Ernest Chausson - Le Roi Arthus - Act One lyrics

Prelude Scene One - A great hall in Arthur's palace at Carlisle. The ma**ive redbrick walls are covered with tapestries, and the floor is strewn with cut reeds. On a dais to the left is the royal throne. As the curtain rises, Arthur is standing in front of his guests, apparently in the act of concluding a speech. Guinevere is seated nearby. The room is filled with any number of knights, squires and pages, including Mordred and Lancelot, both of whom are sitting in the front row. The women are a**embled beneath the throne on the same side as Guinevere. The bards, dressed in long white robes, are on the opposite side. ARTHUR Glory be to all of you who fought beside your king! Those who destroyed our land have been defeated! The harsh cruel Saxon tribes have been driven out, And have now set sail for their own desolate isles! Before the mightiness of our flashing blue swords, They've fled our shores and taken to the high seas! Glory be to the brave Knights of the Round Table, And above all, to God, our most Heavenly Father! But Merlin, why aren't you here with the rest of us On the day when we are celebrating such a victory? Where on earth could you possibly be hiding away? Could the great Merlin himself be among the dead? Wherever you are, I'm sure your heart is throbbing To the awful sound of the battle cry of the Britons! King Arthur and his men have triumphed over evil, And this country is freed of the Saxons at long last! (There is much excitement to be heard among the crowd. As the knights strike their shields with the hilts of their swords, the squires at the back wave branches of oak.) CHORUS Hurrah! Hurrah! Glory be to our invincible leader! Hurrah! Hurrah! Arthur, your anger is truly terrible Each time that you brandish your sword Excalibur! d**h and destruction forever follow in your wake! (Arthur raises his hand to silence his guests.) ARTHUR My dear friends, now that the storm is finally over, Let us forget about the pain that we have suffered! Let us lay aside these swords and weapons of war, And enjoy the benefits of such a hard-won peace! (turning to the squires) Start pouring wine and cider and ale for my guests, And some mead for the brave heroes in our midst! Let this dear old Gallic city of ours be decked out With so many ferns and irises and elder-blossoms! (addressing the bards) And you, my bards with those ivory harps of yours, Sing the praises of the most courageous of knights, Whose daring exploits have conquered the enemy! Every one of you has fought hard for our freedom, But it was the final battle that defeated the Saxons, And he was the one who led our troops to victory! MORDRED It's him! He's always the one who carries the day! LANCELOT (moving several steps closer to Arthur) Forgive me, sire, but I don't deserve such an honor! There's not a single one among us who's not ready To shed all his blood in the service of King Arthur! BARDS See how the knights in shining armor blind the eye, Like the first rays of the sun at the dawn of the day! See the chargers as they gallop at breakneck speed, Spurred on by their own rider's shouted commands, As swift as the great red eagle when it takes flight! MORDRED (speaking quietly to a group of knights who have gathered around him) This isn't fair to the rest of us! It's always Lancelot! KNIGHTS (muttering among themselves) He's always the one who is given credit for winning! Aren't we at least as brave as he is on the battlefield? Our own loyalty means less than nothing to the king! Oh, Mordred, even though you are Arthur's nephew, You might as well consider yourself a forgotten man! BARDS See how he brandishes his sword made of ash wood, Lancelot, the most gallant knight of the Round Table! See how his charger is galloping at breakneck speed, As light as a feather as it carries him across the plain, As swift as the great black eagle when it takes flight! MORDRED Just wait a little longer! Very soon I will avenge us! KNIGHTS Oh, yes! Oh, yes! It's high time to take our revenge! CHORUS Glory be to Lancelot, the bravest of knights! Hurrah! BARDS See how many soldiers already lie dead on the moor, Mowed down by the mighty warriors of King Arthur! Sir Lancelot himself is leading his troops into battle! See their chargers as they gallop at breakneck speed, As swift as the great white eagle when it takes flight! (Arthur comes down from his throne and approaches the knights.) ARTHUR Why, my dear Lancelot, among this festive crowd, Are you the only one not joining in the celebration? What is it that seems to be making you so unhappy? MORDRED (with biting sarcasm, before Lancelot has even had a chance to respond) Perhaps your Lancelot is really a kindhearted soul! Or perhaps this deep sadness might be due instead To the fact that he cannot cut more Saxons in half, Which was how he used to like to begin each day! ARTHUR (severely) Mordred, my dear nephew, I'm asking you myself Not to treat the most valiant knight in the kingdom In such a