Ernest Chausson - Le Roi Arthur - Act Three lyrics

Prelude Scene One - A rocky hilltop overlooking the battlefield. To the right, several pine trees. On the horizon, the sea. As the curtain rises, Guinevere rushes on stage, followed by Allan, her ancient squire. ALLAN Oh, mistress, I pray you to stop right here! The battlefield is over there on the plains! I'm begging you! Just stay where you are! GUINEVERE Be off with you! I'm not afraid anymore! (She moves over to the far right, and gazes anxiously into the distance.) So the die is cast! He has finally given in! Up to the very last moment I had thought That Lancelot would back out once again! But my prayers were answered in the end! Sir Lancelot himself has joined the battle! And the mighty Lancelot is bound to win! ALLAN (shaking his head sadly) Oh, yes, there's no doubt he will triumph! His final victory won't be long in coming! (bitterly) But Mordred, who stayed behind in camp, In order to nurse his own wounds, he said, Has now proclaimed himself the new king! Among the knights who have stood by him, Tired of living by the Round Table's rules, All have deserted the holy cause of Arthur! GUINEVERE (interrupting him) Be quiet, old man! Keep your voice down! (As Allan discreetly withdraws to the back- ground, she continues to gaze at the distant plain. All at once she turns away as if struck by a sudden thought. She then returns to the center of the stage and sits down on a rock.) Ah! There are times when I am in despair! I'm tormented by the most terrible doubts! My sweet Lancelot! Does he still love me? I don't regret for a moment what I've done, But I can't deny how much he has changed! ALLAN (searching the horizon) Look at those knights who've broken away! They're galloping along at breakneck speed! One of them is--Oh, no!--It can't be possible! GUINEVERE (lost in her own sad thoughts) When we're together he's moody and silent, And I can see in his face how unhappy he is! At times his eyes seem to be avoiding mine! ALLAN Ah! A horse has stumbled and fallen down! And now they're all running for their lives! GUINEVERE Ah! What if it's true that I've lost his love? What if those feelings of guilt and remorse Are too heavy a burden for his soul to bear? ALLAN (coming back down the hill) Mistress, look over there! Can you see him? There he is! It's him! It's my lord Lancelot! GUINEVERE Allan, are you mad? For Lancelot to desert-- ALLAN (interrupting her) It's him! It's him! And he's headed this way! GUINEVERE (rising to her feet) Then he must have been wounded in battle! (As she gazes once again at the distant plain, Lancelot suddenly appears before her in the company of Lionel and several of his squires. Unarmed and obviously distraught, he stops short at the sight of Guinevere.) Scene Two - Lancelot and Guinevere LANCELOT God! Guinevere! What are you doing here? GUINEVERE (rushing over to him) You've been hurt! You've been wounded! No, you haven't!--Then why are you here? Speak to me! Tell me what has happened! LANCELOT I left the battle and abandoned my troops! GUINEVERE What are you telling me? You've deserted? LANCELOT Ah, Guinevere! It was you who wished it so! Despite the sheer horror of this ungodly war, I joined in the battle in answer to your pleas! At first the old excitement overwhelmed me, And I forgot I was fighting against my king! Then suddenly my eyes caught sight of him! There was Arthur, in the midst of his knights, Standing head and shoulders above them all, And holding the sword Excalibur in his hand! Just as suddenly I could see what I had done, And an unspeakable shame took hold of me! I threw down my weapons, and I rode away! GUINEVERE (to herself) Ah! He no longer cares what becomes of us! At the last moment I've lost his love forever! LANCELOT What have I done? What's happened to me? Why has brother been pitted against brother? How could I ever have fought in such a war? GUINEVERE How easily you seem to forget your promises! Doesn't your Guinevere mean anything at all? At the mere sight of Arthur have you given in, And lost your loyalty as well as your courage? You've turned tail and run at the last moment! But no matter how cowardly your actions are, The chain of events that you've set in motion Shall still continue to grip you in an iron vice! LANCELOT (as if talking to himself) Yes, it's senseless to even think of escaping! I can't erase what has been done in the past! GUINEVERE (pa**ionately) Why should the past matter to us anymore? The abiding love that we feel for each other Has bound us together until the end of time! It's the most precious thing that we possess, And the only reason that we have to live for! We have committed ourselves to each other, And you must fight to the d**h to defend us! (She searches his face for some reaction.) Lancelot! What is going through your mind? Ah! How terrifying to see you look that way! (most tenderly) Go back into battle, and conquer the enemy! My darling, this is the very last ordeal of all, And then I'll be yours to love forever