
When someone takes my fancy'.
Enter the COMMANDER*, FLORES, ORTUÑO, and CIMBRANOS.
COMMANDER. Stop these celebrations now! 570
Let no one cause any trouble here.
JUAN ROJO. This is a serious business, sir,
But if that's what you want. Perhaps
You'd like to join us? But why this show
Of arms? I take it you have been 575
Victorious.
FRONDOSO. Heaven help me! I'm as good
As dead!
LAURENCIA. That way, Frondoso! Run!
COMMANDER. Get hold of him and tie him up!
JUAN ROJO. Best give yourself up, lad!
FRONDOSO. You mean
You'll let them kill me?
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JUAN ROJO. Why should they 580
Do that?
COMMANDER. I'm not the kind of man
To kill someone who's innocent.
In any case, if he were guilty,
My men would have put an end to him.
Take him away and lock him up! 585
His father* shall be his judge and so
Pass sentence.
PASCUALA. But can't you see, my lord,
He's getting married?
COMMANDER. You think that matters?
There must be someone else to take
His place.
PASCUALA. If he's offended you, 590
You should forgive him, being the man
You are.
COMMANDER. Pascuala, I've no authority
In this. His crime* has been against
Téllez Girón, the Master; against
The Order and its sacred honour. 595
The punishment must serve as an
Example, just in case others in
The future choose to rise against him.
You know already that he aimed
The crossbow at myself, the Grand 600
Commander -- proof enough, I think,
Of his true loyalty!
ESTEBAN. I am
His father-in-law and therefore speak
On his behalf. Are you surprised
That someone so in love should act 605
As he has done? If you attempted to
Abduct his wife, it's natural
That he should want to save her.
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COMMANDER. You are
An idiot, magistrate.
ESTEBAN. I appeal
To your virtuous nature,* sir.
COMMANDER. I did 610
Not try to take his wife. She wasn't his wife.
ESTEBAN. Of course you did! There's nothing more
To say. There are new rulers in
Castile who'll introduce such laws
And orders as will put an end 615
To all disorder.* When they have ceased
To be engaged in war, they would
Do well to rid their villages
And towns of men whose power comes
From wearing crosses.* The King alone 620
Should be allowed to wear the cross.
COMMANDER. Seize his rod of office!
ESTEBAN. My lord,
You are most welcome.
COMMANDER. Just the thing
To beat him with, as if he were
Some over-frisky horse!
ESTEBAN. Then beat me! 625
I bow to you as overlord.*
PASCUALA. You'd make an old man suffer?
LAURENCIA. You do
This now because he is my father.
What wrong have I done you that you
Must punish him?
COMMANDER. Take her away! 630
And let ten soldiers guard her!
[He and his men exit
ESTEBAN. Let Heaven administer its justice!
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[He exits
PASCUALA. The wedding's become a wake.
BARRILDO. Will no
One here speak out?
MENGO. Exactly what
I did. I've got the marks to prove it. 635
Someone else can test his anger.
JUAN ROJO. We need
To talk, all of us.
MENGO. Much better bite
Your tongue. My kettle-drums* ache,
And both as red as salmon steaks.
-52-
ACT THREE
Enter ESTEBAN,* ALONSO, and BARRILDO.
ESTEBAN. Haven't they come yet?
BARRILDO. No, not yet.
ESTEBAN. Everything goes from bad to worse.
BARRILDO. Most of them know about the meeting.
/>
ESTEBAN. Frondoso locked up in the tower,
Laurencia in such terrible danger . . . 5
We need God's help in this!
Enter JUAN ROJOand the ALDERMAN.*
JUAN ROJO. Esteban, keep
Your voice down! This meeting must be secret,
For all our sakes!
ESTEBAN. The wonder is
I do not shout much louder.
Enter MENGO.
MENGO. Alright,
I'm here. Let the meeting begin. 10
ESTEBAN. Honourable friends, I speak to you
As someone whose grey beard is bathed
In tears, and ask what final rites
We can perform in honour of
This town, so damaged and destroyed. 15
What honourable rites indeed,
If there is not a single one
Of us whose life that criminal
Has not dishonoured? Tell me now if there
Is someone here whose honour is 20
Unscathed. You are as one, I think,
-53-
In your complaints. And so I say
To you: if you have common cause,
What are you waiting for? Is not
What has befallen us the greatest of 25
Misfortunes?
JUAN ROJO. The greatest the world
Has ever seen. But now, we have
Been told, the King and Queen bring peace
To all Castile. Soon they will be
In Córdoba,* so why not send 30
Two aldermen to state our case
And beg them to put right these wrongs?
BARRILDO. But Fernando is still at war
With many enemies. He won't
Have time for our complaints. It's best 35
We think of something else.
ALDERMAN. If you
Ask me, I think we should evacuate
The town.
JUAN ROJO. There isn't time.
MENGO. And once
He gets to know our plans, it's going