disgracefully arrogant and mocking way! (Mordred has barely begun to speak when Guinevere suddenly descends from her throne. After receiving a goblet from one of the squires, she approaches Lancelot.) GUINEVERE Sir Lancelot, the sword no longer reigns supreme When the harps raise their voices in a joyful song! Accept this cup from me in reward for your valor! It's time to forget the fierce cries of the battlefield, And those terrible scenes of d**h and destruction! You must not scorn the winged words of the bards As they sing of your feats as the bravest of heroes! Their tales, which are as airy as the clouds above, Shall bring you the fame that you so well deserve! Your name will only become a legend for all time If the bards have celebrated it throughout the ages! (As she presents him with the cup, she lowers her voice so that only he can hear her words.) Tonight! I'll let you know when it's time to come! (She then moves away, pa**ing between the ranks of the knights, and pausing briefly to exchange greetings with several of them.) MORDRED (who has been watching her every movement) They're whispering to each other! He's trembling! Ah, Guinevere, you have rejected my love for you, And you have given yourself to him, that Lancelot! May you both live to see the day of your reckoning! (Followed by her ladies-in-waiting, Guinevere slowly exits the hall. Arthur himself accompanies her to the back of the stage. By the time he returns to his guests, the banquet tables have already been set up, and he motions to the knights to be seated. As the feasting is about to begin, the curtain falls.) Scene Two - A terraced area within the castle walls. On the right, a covered gallery. In the foreground, a porch that leads to the queen's private apartments. On the left, the garden. At the very back, a balustrade behind which treetops and turrets can be seen. It is nighttime. The sky is overcast. From time to time, the moon appears between the clouds. When the curtain rises, Lionel is sitting in solitude on the porch steps. In the distance, the calls of the night watchmen can be heard. NIGHT WATCHMEN (off stage) Hey, hey, hey! Stop where you are! Hey, hey, hey! LIONEL Only the cries of the night watchmen can be heard! The rest of the world is sound asleep and at peace! Oh, Lancelot, what have you done? Oh, my master, It was you who taught me about loyalty and honor! I was living for that day when you would grant me The weapons of a true Knight of the Round Table! Should I condemn your actions in spite of myself? Your love is fated to bring about your destruction! Oh, Lancelot, you who are Arthur's closest friend, You who have always been his comrade-in-arms, You have lied to him! You have become a traitor! (He is silent for a moment.) How can such a thing ever have happened to him? This love of his has taken over his entire existence! He's now living in some kind of a dreamlike state, With no idea of the crimes that he has committed! He's not even trying to hide his feelings anymore! At the very sight of her his eyes light up with love! And then there's Mordred always spying on them! Yes, Mordred! The one who's jealous of Lancelot! The one who was in love with Guinevere himself, And who's still outraged at having been rejected! Dear God! What if he were ever to find them out? I am the only one who can possibly protect them, By keeping watch over them throughout the night! (He stands up and begins to move back stage, all the while looking around him to see if anyone is coming. Clasped in each other's arms, Guinevere and Lancelot suddenly appear beneath the porch, and slowly begin to descend the steps. As soon as he notices them, Lionel disappears among the trees. During the following scene, he crosses the back of the stage several times.) Scene Three - Lancelot and Guinevere LANCELOT and GUINEVERE When we're alone the whole world fades away, And we live in a magical kingdom of our own! Transported by the power of the love we share, We see only the beauty of nature all around us! We wander this enchanted world hand in hand, Bound together by the ecstasy we have known! We can only wonder at the love we have found, And the depth of feeling that unites us for ever! LANCELOT (sitting down on a stone bench and drawing Guinevere closer to him) Let me hold you once more in my loving arms, So closely that I feel the beating of your heart! Lay your sweet head right here upon my breast, Like a delicate little flower bent over its stem! GUINEVERE (most tenderly) Yes, my dear Lancelot, I'm yours completely! Take my mouth! Press your lips against mine! Take my eyes! Your face is ever before them! Do with me what you will! I live only for you! LANCELOT Whenever I hear the sound of your sweet voice, My heart is filled with hope and joy once more! Just promise me that you'll never leave my side! Only when I'm with you, my dearest Guinevere, Can I forget what my life was really like before, And what's happened to me since I fell in love! GUINEVERE What do you mean by those words, my