more! LANCELOT I've thrown down every one of my weapons, And you can't make me take them up again! GUINEVERE Dear God in Heaven! What are you saying? LANCELOT All I can do now is try and stop the fighting! GUINEVERE Are you insane? You can't possibly mean it! LANCELOT Even if it should eventually cost me my life, I've got to find my way directly to the king! I'm going back to the battlefield to see him! GUINEVERE Then you prefer d**h to Guinevere's love! LANCELOT I still love you with all my heart and soul! GUINEVERE Don't say any more! I can't bear to hear it! LANCELOT I have no choice but to try to rid my heart Of this pa**ion that has consumed my life! GUINEVERE Ah! If you loved me as much as I love you, How could there be anything else on earth That is more precious to you than our love? LANCELOT I have broken the most sacred of my vows! A veil has finally been torn from my eyes! I can see! It is clear to me what I must do! I have to obey the voice of my conscience! Guinevere, are you ready to share my fate? GUINEVERE What are you asking? What do you mean? LANCELOT We're both guilty of having betrayed him! Why can't we at least tell him we're sorry? GUINEVERE How could you even suggest such a thing? Go back to Arthur and beg for his mercy? And hope for his forgiveness? No! Never! LANCELOT Guinevere! Why won't you come with me? GUINEVERE I'll never go back! Not in a thousand years! (As the sounds of battle become louder and louder, the blare of trumpets can be heard from both sides of the stage.) LANCELOT Listen! The trumpets! They're still fighting! So much blood is being shed on both sides! What am I doing here? There's no time left! What if the king has lost--or been wounded? Dearest Guinevere, it's all over between us! I'll never see you again as long as I'm alive! (He stands gazing at her broken-heartedly, and then somehow regains his composure.) Good-bye, my love! May God be with you! (He makes his way to the back of the stage to address the squires.) I'm entrusting you with guarding the queen! Take her to a port in Gaul on board my ship! She'll be safe from danger once she's there! And you, Lionel, you'll be coming with me! LIONEL My dear master! Think what you're saying! GUINEVERE (throwing herself into Lancelot's arms) Lancelot! I'm begging you, don't leave me! If there is no way to be together in this life, Then let our two souls be reunited in d**h! We have vowed never to be separated again, Even if it means dying in each other's arms! LANCELOT Ah, Guinevere, Guinevere! Listen to me! From now on my life belongs to the king! GUINEVERE Ah! Get out of here! Get out of my sight! (She pushes him away from her and rushes over to the other side of the stage. As Lionel leads Lancelot from the scene, the sound of trumpets blaring in the wings becomes louder and louder. After a brief pause, the squires silently approach the queen.) GUINEVERE (in a harsh, shrill voice) What are you doing? Go down to the ship! Get ready for us to depart as soon as I say! (As the other squires exit to the left, Allan hesitates to follow them.) ALLAN (timidly) Forgive me, my dear mistress, do you need-- GUINEVERE Get out of here! Go away! Leave me alone! (Allan slowly withdraws from the scene, and Guinevere is left alone. As she begins pacing back and forth across the stage, she can be heard moaning softly to herself. The sounds of battle gradually fade away.) Scene Three - Guinevere alone GUINEVERE Ah! He's betrayed me and scorned my love! Nothing I could say would change his mind! I even tried begging him to take pity on me, And at least let me die in peace in his arms! But he wouldn't listen to my pleas anymore! What if he is still longing for his Guinevere, And has reconsidered before it was too late? My aching heart just can't bear to lose him! He made it clear that he is not coming back, And yet I still love him more than life itself! (Suddenly realizing that the sounds of battle have ceased entirely, Guinevere moves to the right and looks out over the plain.) Dear God! Everything is suddenly so silent! (broken-heartedly) Ah, yes! That means that the battle is over! And now he's abandoned me forever more! (She collapses onto a rock and remains in complete silence for a moment, her head buried in her hands.) Did he truly think I could live without him? What use is there in going on with this life When I've lost the glorious gift of his love? Now that he's gone I feel nothing but pain! This most terrible day is coming to an end, And my future is as bleak as the night sky! Ah, Guinevere, you must depart this world With whatever dignity you might have left! (She rises to her feet in search of some sort of weapon. While touching her brow, she stops short, as if struck by a sudden idea, and begins loosening the plaits in her hair.) Oh, you who made me a beautiful woman, Whose long, dark tresses Lancelot adored, Even you were not able to hold on to him, Though you were once my crowning glory! You were my pride and joy in better times, And now I need your help more than ever! Let me die, just let me die, just let me die! (She winds her hair around her neck, and strangles herself until she falls to the ground and dies.) (The curtain descends ever so slowly.) Scene Four - The battlefield at the edge of the sea. In the foreground on the left, a number of small trees, several low rocks, and clusters of gorse, daffodils and everlasting flowers. At the back, the shoreline below forms a sort of bay surmounted by a steep cliff. It is day's end. As the curtain rises, Lancelot is lying unconscious in the middle of the stage. He is surrounded by a group of soldiers whose fellow warriors can be seen recovering the dead and wounded stretched out on the ground at the back of the scene.) THIRD SOLDIER (leaning over Lancelot's body) His entire body is covered with wounds! FOURTH SOLDIER Look! He's been wounded in both arms! FIRST SOLDIER He's been wounded in the head as well! THIRD SOLDIER I count at least ten wounds in his chest! SQUIRE Is there a chance that he might be alive? FOURTH SOLDIER (placing the flat of his sword in front of Lancelot's mouth) There's no sign at all that he's breathing! (bending over his chest) But his heart still seems to go on beating, Even if it's so faint you can barely hear it! SECOND SOLDIER Do you think the light could revive him? SQUIRE Lay him down near that rock over there! (The soldiers pick Lancelot up and carry him over to a rock on the left, where they lay him down in a sunny spot.) THIRD SOLDIER I didn't know how big and strong he was! FIRST SOLDIER And I didn't know he was so handsome! See how much pride there is in his face! FOURTH SOLDIER We'll never see another Lancelot again! SQUIRE Ah! He's the most valiant of all knights, And yet he has rebelled against his king! (As other soldiers come forward to join them, they are able to hear the squire's last words.) SOLDIERS Ah, yes! He fought against King Arthur! If the Round Table has seen its last days, There is nobody to blame for it but him! SQUIRE (interrupting them) And who are we to sit in judgment of him? (turning to the first soldier) Just go and tell the king what's happened! THIRD SOLDIER Lionel has already gone in search of him-- SECOND SOLDIER (looking to his right) Here he comes now with the king himself! (As the soldiers line up behind Lancelot's body, Arthur enters in the company of Lionel, who is recounting the final circumstances of his master's d**h.) Scene Five - Lionel, Arthur and Lancelot LIONEL (to Arthur) They wouldn't obey his orders anymore! Even though he was weaponless by then, He tried to disarm the ones still fighting! (Arthur motions to Lionel to remain silent, and then points to where Lancelot is lying on the ground surrounded by soldiers. He stands over him in quiet contemplation as the soldiers retreat to the back of the stage.) ARTHUR Guinevere! Lancelot! Both of them dead! I loved them more than anyone on earth, And together they have broken my heart! But this wound is too deep to be healed! The only thing human I can feel is grief! Everything is crumbling before my eyes! My life's work is now all but destroyed, And there's no one left that I can turn to To help soothe this aching heart of mine! LIONEL (kneeling over Lancelot's body) Sire, look here! He's opened up his eyes! And his lips are moving! He's still alive! LANCELOT (regaining consciousness) Stop! I'm ordering you to stop the battle! LIONEL Master, the fighting is long over by now! You're suffering! What can I do for you? LANCELOT (still unaware of Arthur's presence) Arthur!--I'm surrendering myself to you! Here! Take my sword! Strike me down! (As he turns his head, he sees the king.) Oh, Arthur! It's really you! You're here! (Supported by Lionel, he tries to sit up, but falls back down again immediately.) I can't!--My body has lost all its strength! Put me to d**h! And avenge your honor! ARTHUR (dispa**ionately) You dare to speak to me about my honor! How could you even think that it depends On anybody else in this world but myself? I know full well that the time has arrived For me to leave this earth behind forever! But I don't regret that the hour has come! There's hardly anything human about me! My poor face is haggard and ghostly pale, And I can see the shadow of d**h upon it! The things of this world that had meaning Have already begun to fade from my eyes, As if I were seeing them through a shroud! Now that darkness is descending upon me, I can look back on what was once my life With no feelings of anger left in my heart! I am only sorry for what might have been! LANCELOT (to himself) How horribly embittered he seems to be! If only I had lived up to my sacred vows, And served him as his most loyal friend! Mine is a wasted life! A futile existence! ARTHUR Now I know that I was doomed to failure! Ah! I so believed in the power of the will, And each man's efforts to better himself! I struggled endlessly to uphold my ideals, And what is left of my entire life's work? Nothing but disappointment and despair! LANCELOT (to Arthur) No one knows how long ideals shall last, Or