darling? Why are you still so tormented about your past? How could a life devoted to honor and sacrifice Ever compare to the ecstasy that we've known? Those who love will always triumph in the end! Give in to your feelings, my precious Lancelot, And rejoice with me in the love we have found! In my heart there's no place for fear or remorse! All I know is that I love you more than life itself! LANCELOT (pa**ionately) Oh, my darling! Oh, my one and only true love! Just as the nightmares that come while we sleep, Made more terrible by the darkness of the night, Suddenly disappear with the first light of the day, The deep sadness that oppresses my aching heart Vanishes as soon as I hear your own sweet voice! Each time that I remember how beautiful you are, All I know is that you are now the light of my life! LANCELOT and GUINEVERE In your arms my poor heart finds peace at last, And the awful doubts that plague my thoughts Are put to rest in the warmth of your embrace! You and your love are all I have left to live for! The world outside has lost any meaning for me, So deep and abiding is this love that we share! (They remain locked in a silent embrace, seeming to have lost all awareness of their surroundings, when Lionel suddenly appears on the scene. As he hesitantly approaches Lancelot, he calls out to him in a low voice.) Scene Four - Lionel, Lancelot and Guinevere LIONEL It's daylight, my master, it's almost daylight! LANCELOT (as if returning to his senses) Ah! Who's there? Who's calling out to me? LIONEL It's almost daylight! The dawn is breaking! NIGHT WATCHMEN (off stage) Hey, hey! Hey, hey! The dawn is breaking! LIONEL Master, you must leave with me right now! GUINEVERE Leave?--What is it?--Is it already daybreak? NIGHT WATCHMEN Hey, hey! Hey, hey! The dawn is breaking! LIONEL Ah, master, I'm begging you, don't delay! I can hear the cries of the night watchmen, And the rising sun is just over the horizon! NIGHT WATCHMEN The sun is up, and a new day is breaking! LIONEL I am begging you not to tempt your fate! GUINEVERE (rising) Oh, my darling, our night of love is over! It's time to go our separate ways for now! (Lionel goes into the queen's apartments, and reappears some moments later carrying Lancelot's weapons.) LANCELOT How the hours drag by when we're apart! When will we see each other once again? GUINEVERE Tonight! Perhaps tonight if all goes well! I'll make sure that you receive a message-- (After a brief hesitation, Mordred slowly makes his way forward from the back of the stage, taking care to remain hidden by the trees. As the first glimmer of daylight appears, he suddenly catches sight of Guinevere and Lancelot.) MORDRED (turning back and shouting with all his might) On your guard! There are traitors among us! LIONEL Oh, dear God, they've been caught in a trap! GUINEVERE Heaven help us if he goes and tells the king! MORDRED Everyone! Come quickly! I need your help! LIONEL Master, it's Mordred! He has found you out! MORDRED On your guard, everyone! I need your help! LANCELOT (as he advances on Mordred) You miserable coward! Pick up your sword! (After an exchange of blows, Mordred is struck down by a terrible wound to his chest. Guinevere, who has been anxiously watching in the distance, rushes over to where he is lying on the ground.) GUINEVERE Is he really lying here stone dead at my feet? If only his tongue could be silenced forever! LIONEL It's broad daylight! Master, we have to leave! GUINEVERE Yes, go ahead now! There's no time to lose! Go now, my darling! Don't delay any longer! Maybe one of the guards heard him shouting! If anyone should come--Go on now, my love! LANCELOT And leave you all alone at a time like this? GUINEVERE If they find you here my life will be ruined! There's nothing you can do to help me now! I'm begging you, just go before it's too late! LANCELOT Ah, my Guinevere, will I ever see you again? GUINEVERE Just go and wait for me in the nearby forest, And leave Lionel here with me as an escort! I promise that I'll meet you as soon as I can! Never forget how much we love each other! When we're together there's nothing to fear! LANCELOT (in total despair) I've betrayed both my king and my country! I've drawn my sword against a fellow knight To cover all the lies that my life has become! LIONEL (urgently) Master, I'm begging you, for the love of God-- GUINEVERE It's time to say good-bye, my dearest darling! (Lancelot, who is led away by Lionel, exits on the left. Guinevere looks after him as she leans against the balustrade, and then starts moving in the direction of the castle. Just as she reaches the door to her apartments, however, Mordred raises his head from the ground, and utters a faint cry for help.) MORDRED Someone help me! Someone help me please! GUINEVERE (turning around in absolute terror) Oh, my Lord God! He's alive! He's still alive! (A detachment of soldiers descending from the ramparts suddenly appears in the background. As they crowd around the wounded Mordred, the curtain slowly begins to fall.)