what may endure throughout the ages! Even if your name is some day forgotten, Those values you instilled in your people Are fated to live on until the end of time! The love of justice that inspired your life Shall light the way for future generations! Your memory shall be kept alive forever! For the rest of mankind d**h is oblivion! They leave nothing behind of themselves! Nothing at all! Just like me! Just like me! (He dies.) LIONEL Sire, he is dying! Ah! My master is dead! ARTHUR (looking down at him sorrowfully) May your tortured soul now rest in peace! (At a sign from Arthur, the soldiers come forward to remove Lancelot's body. As they carry him away, Lionel follows behind.) Scene Six - Arthur alone ARTHUR Oh, my Lord, I deliver myself into your hands! My courage has left me! My hopes are dashed! Please help me to put an end to this suffering! Help me to find comfort in an unending sleep! (An invisible chorus suddenly raises its sweet voice in song.) CHORUS Come with us now beyond the blue waves! ARTHUR What voices are these? Who is calling me? CHORUS Come with us beyond the stars high above! Let us take you with us to a far better place, Where life's mysteries are at last revealed! Let us take you beyond those earthly things That are here today and are gone tomorrow! Come with us, Arthur! Come to sleep now! Let us take you along to your heavenly rest! ARTHUR Ah! Mysterious spirits from another world, I don't even dare believe what I have heard! Have you come all this way to spread a veil Of forgetfulness over my poor, weary eyes? CHORUS Come with us! The one who sent us to you Has decreed your destiny shall be sublime! Your heart and soul shall find peace at last Not through d**h, but deep, endless sleep! ARTHUR Close my eyes and let the world fade away! Depart this sad life forever and be no more! Put an end to all of this pain and suffering! (The back of the stage is suddenly bathed in the pink and gold light of the setting sun, and a barge filled with women appears on the horizon. As the vessel approaches the shore, one of women, who is standing in the stern, spreads open her wings as if they were sails.) CHORUS Come along! Leave this vale of tears behind! Come with us now and rest your weary soul! Come to an island whose shores are caressed By bright, sparkling waves of gold and azure, And whose calm, cool breezes for ever blow, Rustling the branches of the lush green trees! In the cool shade of its gently swaying palms, You shall sleep peacefully to the end of time! All the carnations and the roses and the lilies Shall bend their sweet heads to kiss your lips, And the irises shall burst into glorious bloom To perfume the bed upon which you shall lie! ARTHUR Oh, my beloved Brittany, the land of my birth, Whose soil is soaked by my ancestors' blood! You, wild Camelerd, and you, green Cambria, The time has come for me to bid you farewell! CHORUS Oh, Arthur, you were the glory of knighthood! You truly believed in the nobility of mankind! But those you trusted most in this cruel world Proved unworthy of your loyalty and devotion! ARTHUR The days of our great adventures have pa**ed, And the knights in shining armor are no more! Yet like rocks standing firm against the waves, They once upheld the ideals I had taught them! CHORUS All those hopes and dreams for a better future Were destined to fail from the very beginning! They fell victim to the frailty of human beings, And the tide of events that worked against you! ARTHUR (slowly unfastening his shield and sword) You who have served me so well in every battle, Pridwann and Excalibur, I now bid you farewell! Sleep in peace in the waters that bathe Cornwall, So that no one else shall ever take you up again! (Arthur goes over to the edge of the cliff and hurls his weapons into the sea. When the barge has finally reached the shore, he slowly descends the path that leads down to it. As he climbs on board, the vessel disappears behind the rocks.) CHORUS All your heroic efforts have not been in vain! Those of your knights who fought to the end To support the cause of justice in this world Shall live on in the hearts and minds of men! And when the day of reawakening has come, You shall tear the veils away from your eyes! Your head shall be crowned with bright stars, As you come down to the earth from the sun! (As the barge reappears and begins to make its way to the back of the stage, Arthur can be seen sleeping peacefully on a sort of couch.) CHORUS You shall come back again in a blaze of glory To the land that you left in such utter despair! You shall continue the great work you began, And take up your mighty weapons once more! Arthur, your majestic brow shall be wreathed In those victory laurels you once had scorned, In tribute to the magnificent accomplishment Of having dared to believe in an Ideal World! (As the sun plunges into the sea, its blinding light temporarily obscures the barge. By the time it has disappeared below the horizon, the stage is empty. The sky darkens, and the curtain slowly begins to fall.)